CaFM
The Era of legacy CaFM is over: Connected CMMS, the way forward
CMMS or CaFM dates back almost 100 years, a solution for book-keeping practice to view and manage O&M activities. Since then, the scope of Operations and Maintenance has evolved multifold.
CMMS, too, has evolved from manual bookkeeping to a computerized system, whereas the core functionality has remained the same since its inception.
These systems relied on manual data entry, storing the information in a centralized database. In addition, the software was often complicated, requiring extensive training and technical knowledge.
This meant that maintenance teams needed specialized skills to operate these systems, limiting the number of people who could use them.
Navigating New O&M Responsibilities through a Software Maze
The pandemic has turned the O&M world on its ear. Building owners, operators, occupants, subcontractors, and tenants now demand more from buildings, and this shift has brought O&M teams to the forefront, placing them with more strategic responsibilities.
Today, they are tasked not just with reducing operational costs but also delivering high-performing portfolios. This has put O&M executives and teams under great pressure to do it all and do more with less.
However, O&M teams aren't exactly spoiled for choice and are shuttling between manual/point solutions and legacy software.
With emerging focus points such as occupants' health, safety, and overall satisfaction, these solutions still concentrate on assets, work orders, and maintenance at large.
O&M stakeholders, with their evolving roles and needs, are stuck in a software maze through multiple-point solutions to plug the gaps. They have ERPs for their vendor and contract management, CMMS for asset and facilities management, a customer/tenant servicing suite, and a utilities and sustainability suite for their net zero goals, all running in silos.
Traditional CMMS, a backdated approach to running modern-day operations: This is why
In an automated era, O&M teams are still stuck with the rigidity, inadequacy, and non-interoperability of traditional CMMS software.
Here’s what O&M teams are missing out on:
- Legacy CMMS is built with a narrow, technician-only focus and makes it hard for all stakeholders in the O&M ecosystem to derive operational insights.
- Traditional CMMS isn’t adaptable to customer processes. Customers are forced to adopt system processes and change their O&M activities according to the rigid-default process.
- Traditional CMMS fails to interoperate with existing tech stack—be it enterprise software or automation systems
- Configurations are not possible and need support which is time-consuming and expensive.
- Most legacy systems run on proprietary communication protocols and are not built with cross-functional communication capabilities.
Any system is only as good as the people who use it. The complexity of legacy tools stands in the way of field teams using them to their full potential.
What they need is an easy-to-navigate user interface that works seamlessly on their phone or tab. Besides, bloated systems which don’t allow the flexibility of adding or removing modules turn out to be expensive and resource intensive.
What is common in all of these?
With more getting done through emails and spreadsheets, your current solution is inadequate, surely!
Connected CMMS—A transformative perspective for unlocking new O&M efficiencies
We’ve established that CMMS, in its current form, cannot support O&M teams' evolving roles, and teams have realized that things must "transform" soon.
But what should a CMMS do for you?
Modern O&M teams understand that building portfolios require robust and efficient software to manage this transformation and support the expanding roles of O&M.
The CMMS of 2023 should effectively oversee operations, review performance, optimize costs, and improve operational efficiency in the long term, all through a single dashboard, and reimagine property operations as a holistic and unified function.
Here’s where a connected CMMS enables a single-pane-of-glass for large property operations and maintenance teams.
Property operations require several stakeholders, such as vendors, tenants, occupants, operations teams, technicians, executives, hardware, and software systems, numerous procedures, and workflows.
A CMMS needs to be a concoction of people, processes, and systems and integrate them into a point solution and keep people as a core pillar where users can share and receive updates instantly at their fingertips.
It should also incorporate conventional asset repositories and contemporary sensors, along with collecting real-time data. In addition, the system should also enable workflows with any system your O&M teams may use.
Process integration needs to be kept as a core functionality where O&M leaders can automate and digitize processes across OT/IT systems to ensure speed, accuracy, and workforce effectiveness. All of this is through a no-code platform to enable self-configuration.
O&M teams need to rethink property O&M that integrates systems, people, and processes. Here's where a connected CMMS expands the boundaries of CaFM solutions beyond work orders and maintenance to automate processes, enable stakeholder engagement, and drive connected efficiency.
About Facilio
Facilio is a cloud-based O&M platform that allows real estate portfolio owners and operators to consolidate data across building systems and optimize operations by reimagining the flaws of a traditional CMMS solution by integrating people, processes, and systems.
With a clientele of over 10,000 buildings and 150 Mn Sq. Ft, Facilio empowers real estate professionals with real-time operational visibility and complete control over their portfolios.
