17 As a building services engineer, there’s nothing more frustrating than arriving on-site with less than the bare minimum of information to work from. Questions such as ‘Where are the boilers/the motor room/the chillers?’ or ‘How do I access the roof/drain the sprinkler system/test the emergency lights?’ waste everyone’s time and energy, not to mention increasing the client’s bill. Even simple questions such as ‘How high is the building?’ can stall projects unnecessarily. These are just a few of the reasons why James of Building Services AI hit upon a system to ensure an engineer’s time and effectiveness are always maximised, even if it’s the first time they’ve attended a site. James told us: “One of the consistent and prolific issues within the building services and facilities management industries is the dependency on the site knowledge of either one or two individuals to keep a building running smoothly. Key contacts are relied upon to provide information for callouts. They are often contacted during annual leave, and ultimately, their essential knowledge is lost when they leave or retire.” Embracing the latest in AI technology, James and the team have created a virtual engineer to take the pressure off key staff members. The aptly named ‘Ask James Ai’ is on hand 24/7 to provide answers to questions and offer suggestions for problem-solving. The virtual engineer is expertly equipped to provide accurate, precise details about each building. This ensures there’s always someone on-call to help and advise, even when key personnel are enjoying a well-earned break. Ask James Ai removes the single point of failure from building maintenance challenges, ensuring engineering tasks and repairs run as smoothly as possible. Asked how Building Services AI achieves this, James explained: “We conduct a range of surveys from plant-only to full intrusive inspections where we examine, document and categorise an entire building. We then use this data to train the virtual engineer. On-site teams get instant access to the entire building’s plant and equipment information in one place. We go into much more detail than the original operating and maintenance documents (O&M’s). The aim is for any competent and skilled engineer to have the information they need to maintain any building at their fingertips.” In addition, Building Services AI creates a comprehensive catalogue of 3D images of plant rooms and risers, providing videos and models of all areas of the building, including vertical shafts and pipework. Ask James Ai also integrates with the building’s BMS (Building Maintenance System) and control plant to gather data. This enables a visual of the location of any piece of plant or equipment to be sent to the attending engineer before they arrive on site. Despite the huge variety in plant and machinery available and the many different types of buildings, James finds it easy to gather information from the cloud for most modern buildings. However, details for older buildings can be more challenging to find. James enjoys the physical side of the job, exploring buildings to find the information he needs. But even so, when buildings have had multiple tenants, and documents have been lost or damaged, finding everything he needs to create a virtual engineer can take time. However, once the virtual engineer is created, detailed information is available instantly to those who need it. With the UK’s building maintenance and facilities industry currently estimated to be worth £50 billion a year, the shortfall in skilled and qualified engineers is reaching a crisis point. Many contracts are understaffed and rely on external engineers to cover the gaps. By investing in a virtual engineer, facilities management companies can eliminate unnecessary additional effort and save precious time and resources. In this very competitive industry, clients’ maintenance contracts are changing hands on average every 3 to 5 years. Clients often attempt to retain experienced staff under the new contract. But when this is not possible, a knowledge gap is created between the incoming and outgoing teams, leaving the building at risk. James told us: “By employing our virtual engineer, clients can eliminate this issue. We continually verify each site’s information to ensure its virtual engineer stays up to date, just like a full-time staff member or team would. As part of our ongoing packages, we visit each site at regular intervals to ensure that the information Ask James Ai holds remains accurate. Depending on client requirements and the package they choose, we visit either bi-monthly, quarterly, half-yearly or annually. Clients can also send us interim updates via email.” There are currently few competitors employing artificial intelligence technology in the same way as Building Services AI, despite many IT companies having the capacity and the ability to fill the space. With its in-depth industry knowledge and specific expertise, Building Services AI is well-placed to stay ahead of the curve and become a market leader in using technology to enhance building services. James said: “Our USP is that we have a building services engineering pedigree. This enables us to fully understand the unique requirements of every client and the challenges they face in today’s facilities management landscape. We aren’t just developers with a product to sell; we’re engineers offering a comprehensive solution!” In 2025, James’ mission is to reach as many building managers as possible to present the benefits of Ask James Ai. He said: “We are always happy to visit a site, chat on Teams or over the phone with anyone who thinks a virtual engineer could be beneficial to them. There’s a contact page on our website, and we can also be found on LinkedIn.” Building Services AI is currently rolling out its virtual engineer in highprofile buildings and locations across the UK. To find out more, please visit the company website and complete the contact form. Contact: James Brown Company: Building Services AI Web Address: https://buildingservices.ai/
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