How to Choose the Right CAFM Software for Your Business
How to Choose the Right CAFM Software for Your Business
The way property management is done has changed a lot in today’s data-driven world. No longer do we just use spreadsheets and separate information platforms. Computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) software has become an important tool for streamlining operations, making the best use of resources, and improving total efficiency. However, there are so many CAFM options out there that it can be hard to choose the right one for your business. Do not be afraid, brave site manager! You can be sure that you can confidently make your way through the CAFM software decision process after reading this complete guide.
Step 1: Figure out what you need—know yourself and your facilities.
Before you start comparing tools, you should really take some time to really evaluate yourself. Here are some important things to think about:
Main problems as a facility manager: Having trouble with work order handling, preventative maintenance, or all of these things together.
Size of your business: How many sites do you have? How big is your portfolio? Do you oversee a single building, a large school, or a network of sites spread out across the country?
Who do you need to thank? People who work in finance, facilities management, maintenance, and even the workers themselves have a stake in CAFM. Finding out what they need will help make sure that the software picked works for everyone.
IT system: Does your company prefer options that are in the cloud or ones that are on-premise? For seamless integration, it’s important to think about how to make the new system work with current ones.
Capital: The prices of CAFM tools can be very different. Tell them right away how much money you have to work with to avoid adding unnecessary features and get a solution that fits your needs.
Step two: Focus on features and show the CAFM software landscape.
Many features are available in CAFM software, but not all of them will be useful for your needs. Here is a list of some important features to think about:
Asset management:
When choosing CAFM software, make sure that the tools that help you manage your assets come first. You should look for options that let you make a thorough list of your physical assets, such as furniture, tools, and machines. The software should keep track of important asset data like warranty information, maintenance records, and where an asset is located in your building. It should also have tools for setting up preventative maintenance and making reports so that your assets last as long as possible and there is as little downtime as possible.
Maintenance Management:
Putting your upkeep needs in order of importance will help you choose the best CAFM software for your business. First, figure out what kind of maintenance you do now. Do you focus on preventative or reactive upkeep? Do you need to pay extra attention to your equipment? Then, look into CAFM software that has strong tools for maintenance. Look for features like the ability to create and track work orders. Planning preventative maintenance is also quite useful. You can also connect to apps used by maintenance technicians. By putting these things at the top of your list, you can be sure that the CAFM software will help you improve your maintenance tasks and keep your buildings running smoothly.
Space Management:
Figuring out what you need is very important when picking the right CAFM tools for managing space. Write down your goals, such as making the best use of your desk or setting up flexible offices. Then, look into the parts of the software that will help you reach these goals. You should be able to make floor plans with drag-and-drop, reserve space, and see how full the room is at all times. Don’t forget to think about scalability: can the program grow with your business? You can find a CAFM system that works best for your building by focusing on features that solve your space management problems.
Work Order Management:
Work order management is a key part of choosing the right CAFM software. If you want to speed up the process you look for features like creating work orders with fields that can be changed. Assigning of technicians automatically based on their skills, and getting real-time updates on the progress can also be done. It’s also important that technicians can view work orders on the go and give feedback right away by using their phones. Think about how the software works with other programs you use, like inventory management, to make sure that buying parts and finishing work orders goes smoothly. By putting these features at the top of your list, you can find a CAFM system that helps you handle work orders better and keeps your facilities running smoothly.
Reporting and Analytics:
When picking out CAFM software, give the most weight to tools that allow for insightful analysis and reporting. Look for dashboards that you can change and that let you keep an eye on key data that are important to your business goals. For easy data visualization, the software should let you make reports in different forms, such as tables, charts, and graphs. Don’t forget to look at drill-down features, which let you look deeper into certain places to find the root cause. You can use your CAFM system to make data-driven choices that improve facility management by putting a high priority on strong reporting and analytics.
Mobile Accessibility:
It is very important that your CAFM software can be used on smartphones and computers in today’s mobile world. If you’re looking for a CAFM system, pick one that has either a flexible web design or a mobile app. On touchscreens, the interface should be easy to use, with big, clear buttons and simple scrolling. Field technicians can make a big difference if they can do things like accessing work order information or sending in reports while they’re not connected to the internet. You give your employees the tools they need to be productive and efficient on the go by making mobile access a top priority.
Integrations:
Make sure that the new software works well with financial, building management, and computer-aided design (CAD) systems that are already in use.
Third Step: Setting Priorities and Weights—Not Every Feature Is Equal
Once you know what features are out there, put the ones that are most important to your company at the top of the list. Give each trait a weight based on how important it is to your problems. This will help you narrow down the CAFM options that will best meet your needs right now.
Step 4: Check out the vendors and find the right CAFM software.
Now that you have a clear idea of what you need and a list of features in order of importance, it’s time to start researching vendors. When looking at different CAFM software companies, these are some important things to keep in mind:
Product Features: Does the CAFM program have the features that are important to you, and does it have them in enough depth and detail?
Flexibility and scalability: Can the program change to meet your needs as your business grows?
Security and Data Privacy: Does the vendor put strong data security means in place to protect your facility’s private data?
Implementation and Training: Does the vendor give full support for implementation? Does training programs for users to make sure the change goes smoothly?
Customer Service: How quick and dependable is the vendor’s customer service team?
Review from customers and case studies: Read online reviews and customer comments to get an idea of how people really feel about a product or service.
Step 5: Trying out CAFM software for free with demos and trials
Most companies that make CAFM software let you try their software for free. Right now is your chance to try out the software and see how easy it is to use and whether it will work for your team.
Step 6: Talking things out and signing the contract, or “sealing the deal.”
It’s time to talk about the price and terms of the contract once you’ve found the best CAFM software option. Make sure the contract makes it clear what features are included, when they will be implemented, how they will be supported, and how the data will be protected.
Step 7: Implementation and Beyond—A Smooth Start-Up
Work with the company that makes CAFM tools. This step will provide you with basic experience which is very much needed to get a head start in your work.
Conclusion
Getting the right CAFM software is like putting money into the future of your facility management business. It is possible to make sure that the implementation goes smoothly and that you get long-term benefits from a powerful CAFM solution . This can be done if you carefully define your needs, rank the functions, and evaluate the provider. Remember that the best CAFM software should not only meet your needs now, but it should also be able to change and grow with your business.
Contact us for a free demo of how our expertise can help you achieve your business goals to the best.
