What is CAFM?

• Published date: 21 August 2020

CAFM stands for Computer Aided Facilities Management, a system used to manage buildings, people and services.

Used by many major organisations in the hospital, retail, education and hospitality industries, various industries around the world can realise the benefits of using a CAFM system for better reporting, tighter control and more effective working.

Why is having a CAFM system important?

Managing people and facilities is an important part of hospital, education, retail and other industries. Because CAFM software primarily manages facilities, the inception of using a system to maintain and handle vital business processes first appeared as early as the 1960s. Organisations began to write their own code for an early CAFM system, until the introduction of smaller, cheaper computer hardware where the use of CAFM became more popular in the workplace.

Introduction and expansion of the Internet made CAFM systems able to integrate efficiently with other systems and across shared networks. This meant that the software could be used across global facilities and on a much larger scale, improving vital functions and decreasing costs. Having a more holistic view of facilities and business operations in more readily accessible ways has paved the way for remote working through mobile solutions.

Cloud hosting makes a CAFM system even more efficient, easier to implement and maintain and provides additional benefits for numerous organisations around the world.

Who uses CAFM software?

Healthcare organisations may use a CAFM or IWMS (Integrated Workplace Management System) to better manage their facilities, labour and resources. Improvement in productivity and driving down costs are the main catalysts for healthcare organisations to seek out a proven CAFM system.

Organisations may also want to benefit from a flexible, scalable solution which can offer the latest security enhancements. Some healthcare organisations may see as much as a 60% reduction in administration by implementing a maintenance system*.

Facilities organisations will use CAFM software to manage their buildings and other important assets. Much like healthcare professionals, facilities managers may need to increase efficiency or reduce costs in their organisation. A successful facilities management system will provide better ways to be compliant and meet industry standards, as well as identify areas for improvement and report on real-time performance.

Alternatives to CAFM software

For large organisations, Enterprise Asset Management or IWMS may be the favoured software. This type of system usually provides robust integration across many different facets of an organisation – from simple administrative tasks through to intensive project management and the sensitive handling of customer data.

Manufacturers and maintenance managers may consider implementing a Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS). A planned or predictive maintenance system is part of a CMMS but focuses on how to proactively manage teams and assets and generally requires a level of automation to operate effectively.

Mobile working and hosting solutions should also form part of a CAFM system, or at a minimum have this as an additional feature to the core software. Some organisations depend on mobile working to operate, while for other companies, hosting in the cloud is a vital part of their compliance and SLAs.

CAFM Solutions from SSG Insight

SSG Insight offer a proven CAFM system, Agility, which is feature-rich and includes an intuitive smart dashboard with customisable widgets, as well as the latest security features from an ISO 27001 certified company.

Hosted solutions are available as well as complete 24/7 support. Additional products include Agility Mobile Solutions, so your team can work on the move, and AUTOagility for enhanced labour and resource management.

SSG Insight’s latest product release, AgilityBI, is a business intelligence tool for further insight into your data, providing the right information to allow directors to spot vital trends as they happen.

For more information about CAFM, EAM or IWMS software, or to request a call for a demonstration of any of our products, contact us below.