Ep. 394: "You Need Intelligence First" – Smart Buildings, AI, and the Future of Workplace Technology with Melissa Marsh of PLASTARC

Melissa Marsh is Founder & Executive Director at PLASTARC where she is a passionate practitioner of workplace strategy and a leader in change management services delivering social research and people analytics for the built environment. Mike Petrusky asks Melissa why she believes organizations need to focus on digitizing their real estate assets, ensuring system interoperability, and bridging the gap between people and building data to truly realize the benefits of AI and IoT. They explore how the post-pandemic world has fundamentally changed how cities and offices are occupied, leading to less predictable and more variable patterns of use, which necessitates new strategies for space management. Melissa says smart buildings are increasingly defined by their ability to connect digital and physical assets, so the transition to smart workplaces requires an investment in data systems and a clear understanding of desired outcomes before layering on AI tools. The true potential of AI in our workplace environments lies not just in automation, but in enhancing the workplace experience by integrating HR data, building systems, and personalized services, so Mike and Melissa offer practical advice and the inspiration you will need to be a Workplace Innovator in your organization! Connect with Melissa on LinkedIn: Learn more about PLASTARC: Find out more about Eptura Flex/26 New York: Watch the podcast on YouTube: Discover free resources and explore past interviews at: Learn more about Eptura™: Connect with Mike on LinkedIn:

You can listen to Ep. 394: "You Need Intelligence First" – Smart Buildings, AI, and the Future of Workplace Technology with Melissa Marsh of PLASTARC online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Ep. 394: "You Need Intelligence First" – Smart Buildings, AI, and the Future of Workplace Technology with Melissa Marsh of PLASTARC is an episode from Workplace Innovator Podcast | Enhancing Your Employee Experience | Facility Management | CRE | Digital Workplace Technology by Mike Petrusky.

This episode is 32:15 long.

This episode was published on Mar 24, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Workplace Innovator Podcast | Enhancing Your Employee Experience | Facility Management | CRE | Digital Workplace Technology when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.