6 takeaways from the Johnson Controls Digital Technology Conference

The Johnson Controls Digital Technology Conference 2026 in New Orleans brought together industry leaders, facilities professionals and technology innovators to explore how digitalization is transforming how buildings are operated and maintained. Across keynotes, panels and breakout sessions, one message came through clearly: the future of smart buildings is no longer on the horizon. It’s already here.

For organizations navigating evolving workplace expectations, rising energy costs, constrained resources and increasing operational complexity, the conference highlighted a path forward powered by data, AI and integrated ecosystems like OpenBlue.

Here are the most important takeaways.

1. Data quality is a critical competitive advantage

This issue is so consequential for organizations hoping to maximize the value of AI-powered solutions that the conference devoted an entire session to the topic – “The Hidden Price of Bad Data.”

Panel moderator Rhonda Small – Director of RSP i_SPACE at RSP Architects – noted that, “Without that data integrity, you're not going to have confidence in what you're reporting. You’re not going to trust the data, and neither will anyone else. So, it really comes down to that data integrity to provide accountability, trust and confidence.”

The focus of that session was on higher education and research – fields where poor data governance can directly impact funding through missed opportunities for indirect cost recovery (ICR). But the implications extend far beyond academia.

Across industries, inaccurate or incomplete data leads to:

• Inefficient space utilization
• Misaligned maintenance priorities
• Increased operational costs
• Reduced decision-making confidence

According to Lisette Smyrnios – Managing Director of Global Workplaces, Real Estate and Corporate Sustainability at Accenture – the business impact of these gaps grows as organizations adopt more advanced technologies.

“AI agents are going to take the data that’s available to them, even if it’s inaccurate,” said Smyrnios during the “Future of Digital Innovation” panel. “If you have bad data, you’re going to get bad answers. Every organization needs to be asking: ‘Is our data accurate enough to support the decisions we’re trying to make?’”

Conversely, organizations investing in strong data governance and a single source of truth are seeing measurable benefits. High-quality data enables more precise reporting, better forecasting and stronger alignment between facilities and business objectives.

Digitalization is not just about collecting more data; it’s about making that data defensible, actionable and trustworthy.

2. High-quality integrations are the foundation of growth

As digital ecosystems expand, one principle is becoming clear: technology delivers its greatest value when it integrates seamlessly with legacy systems and the broader application landscape across the organization.

The shift from traditional IWMS platforms to broader connected portfolio intelligence platforms reflects a growing need to unify data across systems. Continuing to run facilities, energy, maintenance and workplace experience tools in silos can be detrimental. It limits the insights they can produce, the efficiencies they can unlock and the overall return on technology investments.

Instead, organizations are prioritizing:

• Seamless data sharing across platforms
• Scalable architectures that support future innovation
• Integration with enterprise systems aligned to business goals, from HR and finance platforms to Internet of Things (IoT) devices

The value of these integrations becomes clear when organizations can connect data across systems to drive measurable outcomes.

During the “From Insight to Impact” session, Jose Pesqueira – Assistant Director of Facilities at Walla Walla County – gave a glimpse into what that looks like for his organization.

“Slowly, we are integrating our systems,” Pesqueira explained. “With all this data available, we can show savings. Or we can show, this piece of equipment or this facility is not running efficient because of A, B and C. And then we can show with the dollar amount, how much it's costing me. Then we do a comparison on the other side: these can be replaced with this. This is your savings right here.”

This evolution enables more informed decisions at every level. Rather than reacting to isolated data points, teams can access a holistic view of their portfolios – transforming operations from fragmented to comprehensive.

3. AI is becoming a true operational partner

Artificial intelligence was a major focus throughout the conference, but the conversation has matured significantly. Rather than viewing AI as a standalone tool, it is increasingly seen as an embedded capability that enhances human decision-making.

During her “AI Unboxed” keynote presentation, Irina Koitz – Senior Director, Digital Product Management and AI at Johnson Controls – talked about the benefits of viewing AI as a “new team member.”

“It's a team member that becomes our all-seeing and ever-learning ally. It has read all the manuals, knows all the repositories of data available in this world, knows your data, never sleeps, sounds perfectly human. And it can continuously optimize. It can even help our infrastructure self-heal,” said Koitz. “Last but not least, it can deliver that amazing occupant experience in your facility. It boosts performance. It brings joy.”

In practice, this means:

• Automatically analyzing equipment performance and flagging anomalies
• Providing recommended next steps based on historical data
• Accelerating reporting and insights generation
• Reducing time spent on repetitive administrative tasks

This shift reframes AI from something experimental into something practical and essential. It enables facilities teams to focus less on manual processes and more on strategic outcomes like driving efficiency, enhancing resilience and reducing waste. It can even help deliver “workplace joy” – the kind of intuitive, personalized and frictionless experiences employees have come to expect in their personal lives, now brought into the workplace.

4. Workplace strategies are set, but optimization is just beginning

One of the clearest themes from the conference was that most organizations have moved past debating hybrid versus in-office work. Instead, they’ve settled into defined workplace strategies, whether that means fully remote, fully on-site – or something in between.

The challenge now is optimization.

Many organizations are still struggling to align building operations with actual space usage. Leaders may have visibility into badge data, but that often tells an incomplete story. Employees may check in briefly without fully utilizing the space; this could create inefficiencies in energy usage, maintenance and planning.

The opportunity lies in moving beyond surface-level metrics to deeper, real-time insights.

As Jennifer Heath – Senior Manager of Product Marketing at Johnson Controls – noted during the “From Hybrid to RTO and Back Again: Optimization for Every Strategy” session, “We want to uncover opportunities to improve performance across space, scheduling and experience. We want to understand bookings versus actual utilization. Utilization data informs energy and operational decisions. It really becomes the lens that should guide all of those different decisions.”

By integrating occupancy data, sensor inputs and operational systems, organizations can get a true picture of how their spaces are being used. Then, they can align resources with actual utilization, unlock cost savings, reduce waste and improve workplace experiences.

5. The shift toward predictive maintenance is underway

While many organizations are still operating with reactive maintenance models, the momentum toward predictive and proactive strategies was evident across conversations and panel discussions at the conference.

Implementing sensor networks, connecting operational technology and managing cybersecurity risks can feel like significant hurdles. However, what’s holding some organizations back is not a lack of awareness. It’s a combination of budget constraints, infrastructure readiness and perceived complexity. Fortunately, organizations are taking steps to address these obstacles.

With solutions that integrate equipment performance monitoring, cybersecurity protections and AI-driven analytics, organizations can begin transitioning at their own pace. Even incremental steps – such as digitizing work orders or introducing targeted sensors – can deliver meaningful improvements.

That shift in approach also has clear implications for performance and ROI, as David Kornegay – Senior Product Manager at Johnson Controls – outlined during the “Advancing Preventative and Predictive Maintenance” panel.

“If you’re just reactive, it’s high effort with low return on investment. Things break, people complain and you’re constantly responding,” said Kornegay. “Condition-based maintenance means going when needed, not just because it’s scheduled. Predictive takes it further: while it may require more upfront investment, it delivers significantly greater long-term savings.”

For businesses aiming to optimize performance and control costs, reactive approaches are no longer sufficient. While the transition to proactive maintenance is still in early stages at many organizations, there’s broad agreement on the need for change.

6. Energy efficiency and cost management are driving decisions

Rising energy costs emerged as a widespread concern across industries. As a result, energy optimization is becoming a top priority – not just for sustainability goals, but for financial resilience.

Innovations showcased at the conference demonstrated how AI and automation can:

• Continuously optimize central utility plants
• Adjust building systems based on real-time usage
• Reduce energy waste in underutilized spaces

In some cases, these technologies are enabling autonomous operations, delivering significant cost savings while maintaining performance standards.

That proactive approach was a key theme in the “Central Utility Plant Optimization Demystified” session. As Derek Supple – Director of Product Management at Johnson Controls – explained, “It's solving not just for what to do right now to be most efficient, but what to do now that's going to help tomorrow and the next day – doing that seven-day future predictive optimization.”

This reinforces a broader shift: energy management is no longer a standalone initiative. It is becoming a core component of overall operational strategy.

Looking ahead: the future is connected, intelligent and now

If there was a single unifying message from the conference, it’s this: organizations don’t need to wait for the future of smart buildings. It’s already here.

The convergence of AI, integrated systems and high-quality data is enabling a new era of facilities management that’s defined by insight, efficiency and adaptability.

For organizations leveraging platforms like OpenBlue, the opportunity is to move beyond incremental improvements and toward true transformation.

Frequently asked questions

1. What was the main focus of the 2026 Johnson Controls Digital Technology Conference?

The 2026 Johnson Controls Digital Technology Conference focused on how organizations are using high-quality data, scalable integrations and AI to improve facility operations and create measurable outcomes.

Key themes included building a trusted data foundation, connecting systems across the tech stack, applying AI to everyday workflows and accelerating progress in predictive maintenance and energy optimization.

2. Why are data quality and integrations so important for AI in facilities management?

AI is only as reliable as the data it can access. If your building, workplace or maintenance data is incomplete, inconsistent or trapped in silos, AI tools can produce misleading insights and recommendations.

A strong data governance approach, plus integrations that connect legacy systems and newer applications, helps create a single source of truth so teams can trust reporting, scale automation and drive better decisions.

3. How can OpenBlue help teams move from reactive maintenance to predictive maintenance and energy optimization?

OpenBlue brings together building and workplace data so teams can monitor performance, spot anomalies earlier and prioritize actions based on real operational impact. By applying analytics and AI to connected equipment data, organizations can reduce unplanned downtime, shift toward condition-based and predictive maintenance and continuously identify opportunities to cut energy waste while maintaining comfort and reliability.