CAFM

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Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) is the support of facilities management by information technology. The supply of information about the facilities is the center of attention. The tools of the CAFM are called CAFM software, CAFM applications or CAFM systems.

[edit] Enterprise Strategy: The Evolution of CAFM

The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) defines facility management as the practice of coordinating the physical workplace with the people and work of the organization. As such, facility management has been practiced, whether specifically identified as its own discipline or not, since the inception of the business organization. It has evolved over the years through the development and codification of processes into a clearly defined field of expertise.

The establishment of IFMA, the professional association for facility managers, in 1980 was a significant step in this evolution. IFMA classifies facility management responsibilities into several major functional areas:

Long-range and annual facility planning
Facility financial forecasting
Real estate acquisition and/or disposal
Work specifications, installation and space management
Architectural and engineering planning and design
New construction and/or renovation
Maintenance and operations management
Telecommunications integration, security and general administrative services

Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) evolved in the late 1980s leveraging the PC to automate the collection and maintenance of facilities management information. CAFM systems provided the facility manager with the tools to track and report on facilities information. Typically, CAFM systems track and maintain:

Floor plans
Building and property information
Space characteristics and usage
Employee and occupancy data
Workplace assets (furniture and equipment)
Business continuity and safety information
LAN and telecom information

While CAFM systems have delivered real benefits and their use has grown, their value has been limited by their inability to distribute information to those beyond facility management. As a result, many CAFM solutions have been relegated to personal productivity or, at best, departmental tools. The ability to effectively and efficiently communicate the information stored in CAFM systems to the rest of the enterprise, in an actionable format, is the next step in the evolution of CAFM.