NEST Commits $200,000 to AI Initiative to Enhance Skilled Trades Performance

NEST Integrated Facilities Management has committed $200,000 to an artificial intelligence initiative designed to enhance the efficiency of skilled trades technicians without displacing them.

Earlier this month, the New Jersey-based company revealed a partnership with Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, launching “The Hawk’s NEST: Building the Future of IFM and Skilled Trades Intelligence.”

This collaboration will leverage AI and machine learning to optimize technician scheduling, refine service estimates, and boost overall operational efficiency.

According to NEST CEO Rob Almond, the technology is meant to augment the workforce rather than substitute it. “As much as AI can help us with troubleshooting a problem at a job site, the technician still needs to be there,” Almond said.

Saint Joseph’s University Haub School of Business Dean Joseph DiAngelo, left, is pictured next to NEST CEO Rob Almond. NEST is investing $200,000 in a new initiative with Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. (NEST Integrated Facilities Management)

NEST oversees services for over 60,000 commercial properties across the U.S. and Canada, ranging from retail stores and banks to restaurants.

The company’s extensive network comprises thousands of independent providers specializing in HVAC, plumbing, electrical work, janitorial services, landscaping, and various other trades.

By deploying AI, contractors could streamline route planning, locate necessary parts, diagnose issues, and complete more service jobs daily.

These advancements could also help mitigate the industry’s ongoing skilled labor shortage. “It’s severely short,” Almond said of the labor pool. “… It’s not going to go away anytime soon.”

Saint Joseph’s University Haub School of Business Dean Joseph DiAngelo, far left, and NEST CEO Rob Almond, far right, pose with students at Saint Joseph’s University. NEST and Saint Joseph’s have worked together for more than a decade. (NEST Integrated Facilities Management)

NEST and Saint Joseph’s University began collaborating on AI projects approximately 18 months ago, building upon a relationship spanning over a decade.

As part of the expanded partnership, students, faculty, and researchers will analyze NEST’s operational data to develop new tools for technicians, service providers, employees, and customers.

During the first year, the initiative is projected to analyze over one billion data points.

Almond’s ultimate objective is to make skilled workers “better, stronger and faster.” “The human element will never go away,” he said.

Almond emphasized that increased support and awareness are needed to attract new talent to the trades.

NEST CEO Rob Almond said AI tools could help skilled trades workers become more efficient. (iStock)

“A career path in the trades is just as viable, if not more so, than a traditional college career,” he noted.

For NEST, the AI investment serves a dual purpose: improving day-to-day efficiency and alleviating the pressures caused by the labor shortage.

“Giving these companies… tools that can make them more efficient so they can get to the next job faster and maybe even be a little bit more cost competitive — we’re all in for that,” Almond said.

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