A National Survey and the SBM Index (RE&FM): Smart Building Management Maturity in Switzerland

The project results present a differentiated picture of smart building management in Switzerland. On the one hand, significant potential is identified, particularly in the areas of efficiency improvement, energy savings, and cost reduction. On the other hand, it becomes evident that implementation in practice is still often fragmented and only rarely carried out systematically across entire portfolios. The developed SBM Index indicates a moderate level of maturity and highlights the need for further action. Key challenges lie mainly in high investment costs, technical complexity, and the integration into existing systems. At the same time, it becomes clear that clearly defined targets, measurable value propositions, and the development of competencies are crucial to better leverage the potential of smart building management in the future.

The 2025 national survey project on Smart Building Management in Switzerland is a practice-oriented study by the Competence Group Smart Building Management at IFM ZHAW that aims to systematically assess the current state, adoption, and maturity of smart building management in building operations. It is based on a standardized online survey of 478 specialists and executives from real estate, facility management, and related fields who are directly involved in building operations and management.

At the core of the project is the analysis of potentials, level of implementation, objectives, and barriers in the adoption of smart building management. In addition, a specific index (the SBM Real Estate & Facility Management Index) was developed to enable a comparable assessment of the implementation status and to serve as a practical orientation tool.

The study thus provides a well-founded snapshot of the current situation and shows that, although smart building management is considered highly relevant for the future, it is often not yet systematically implemented in practice.