On November 13, Vixxo Facility Solutions took center stage at ConnexFM FutureBuilt, where innovators and industry leaders redefined how technology is transforming the built environment. Jim McCarthy, Chief Operating Officer, joined the panel discussion “AI in Action: Executive Strategies for Scalable, Measurable Impact Across Building Portfolios.” During the panel, McCarthy shared how Vixxo is turning AI into tangible business results across the facilities management ecosystem.
Vixxo’s AI journey began not in a lab, but in the field, with a single idea that solved a real problem. That idea became ChatFPT (Facilities Professional Technician), an AI-powered assistant built to empower technicians in real time.
ChatFPT was born when one of Vixxo’s own technicians created a prototype using the company’s troubleshooting guides, addressing one of the industry’s greatest challenges: the “Silver Tsunami” of retiring skilled labor. By helping new technicians reach proficiency faster and giving experienced professionals instant diagnostic guidance, ChatFPT became the proof point that AI wasn’t just possible, it was practical. That moment sparked a mindset shift. What began as experimentation evolved into a citizen-led AI revolution.
At Vixxo, it isn’t just developers building AI tools. It’s our operations teams, finance teams, and technicians who face daily challenges and turn their insights into intelligent solutions. That bottom-up innovation model is what allows Vixxo to implement AI at scale with real, measurable impact. This capability places the firm far ahead of traditional competitors still navigating “AI pilot mode.”
As McCarthy shared during the panel, “The biggest barrier was not technical, it was human.” Vixxo learned early in the process that for AI to succeed, it must integrate seamlessly into how people already work.
That insight drove ChatFPT to be voice-enabled and hands-free, allowing technicians to simply ask, “ChatFPT, show me the wiring diagram for this unit,” and receive instant, contextual guidance. Organic adoption occurs when AI feels natural and flows organically through our technicians' workstreams.
Employee input is equally important. When employees help shape the AI tools they use, they are taking a hands-on approach to driving innovation. That cultural shift has been essential to Vixxo’s sustained momentum and confidence in scaling AI across the organization, proving that true transformation comes not from top-down mandates but from human-driven innovation.
Vixxo’s commitment to hands-on innovation was further underscored in its recent AI Innovation Hackathon, highlighted in BusinessWire. The event brought together teams across disciplines to develop practical AI solutions in real time, reinforcing that innovation doesn’t come from a single department. It comes from everyone.
Vixxo’s citizen-led AI movement empowers the people closest to the work to shape the tools of the future with speed, creativity, and empowerment. Rather than waiting for perfect plans or outside consultants, Vixxo gives its people the freedom to build, test, and iterate rapidly. That culture of curiosity and execution is what turns AI from a concept into a strategic differentiator.
Vixxo’s message at FutureBuilt was clear: the future of facilities management isn’t about waiting for transformation, it’s about leading it.
“Start small. Start real. Start now,” McCarthy advised organizations looking to take their first step into AI. “The companies that will lead are the ones that empower their people to experiment, fail fast, and learn even faster.”
From the frontlines of facility maintenance to the global stage of FutureBuilt, Vixxo continues to set the standard for AI innovation in facilities management. The company’s relentless drive to turn vision into action, and data into decisions, proves that the future isn’t built; it’s intelligently engineered.