CAFM Solutions Guide - The Changing Workplace

CAFM Solutions Guide Best practise for selecting and implementing a new CAFM system

Contents

Introduction

Introduction

3

Choosing the right CAFM tools to support your organizational goals

4

How to choose the right CAFM provider for your organization

6

Getting the most value from your chosen provider

11

Integrated Computer Assisted Facilities Management (CAFM) systems provide significant operational and strategic benefits. They allow Corporate real estate (CRE) teams to maximize portfolios and optimize costs and enable teams to align business practice with external pressures. They also allow for smarter monitoring, data reporting and cost analysis. This in turn creates greater accountability and transparency in FM records. The rapid evolution of technology has fueled the development of online CAFM tools. No longer are static spreadsheets a viable option. As new challenges and technologies emerge responsive CAFM providers adapt, incorporating mobile and Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Core functionality of many CAFM systems today includes space and move management. Big data enables CAFM teams to strategically plan future space allocation. Yet the increasing uptake of mobile technology presents both new challenges and opportunities.

Agile work practices and technologies empowers employees to be more productive. CAFM systems incorporating IoT technology allow organizations to track footfall. Whilst on-demand occupancy analysis enables greater efficiency than ever before. So with the large number of potential solutions available how do you decide which CAFM system will deliver the most value? Obviously it’s important to choose the right tools to achieve your FM goals. However, you also need a future-proof product which will adapt to your needs as new challenges and technology emerge. This whitepaper outlines the three key considerations to help you select the best CAFM solution for your organization: 1. Understanding CAFM platform functionality and assessing which will best suit your organization’s needs

2. The best practice when selecting a CAFM platform and provider

3. Ensuring you continue to gain value from your CAFM system after implementation

3  The Changing Workplace  CAFM Solutions Guide

Choosing the right CAFM tools to support your organizational goals The correct CAFM platform can play a beneficial role strategically and operationally. Platforms support: ½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

Quick and accurate data capture and tracking Automated data processing Powerful analysis Drilling through data to understand facilities broadly – globally, by region, building or floor Sharing and collaboration with personnel, suppliers and partners Efficiency improvement to end-users

CAFM offers ‘instant access’ to critical data enabling you to track all aspects of FM at a glance. This includes monitoring employee productivity to creating compliance-focused audit histories in seconds.

CAFM SYSTEM CAPABILITIES CORE CAFM PLATFORM

Before deciding which potential CAFM tools your organization requires assess your FM goals. Create a blueprint of your organizational processes and map out areas for improvement. To achieve greatest benefit platforms should also integrate with current processes and infrastructure. Examine the overlap between those two outputs then begin assessing platforms behavior sets. Further considerations include IT requirements, working practices, product output, software and employee costs. Platforms should be flexible enough to meet FM goals and fit in with existing operations.

Virtual dashboards allow you to quickly view and address potential bottlenecks. Whereas inbuilt reporting enables you to generate many different reports in a few mouse clicks.

BROADER FUNCTIONALITY

Space Management

Strategic Planning Tool

Move Manager Reporting

Asset Tracking

Data Editor +

Portal

User Editor

½½

Comprehensive

½½

½½

½½

Building Monitor

Beam Counters Video Based Counters

½½

Support flexible

½½

Monitor footfall enabling

management

future space

and provide

maintenance

across a global,

requirements

employees a

of a program of

Updates on

portal to reserve

effective energy

space (i.e. meeting

usage and

rooms, desks)

compliance

½½

internal changes

Move planning,

of equipment, staff

implementation

and processes ½½

control &

related churn

purchasing

Collaborate with

½½

warehouse stock

stakeholders

levels ½½

minimum stock

records including

levels based

Space reports,

on usage and

Move reports,

automated

Building Stack

reordering

Control access

Monitor space

½½

Provide wholistic

utilization and

real-time

occupancy

occupancy data

Review/ book available

½½

Monitor air quality through facilities

workstations through a choice of search options

Maintaining

deep metrics

Edit data with

½½

Management of

personnel & Access wide &

½½

Stock/ materials

Monitor move-

simple visual tools ½½

Desk Sensors

working practices

and analysis

½½

Space Booking

data to plan for

or floor level

½½

Space Surveys

Internet of Things (IoT)

space

regional, building

½½

Use existing

HARDWARE INTEGRATION

MOBILE APPS

including tile option and floor plan ½½

A way for employees and guests to be able to find where they need to go in unfamiliar facilities

to data to the relevant users

4  The Changing Workplace  CAFM Solutions Guide

5

How to choose the right CAFM provider for your organization The best CAFM solutions enable you to plan, manage, track and report on all aspects of your facilities. Now you have decided which CAFM tools are necessary to support your FM goals, you need to select a platform and provider to deliver these tools. So how do you decide which provider will deliver the best value for your organization? Providers should give you confidence they will continue to meet your requirements across a contract life cycle. Besides examining the platform’s capabilities you also need to assess their experience.

Ask for case studies and proof of rolling out solutions to similar organizations. You should also consider the CAFM provider’s operational model and aftersales service.

3 CRITERIA FOR EVALUATING CAFM PROVIDERS 1. PRODUCT VALUE

BEHAVIOR SET

USABILITY

ROADMAP

2. AFTER SALES SERVICE

Assess the provider’s help-desk reputations and if their coverage meets your requirements. An organization utilizing a softwareas-a-service (SAAS) model will assure regular system improvements. SAAS also offers opportunities to update tools more often so you get more value from your system.

6  The Changing Workplace  CAFM Solutions Guide

SERVICE VALUE

CLIENT MANAGEMENT

TRAINING & SUPPORT

3. COMPANY EXPERIENCE

HISTORY OF DELIVERY

COMPANY STABILITY

7

Remember solutions should be flexible enough to fit in with your existing operations. These steps will let you make an informed decision and select the most suitable provider: ½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

½½

CAFM SOURCING & IMPLEMENTATION CHECKLIST AUDIT YOUR EXISTING FM PROCESSES

Investigate the provider’s business model (i.e. SaaS delivery, etc..) Explore how the CAFM solution is accessed (i.e. cloud based or hosted in-house) Choose a suite of modules that addresses your identified organizational needs

Solutions should be flexible enough to fit in with existing operations.

IDENTIFY AREAS OF I N T E G R AT I O N

Collect references from the supplier’s existing clients. (Extra points if they’re in a related industry)

IDENTIFY YOUR WEAKNESSES

Determine what level of support you will have both during and after implementation Confirm whether you will have a dedicated account manager Request visibility of the supplier’s roadmap

EXAMINE THE EVIDENCE

Take note of their commitment to investing and innovating in their platform/tools Question supplier’s industry knowledge Explore their understanding of the strategic and operational challenges facing Facilities Managers

S T R AT E G I Z E W I T H Y O U R PROVIDER

EXPLO RE NEW TECHNO LO GY

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Getting the most value from your chosen provider Once your CAFM platform is live a provider’s service shouldn’t stop at maintenance. It is important they continue to add value throughout your contract life-cycle. You need to assess their level of support, training and business model to ensure they suit your needs. Providers should assign an account manager as a primary point of contact for the client. This manager should build relationships with personnel in your organization.

FM is rapidly changing. Choosing a future-proof product is more important than ever. 10  The Changing Workplace  FM is rapidly changing.

Account Managers need to deepen and embed their knowledge of your organization to act as a pivotal bridge. This will ensure your organization gains the most value from your new CAFM tools. The provider should also offer accessible support through a dedicated help-desk.

This should include self-service material such as on-demand training videos and instruction guides. CAFM providers offering a softwareas-a-service (SAAS) model will make regular system improvements. Further benefits include opportunities to upgrade your bundle or add extra modules. This last point is particularly important as the industry continues to rapidly evolve. Five years ago mobile and IoT where not considered industry game changers, today they are. You need a system that enables you to cost-effectively adjust to trends.

You need tools that are capable of performing a broad amount, but you also need them to be easy to use. When on-boarding a new or updated system it is important account managers provide sufficient training.

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