Technical Corner

August 19, 2026

Like it or not, the world has entered the next evolution of technology assisted living. Changes in how the world functions is slowly being challenged with options driven by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and at a pace never seen in our evolution. AI is being forced into many aspects of community and workplace function and under a learn as you go process. Even the most technically advanced individuals cannot predict how AI will perform moving forward as it continues to rapidly evolve. [More] 

One of the possible positive recreation facility related outcomes of this technology will be how AI-powered predictive maintenance can reduce potential down time in operations to avoid loss of revenue but more importantly, if properly embraced, allowing facility management to schedule maintenance to meet their needs while creating less reliance on service providers. How effective this will be is dependent on preparing employees through training, addressing misconceptions and helping operators adapt to new workflows rather than fearing job replacement. To maximize AI’s value, facility managers should integrate predictive analytics with existing systems, such as work order platforms, to automate maintenance processes and improve response times. In most cases, AI is an enhanced automation control of alerts we already have in place in BAS of DDC systems. The ORFA's professional development partner Marmak has been focused on designing industry specific modules by balancing their technological expertise while leveraging ORFA's practical experiences in the subject matter. This helps guarantee that members are being properly served with no other agenda beyond vetted industry best practice. The ORFA continues to raise awareness of some manufacturers and suppliers adopting technology protected systems that limit open-source service capability. In addition, a caution that some suppliers will also be collecting data that may not always be shared with the equipment owners. Our recent training partnership with Guest Automation highlights the tactics being used and how restrictions can be removed. 

As AI continues to evolve, it will increasingly support condition-based maintenance, and data-driven decision-making, enabling recreation management to improve reliability, efficiency and long-term operational performance of these important community assets. AI will not replace qualified staff or the need for technician support but rather expediate diagnosis and prioritization on tasks and investments. To be successful, it still requires competent staff to identify and determine next steps and to coordinate skilled technicians to validate the root cause and execute the repair.  AI will not eliminate the need for baseline or traditional preventative maintenance but rather remind of housekeeping, lubrication and other essential hands-on adjustments based on determined frequencies. In these early stages, facility managers must accept that AI will produce false positives and false negatives. AI “hallucinations” are the output of the intelligence producing outputs that are false or misleading but appear reasonable. Thus, all professionals will need to treat AI as a maturing technology and tool that is fallible at this point in its evolution.  

AI will move facilities management from reactive and calendar-based approaches toward continuous, condition-based operations and management. AI will continually feed historical work order data that predicts equipment failure before it happens - shifting from run to fail or fixed-interval maintenance to true failure-mode prediction. The biggest predicted shift will be AI acting as a decision-support layer that recommends prioritized work orders, occupancy, flags anomalies operators might miss and continuously retrains itself as buildings and equipment age and occupancy patterns emerge, turning facilities management from a cost centre into a source of operational and financial predictability. The ORFA has watched our industry evolve over the past 80-years and while change can be scary to some members, others who are ready to embrace change are leading the way. The ORFA will continue to tap into our vast network of practitioner's who are the true innovators of the industry. Individuals who are wanting the best for their operations that results in the shaping of the future of all recreation operations. We look forward to working with our members as we try and maximize advancing technology for improved service delivery.