Facilities Management: The Only Role That Touches Everything
The Solution Navigator, Substack, February 2026
Facility management sits at the intersection of nearly every major organizational function, from finance and technology to risk, sustainability, operations and the workplace. Using IFMA’s eleven core competencies as a framework, this article examines the FM role's unusual breadth and argues that facility managers are not simply generalists, but integrators who combine technical depth with working knowledge across multiple disciplines to translate organizational strategy into operational reality. johnjlembo.substack.com
Insights & Publications
Perspectives on facilities management, energy, technology, infrastructure, and the business of operating the built environment. These articles reflect The Navitas Group's focus on helping owners and facility leaders navigate increasingly complex operational and capital decisions.
The FM as Energy Integrator
IFMA FMJ, September 2026
Facility energy decisions are often divided among engineering, procurement, sustainability, finance, and operations, even though each decision can affect the others. This article examines the facility manager’s role as the operational integrator, connecting energy supply, efficiency, infrastructure, capital planning, sustainability and resilience so that individually sound initiatives work together as a coherent strategy.
Read the full article in IFMA FMJ
The CMMS Dilemma
IFMA FMJ, September 2026
CMMS platforms promise better maintenance, asset visibility, and operational control. But selecting the software is often easier than getting an organization to use it effectively. This article examines the operational side of CMMS implementation and why technology alone doesn't solve the problem.
Read the full article in IFMA FMJ
When Outsourcing Makes Sense (and When It Doesn’t)
IFMA FMJ, October 2026, forthcoming October 26
Outsourcing facilities management can provide specialized expertise, scalability, and operational efficiencies, but it is not automatically the right solution for every organization. This article examines the factors facility leaders should consider when choosing between in-house, outsourced and hybrid models, and why the right decision depends less on industry trends than on an organization’s capabilities, culture, priorities and need for operational control.
Available in IFMA FMJ October 26, 2026
Facility Management and Workplace Management: Related, but Not the Same
The Solution Navigator, Substack, August 2026
Facility management and workplace management are increasingly intertwined, but they serve different purposes. This article examines the distinction between managing the performance of the physical environment and managing the experience of the people within it, exploring how coworking, hybrid work and workplace technology have brought the two disciplines closer together while making clear accountability and collaboration more important than ever.