What’s CAFM Software Used For?

Computer-aided facility management software (CAFM software) is a cloud-based and highly mobile tool that helps with managing spaces and other physical assets as well as related services. It’s used by facility managers, property managers and building owners — for entities ranging from schools to large corporations — to optimize smooth oversight of buildings, campuses and other infrastructure.

While CAFM is used in numerous sectors, it’s particularly beneficial in industries where smart space utilization and maintenance are vital, like real estate, healthcare, education and retail. It’s essentially a high-tech approach to facility maintenance that enables activities like space planning, maintenance scheduling, asset tracking and resource allocation to be conducted more efficiently. Read on to learn how this software solution can streamline everything from real estate management to energy management, making day-to-day facility operations that much easier.

What Makes the Best CAFM Software?

CAFM software is traditionally overseen by an internal facilities management team and combines space management, maintenance management, data analysis and business operations supervision. Effective CAFM software should offer detailed customization flexibility since there are so many types of facilities as well as maintenance teams managing them — each with their own specific needs, pain points and objectives.

The importance of its ability to help with space and asset management can’t be overstated, as CAFM technology helps track and manage facility spaces, furnishings, equipment and other assets. Maintenance scheduling is another vital tool that should be included in top CAFM solutions, as it enables seamless reactive and proactive maintenance workflows for equipment and facilities.

In addition to assets, CAFM should also offer resource allocation, allowing users to optimize the use of such resources as energy, materials and any relevant stakeholders. For facilities that host meetings or events, room and workspace booking capacity can enable straightforward scheduling and allocation of conference rooms, workspaces and communal areas.

Compliance tracking is another element that reliable CAFM software will feature, helping oversee safety regulations, official building codes and other legal requirements to ensure compliance is met. Another must-have with your CAFM software is effective integration with other systems and software — such as ERP, BMS (Building Management Systems), BIM (Building Information Modeling) and HR platforms — for smooth operations.

What Key Purpose Does It Serve?

While this software tool is both sophisticated and multifaceted, its main functions can typically be divided into five key roles.

Leasing and managing real estate: This is done through centralizing lease-related info like contract details, renewal dates and financial commitments, lowering the risk of missed deadlines and guaranteeing compliance with lease arrangements. Proactive maintenance is another boon here, with CAFM scheduling tasks and tracking service requests — ensuring that properties remain in top condition.
Managing and planning out space: Here’s another area where CAFM solutions really stand out and that is particularly evident in their ability to team with CAD (Computer-Aided Design) software to create detailed, interactive floor plans. Space utilization analysis provided by the software is also vital, providing statistics on occupancy rates, underused spaces and overcrowded areas.
Asset inventory management: Yet another big focus of CAFM software, asset inventory management involves tracking boosted by a centralized database of location, condition and usage history information. Through dissecting asset performance and maintenance costs — pinpointing inefficiencies and advising ways to lower expenses — CAFM systems help with cost savings.
Building performance tracking: CAFM systems highlight building performance tracking by monitoring energy consumption and uncovering wastefulness, helping reduce expenses and bolstering sustainability. They can also compare building performance metrics against industry standards, helping uncover areas for advancement. Real-time data provided by many CAFM tools offer up-to-the minute data on building operations — enabling rapid responses to problems and better-informed decision-making.
Work order management: Proper work order management on repairs to key assets and facilities is another important role of CAFM software. The three main ways it achieves this is with centralized tracking via a single dashboard following all orders; real-time updates that let facility managers instantaneously gauge order status; and priority management enabling users to designate priorities to work orders, making sure urgent needs are addressed first.

Why CAD Drawings Are Important

Computer-aided design (CAD) drawings are critical in CAFM software because they supply meticulous visual depictions of spaces, assets and layouts. They’re especially helpful with space visualization, allowing facility managers to see floor plans and layouts in detail, making it easier to plan and optimize space usage.

CAFM software can also integrate CAD graphics with data about assets, occupancy and maintenance agendas, forging an easily comprehensible, across-the-board overview of facilities. For example, they could be linked to lease data, enabling managers to visualize leased areas, track occupancy and make informed decisions.

Additionally, CAD drawings can provide managers with potential “what-if” scenarios, testing various configurations and layouts before actually enacting changes. And CAD drawings furnish precise measurements and details as well, which not only reduces errors in planning and execution but helps make certain that spaces comply with specific safety, accessibility and regulatory guidelines.

Benefits of CAFM Software

The positives of CAFM tech are many, and most of them are tied to improving efficiency and the bottom line of your facility operations. These benefits include:

Improved team efficiency: This results from the centralization of information, making it effortless for team members to access and share real-time updates. This cuts back on miscommunication as well as wasted time. Data-driven decisions — bolstered by real-time analytics and reporting — improve response times and overall productivity, further elevating proficiency.
Streamlined maintenance management: Automated workflows help with streamlined maintenance tracking and reporting, as regular duties such as scheduling preventive maintenance or creating reports are automated, cutting back on manual effort and guaranteeing consistency. CAFM software excels at generating thorough and customizable reports — raising awareness of maintenance trends, costs and performance metrics.
Scheduling preventive maintenance tasks: It’s easy to schedule preventive maintenance with CAFM software, as it can instantly produce effective maintenance schedules predicated on predefined intervals, primarily time-based or usage-based triggers. This helps make sure that tasks are planned proactively.
Decreased maintenance costs: This highly welcome benefit of CAFM programs is done in several ways. By scheduling maintenance tasks effectively, for example, CAFM makes certain that labor, tools and materials are used wisely, minimizing waste and unnecessary expenses. Improved energy efficiency helps here as well, as CAFM monitors equipment performance and pinpoints inefficiencies, allowing facility managers to optimize energy usage and reduce operational costs.
Improved equipment and facility system performance: Implementing CAFM software helps facility managers stay informed and come up with key maintenance KPIs to boost productivity and operational efficiency.
Increased asset lifespan: For teams that decide to integrate IoT (Internet of Things) technologies as part of a predictive maintenance strategy, they will be able to assess data and spot trends of asset performance. This can directly lead to less downtime and longer equipment lifecycles due to real-time monitoring and alerts that enable facility managers to solve minor problems before resulting in larger asset damage.

CAFM vs. CMMS Software

While CAFM and computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software have many things in common, there are still several differences between the two. The most significant contrast is that CAFM software also includes real estate and lease management elements as well as an emphasis on improving energy efficiency. And while both offer maintenance management solutions, those features are traditionally far more robust with a CMMS, particularly when it comes to equipment upkeep.

These differences are reflected in the purposes of the two tools. While CAFM emphasizes overall facility management — including space planning, asset management, energy monitoring and data analysis — a CMMS focuses specifically on maintenance management, assisting teams in planning, tracking and carrying out maintenance tasks successfully.

Thus, the scope of CAMF is broader and more attuned to more general facility management objectives that involve synchronization between a variety of departments and systems, and a CMMS is more narrowly focused on maintenance supervision. That said, many companies and organizations use both systems in concert to complement each other, applying CAFM for broad facility insights and CMMS for ongoing maintenance oversight.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a CAFM Software

All CAFM software have the same basic general parts, but these are the things to consider when deciding which is optimal for you.

Ease of use: Seek out software with an intuitive interface that makes navigation straightforward for your team, lessening the inevitable learning curve.
Scalability: Make sure the software has the capacity to grow with your business and can support increased data and growing operations as your facility develops.
Mobile accessibility: Your organization needs to determine whether you need a cloud-based system — which provides remote access as well as scalability — or an on-site solution featuring heightened control and security.
Integrations with existing systems: Being able to integrate CMMS software, building management systems (BMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is crucial for some companies..
Customization: Another priority should be the software’s customization capabilities. When possible, select CAFM software that has the ability to tailor workflows, reports and features to match the unique needs of your organization.
Cost: While cost might seem like a no-brainer to consider, make sure to look past the upfront expense and determine the total ownership cost. This includes the initial purchase price but also comprises subscription fees, training and potential add-ons.
Customer support: With that in mind, ask vendors to reveal how much support and training they offer, to ensure your team members will actually be able to use the software effectively.
Security: Lastly, don’t forget to inquire about security features. CAFM software that offers robust security measures to safeguard confidential facility data is a must.

Example of CAFM Application

Probably the most common example of how CAFM tech functions is in the world of real estate. Imagine a company owning and/or managing several commercial properties. A CAFM would drastically simplify the plethora of tasks tied to the upkeep and organization of these countless buildings and spaces. It would help in the following ways:

Portfolio management: A CAFM helps with tracking and managing multiple properties within a portfolio, furnishing key data on occupancy rates, lease agreements and maintenance agendas.
Space optimization: This allows real estate firms to quickly and easily scrutinize utilization of space and develop layouts strategically, elevating efficiency and profit margins.
Energy efficiency: By monitoring energy use across properties, CAFM uncovers weak points and suggests solutions, lowering operational expenses.
Communication: CAFM also elevates tenant communication by providing a digital method of communication between property managers and tenants. This results in the timely resolution of problems and improves tenant satisfaction.
Maintenance coordination: This is a given, as CAFM software automates preventive maintenance schedules and tracks work orders, lowering downtime and making sure properties remain in healthy shape.
Data-driven decisions: These are the result of real-time analytics and reports furnishing actionable info, assisting firms in making highly informed conclusions on property management and investments.

These features and others make CAFM an invaluable tool for real estate firms and any other business that operates facilities looking to modernize operations and optimize profit margins.