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FAQs About Facility Management Software

Facility management software is designed to streamline repair and maintenance programs by automating the work order process, facilitating preventive maintenance, and providing a wealth of valuable data around facility performance and spend. 

Of course, every business has different needs when it comes to facilities management. Before implementing an FM software solution, businesses should consider the following questions:

What are the Types of Facility Management Software?

There are several types of facilities management software on the market today. CAFM software, which stands for Computer-Aided Facility Management, offers administrative capabilities to facilities managers such as tracking, management, planning, and reporting on physical spaces and business locations. CAFM software serves primarily as a database for FM related equipment, spending, and activities/

CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Software) is another type of facility management software that contains many of the same features as CAFM software but provides a somewhat deeper look into a company’s maintenance planning and execution. CMMS software may include automated maintenance scheduling and tracking capabilities; it is particularly geared towards preventive maintenance.

How Can FM Software System help Businesses Cut Costs?

Implementing a software platform is one of the fastest ways to reduce facility management spending. Simply moving from an error-prone, inefficient pen-and-paper system to a digitized and automated platform decreases the time and resources that must be dedicated to work order management, allowing teams to instead focus on forward-thinking, preventive measures. Plus, access to advanced analytics makes it easy to pinpoint patterns of overspend and core areas of improvement so that these can be quickly addressed and reversed. 

Facility management software also integrates with third-party financial systems to help businesses improve transparency into R&M spending, avoiding the time-consuming process of manual data entry. Businesses can access valuable metrics such as cost per square foot per year, per user, per workplace, per month, and many other relevant reports. This data helps facilities teams identify areas that need improvement and come up with solutions to strategically reduce costs. 

Finally, the right software makes it easier for businesses to enact preventive maintenance schedules.

Preventive maintenance saves money by reducing the number of breakdowns and emergency repairs that a business experiences each year, while also preventing warranty leakage and unnecessary equipment replacements. With an automated preventive maintenance schedule in place, assets will last longer, and overall maintenance spending will be greatly reduced. 

What is the ROI ( Return on Investment) of Facility Management Software?

Facility management software typically has a strong ROI, especially for multi-location businesses whose facilities programs have previously been run on pen-and-paper. Oftentimes, the savings brought about solely by switching to electronic payment processing (as opposed to manual invoicing) is enough to offset the cost of the software, and then some. 

To estimate potential ROI for facilities management software, multiply your total annual maintenance expense by the total annual savings percentage expected as a result of the software implementation. This value represents your total annual efficiency savings. Subtract the cost of the FM software from the total annual efficiency savings to determine total annual ROI savings.