Businesses today are constantly grappling with the complexities of managing their physical assets. From towering office complexes to sprawling industrial facilities, buildings are becoming increasingly challenging to operate due to the sheer volume of data required to effectively manage, optimize, and secure them.
It’s also getting increasingly expensive. Research by Gartner found that providing workspace to one employee costs an organization a whopping $8000 to $14000 annually, with costs only reducing with proper management of the space and the equipment within it.
Traditionally, managing these physical spaces has been reliant on costly, paper-based systems and manual processes. But with facilities management becoming increasingly complex, these systems are struggling to keep pace – and the burden is falling onto facilities managers to pick up the slack.
This not only diverts attention away from other, more strategic initiatives but also leads to increased costs, delays, and ultimately a lack of visibility into critical operations.
Computer-aided facility management software (CAFM) has become an effective tool for helping facilities managers stay on top of facilities monitoring and manage their buildings efficiently.
What is Facility Management Software?
Facility Management Software is a tool designed to streamline and optimize the operations of a facility. It empowers facility managers to efficiently handle a wide range of tasks, from maintenance scheduling and asset management to space utilization and energy consumption tracking.
Facility management software provides a centralized platform to manage and analyze facility data. This includes information on assets, maintenance history, space allocation, and occupancy. By leveraging this data, facility managers can identify maintenance needs, optimize space utilization, and track key performance indicators.
Many CAFM software solutions often also incorporate features for work order management, inventory control, and environmental health and safety compliance. By digitizing these processes, provides facility managers with a comprehensive overview of their operations, enabling data-driven decision-making and improved efficiency.
How does facility management software work?
Facility management software acts as a central hub for managing facility-related data and processes. It collects and stores information about a building's assets, including equipment, furniture, and infrastructure, and then organizes and categorizes this data to create a comprehensive digital representation of the facility.
Once this data is inputted, the software can be used to automate various facilities management tasks. For instance, it can generate maintenance schedules based on equipment age, usage, and manufacturer recommendations. The software can optimize space utilization by analyzing occupancy patterns and identifying underutilized areas.
Another key component of CAFM software is its ability to generate reports and analytics. By analyzing data on energy consumption, maintenance costs, and space utilization, facility managers can identify trends, measure performance, and make data-driven decisions to improve efficiency and reduce costs.
Key Features of Facility Management Software
CAFM software offers a robust set of features to streamline facility management operations. Some of the core functionalities include:
1. Asset and Inventory Management
One of the core functionalities of asset management in Facility management software is to create a comprehensive asset inventory. This involves cataloguing all assets, from large equipment like HVAC systems to smaller items like office furniture. Facility management allows for tracking asset usage, performance, and depreciation. This information is crucial for determining optimal maintenance schedules, replacement planning, and cost allocation, allowing facilities managers to easily track their location, condition, and value.
2. Space Management
Facility management software can assign spaces to departments, teams, or individuals based on their requirements and organizational structure. The software can visualize space utilization, highlighting areas that are underutilized or overcrowded. This information is crucial for optimizing space allocation and potentially reducing real estate costs. CAFM software is also great for flexible space planning. With features like drag-and-drop functionality, users can experiment with different layouts to accommodate changes in workforce size, departmental structures, or new equipment. The software can also generate reports on space utilization metrics, such as square footage per employee or occupancy rates, to inform decision-making.
3. Maintenance Management
Facility management software systems allow facility managers to create, assign, and track work orders for both preventive and corrective maintenance tasks. These work orders can be generated manually or automatically based on asset conditions, usage, or predefined schedules. Once created, work orders are assigned to maintenance technicians, who can access them through mobile devices for on-the-go updates.
Facility management software software can also create detailed maintenance schedules based on equipment type, manufacturer recommendations, and usage patterns. By adhering to these schedules, organizations can significantly reduce equipment breakdowns, extend asset lifespan, and optimize maintenance costs.
4. Reporting and analytics
By collecting and organizing information about facility assets, maintenance history, space utilization, and energy consumption, facility management software generates detailed reports and visualizations to help facility managers stay on top of facility maintenance. These reports provide a comprehensive overview of facility performance and help identify trends, patterns, and areas for improvement. For instance, maintenance reports can highlight equipment reliability, cost trends, and the effectiveness of preventive maintenance programs, while Space utilization reports can reveal underutilized areas, optimize space allocation, and support real estate decisions. CAFM software also often includes advanced analytics capabilities, such as predictive analytics, which can forecast equipment failures based on historical data. This helps facility managers to schedule maintenance before breakdowns occur, preventing costly downtime and disruptions.
5. Energy Management
CAFM software provides robust tools to monitor, analyze, and optimize energy consumption within a facility. They often integrate with building automation systems (BAS) to enable real-time monitoring and control of energy-consuming equipment. This allows facility managers to adjust settings, optimize schedules, and implement energy-saving measures based on occupancy, weather conditions, and other relevant factors.
Best Facility Management Software Systems
Choosing the best CAFM software for your business depends on the specific requirements, budget, and goals of your organization.
Here are ten of the best facility management software systems on the market in 2024 based on their popularity with businesses and effectiveness at managing facility operations.
ServiceChannel
ServiceChannel is a renowned cloud-based facility management platform designed to streamline and optimize facility management operations for multi-location businesses. One of its standout features is its robust work order management system, which enables facility managers to efficiently create, assign, and track maintenance and repair requests to improve asset repair and lifespan. The software proactively manages every location through preventive maintenance and work order management keeping things running smoothly and increasing revenue allowing teams to leverage the full potential of their facilities and budget. hTis means that instead of putting out fires, facility managers can prevent them
ServiceChannel platform connects facility managers with a vast network of pre-qualified service providers, simplifying the procurement process and ensuring access to skilled contractors. It provides a centralized platform to connect with a vast network of qualified service providers, allowing teams to reduce facility downtime and costs by working with the top providers in every trade and region, based on actual performance data. And by leveraging the platform’s real-time data analytics on work order trends, asset health, and vendor performance, facility managers can make informed decisions to optimize operations and reduce costs.
FacilityOS
iLobby's facility and visitor management software, FacilityOS, powers complex work environments by optimizing and automating key facility processes to achieve regulatory compliance, enforce safety protocols and drive site security requirements. This robust software goes beyond traditional facility management by incorporating elements of visitor management, emergency preparedness, and access control into a unified solution. From visitor registration and screening to emergency evacuations and package management, it handles a wide range of tasks efficiently – not only saving time but also reducing human error and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.
Deployed across thousands of sites globally, FacilityOS has established itself as a leading platform for driving safety, security, and compliance. One of its standout features is its focus on security and visitor management capabilities, including pre-registration, screening, and access control. By digitizing these processes, the platform makes it easy for facility managers to enhance security measures and protect physical assets. This empowers organizations to create safer, more efficient, and compliant environments.
IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite
IBM TRIRIGA Application Suite is a leading workplace management system that enables access to a full set of real estate and facilities applications, with the flexibility to start with any facilities discipline and expand into other areas. The platform offers a unified platform to manage the entire lifecycle of a building, from planning and construction to occupancy and disposal. This centralized solution brings a wide range of modules, including space management, asset management, lease administration, maintenance management, and sustainability together in a single platform. By consolidating these functions into a single platform, TRIRIGA streamlines operations, improves efficiency, and reduces costs.
With its robust space management capabilities, TRIRIGA helps organizations optimize space utilization by analyzing occupancy patterns and identifying underutilized areas. The asset management module also provides comprehensive tracking of all facility assets, including equipment, furniture, and infrastructure, enabling effective maintenance planning and cost control. These are just a few examples of the many features that have solidified TRIRIGA's position as a top-tier CAFM solution.
Maintenance Care
Maintenance Care is a robust Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) software designed to streamline and optimize facility operations. Recognized as a top-tier solution in the market, it empowers facility managers to efficiently handle a wide range of tasks, from asset management and maintenance scheduling to space utilization and energy consumption tracking. At the heart of Maintenance Care is its ability to centralize and manage vast amounts of facility data including detailed information about assets, maintenance history, space allocation, and occupancy. This comprehensive overview enables informed decision-making and proactive maintenance planning, saving facility managers time to focus on other operational tasks.
Beyond maintenance, Maintenance Care offers robust functionalities for space management, asset tracking, and energy management. The software's ability to optimize space utilization, track asset performance, and analyze energy consumption patterns makes it a valuable tool for achieving cost savings and improving sustainability. These factors combined contribute to Maintenance Care's reputation as a leading CAFM solution, empowering facility managers to make informed decisions, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver exceptional facility performance.
ML Work Orders
ML Work Orders is a powerful facility management software solution that serves as a centralized hub for managing various aspects of facility maintenance, from work order creation and scheduling to inventory control and asset management. The platform simplifies facility maintenance by reducing processing and completion times with custom routing for maintenance and IT requests, allowing facility managers to effortlessly customize approval paths by request type, and/or specific facility, and assign district staff access to different features based on their assigned role. Facility managers can also consolidate all maintenance work orders in one secure place accessible from any web-enabled device and aggregate work order history, assets, preventative maintenance schedules, photos, O&M manuals, and much more.
Beyond work orders, another key strength of ML Work Orders is its inventory management module, which provides real-time visibility into stock levels to help to optimize inventory and prevent shortages or overstocking. This allows facility managers to keep track of the in-stock supplies or parts throughout your facilities, and ensure supplies are always on hand with automated updates when inventory levels are low. The software also comes with a powerful preventative maintenance software module, which makes managing these critical procedures easy through powerful features controlled in an easy-to-use work management system.
WebTMA by TMASystems
WebTMA is a renowned facility management software used to effectively manage campus physical assets and streamline operations for facility services. The platform provides users with the ability to access their facility and maintenance data from any location at any time via the Internet or the UWSP Intranet. It can be tailored to suit the unique needs of various industries, from healthcare and education to corporate and government sectors, with a modular structure allows organizations to select the features that best align with their specific requirements. And with tools for space planning, occupancy management, and move management, it makes it easy for organizations can maximize the efficiency of their specific facilities.
Designed to be highly configurable and secure, WebTMA allows facility managers to make smarter maintenance decisions through automated workflows and predictive maintenance strategies. The platform also effortlessly connects with existing organizational workflows, providing a user-friendly interface that enhances operational efficiency. This flexibility is further underscored by its customizability, with TMA's engineers constantly on hand to create customised interfaces should a specific interface be required.
AkitaBox
AkitaBox is an award-winning asset and facility management software that provides facility managers with all the tools hey need to optimize their operations. The platform allows teams to assign, track, and complete service requests, work orders, and preventive maintenance schedules all from one organized, easily accessible place. Meanwhile, its digital floor plans, location-based asset mapping, and document management means team can find everything they need to know about a particular asset in seconds so they spend less time searching and more time working.
One of the standout features of AkitaBox is its ability to centralize facility data, providing a single source of truth for all stakeholders. By consolidating information on assets, maintenance history, and space utilization, facility managers gain valuable insights to make informed decisions. The software also offers tools to assess the condition of buildings and equipment, identify potential issues, and prioritize maintenance and repair activities, helping prevent costly breakdowns and extending the lifespan of assets. These tools, paired with the platform’s emphasis on data-driven insights, user-friendly interface, and comprehensive feature set, make AkitaBox one of the best asset and facility management software solutions on the market.
Brightly Asset Essentials
Brightly Asset Essentials is a world-class asset management system designed to help facility managers save time and money through more efficient maintenance management and operations. This software is specifically tailored to help organizations effectively manage their physical assets, from equipment and vehicles to buildings and infrastructure. It allows for easy creation, assignment, and tracking of work orders, ensuring that maintenance tasks are completed efficiently and on time. The software also excels in asset management, providing detailed records of each asset, including its history, location, and maintenance schedule. This information is crucial for preventive maintenance planning and maximizing asset lifespan.
What sets Brightly Asset Essentials apart is its user-friendly interface and mobile accessibility. The platform is designed to be intuitive, allowing users to quickly adapt and utilize its features.
The platform ALSO allows teams to keep track of assets across their portfolio –no matter where they are – in one centralised place for better visibility throughout your organisation. Facility Managers can assign multiple work orders at once to process requests faster and eliminate maintenance backlog, allowing teams to identify problematic assets sooner and make better repair versus replacement decisions – all while reducing operations waste. These factors combined have solidified Brightly Asset Essentials' reputation as a leading CAFM software solution, trusted by organizations across various industries to improve asset management, reduce costs, and enhance overall operational performance.
Limble
Limble is a standout facility management and Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) software solution built with the needs of facilities managers in mind. Unlike many CMMS solutions that can be complex and time-consuming to learn, Limble prides itself of its user-friendly interface – which makes it accessible to teams of all technical abilities. Not only is it consistently rated the easiest-to-use CMMS, but it also integrates seamlessly with any mobile device, allowing facility management teams to create work orders, update statuses, and access information on the go. This mobility enhances efficiency and responsiveness to facility issues.
Beyond its user-friendliness, Limble offers a comprehensive suite of features that enhance efficiency and responsiveness to facility issues, including robust work and asset management capabilities with customizable templates, automated scheduling, and real-time updates. The software also offers preventive maintenance capabilities, helping to extend asset lifespan and reduce unexpected breakdowns. By analyzing maintenance costs, equipment performance, and work order trends, allows facility managers can optimize operations and allocate resources effectively. These factors combined have contributed to Limble's reputation as one of the best facility management solutions, trusted by businesses of all sizes across various industries.
MaintainX
MaintainX is an outstanding facility management software tool renowned for its user-friendly interface and flexibility for organizations of all sizes. The platform is one of the most trusted maintenance planning and execution tools for facilities management, making it ridiculously easy for technicians to prioritize efficiency and safety with easy-to-use mobile and desktop applications that streamline work completion, reduce mean time to repair
(MTTR), and simplify safety and compliance. The platform is also proven to increase asset longevity and uptime with Improved uptime with preventive maintenance schedules and standardized maintenance procedures to streamline the maintenance process. Facility managers can log work on their mobile devices through pre-filled templates, time tracking, signatures, and required fields so teams can the right data every time for managing their facilities.
MaintainX makes it easy to keep track of work across your organization by creating, assigning and prioritizing digital work orders. Technicians can stay on top of work across their facility by creating, assigning, and prioritizing digital work orders with pre-built work order and procedure templates, digital SOPs, and real-time messaging. They can also view and share reports on asset uptime, time vs cost, root cause analysis, and pass/fail inspection reporting, making it simple to track work across all assets with convenient filtering options for technicians, locations, and more. This, combined with MaintainX's focus on user experience and customer satisfaction, has contributed to the platform’s reputation as one of the best facility management software solutions available today.
