As a facilities manager (FM), you’re constantly seeking ways to optimise operations, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. In today’s fast-paced business environment, leveraging technology is crucial to achieving these goals.
Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) software has emerged as a powerful tool that can revolutionise how FMs manage their facilities. Let’s explore the various ways CAFM software can help you save time and money while streamlining your operations.
Managing the Asset Lifecycle
Asset lifecycle management (ALM) is an important process for facilities managers (FMs).
In the FM world, it’s crucial to manage assets effectively, especially due to the increasing emphasis on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG).
Effective asset management is crucial for maintaining the value and functionality of your facilities.
CAFM software provides a comprehensive solution for tracking and managing assets throughout their lifecycle. With CAFM, you can:
- Maintain a centralised database of all assets, including their location, specifications, and maintenance history.
- Schedule and track preventive maintenance tasks.
- Monitor asset performance and identify potential issues before they become costly problems.
- Make data-driven decisions about asset replacement or upgrades.
By making the most of CAFM software for asset lifecycle management, FMs can extend the lifespan of assets, reduce unexpected breakdowns, and optimise their maintenance budget.
Essentially, facilities managers use an asset life cycle assessment to determine whether it’s more cost-effective to repair or replace something. Elogs CAFM is a powerful system which helps facilities managers implement a robust asset lifecycle management strategy which can lead to significant operational efficiencies and cost savings. The PPM planner in Elogs CAFM also has assets linked to it, meaning the user can click on an asset in the PPM planner and it will take them to view that asset information. This makes it easier for the facilities manager to manage planned preventative maintenance across their buildings and assets.
Switching from Spreadsheets to Facility Management Software
At the end of the day, time is money. That’s why facilities managers need to make the most of their time and drive efficiencies where they can. FMs have used spreadsheets as the go-to facilities management tool for a long time. But, although spreadsheets may be familiar, FMs must adopt digital techniques to remain competitive.
Instead of manually updating spreadsheets, a CAFM system automates operational processes and reduces the chance of human errors. This means facilities managers can save time, maximise productivity and focus on other business priorities.
Many FMs still rely on spreadsheets for managing their facilities. While spreadsheets can be useful for simple tasks, they quickly become cumbersome and error-prone when dealing with complex facility management operations.
CAFM software offers several advantages over spreadsheets:
- Real-time data updates and accessibility.
- Automated reporting.
- Improved data accuracy and integrity.
- Scalability to accommodate growing facility needs.
By transitioning from spreadsheets to CAFM software, you can save countless hours (and therefore money) on data entry and analysis, reduce errors, and make more informed decisions based on accurate, up-to-date information.
Implementing Effective Planned Preventative Maintenance
Implementing a planned preventive maintenance (PPM) strategy is a proven way to achieve significant cost savings. PPM is a proactive approach to facilities management that can significantly reduce equipment downtime and streamline FM operations.
Through asset management, work order generation, resource allocation, and data analysis, FMs can save time and money in the long run. CAFM software helps FMs to save money with PPM by:
- Generating maintenance schedules using a PPM planner.
- Reducing first-time fixes.
- Extending asset lifespan.
- Increasing asset value.
- Tracking completed maintenance tasks and their outcomes.
- Providing insights into maintenance trends and asset performance.
By routinely inspecting and servicing equipment, small problems like worn parts or low fluid levels can be identified and fixed inexpensively before leading to complete breakdowns that are much costlier to repair.
For facilities managers, PPM ensures your assets are running at peak efficiency, saving on energy, labour, and operating costs. Elogs CAFM includes a PPM planner which allows you to streamline tasks and easily manage your scheduled maintenance tasks. This tool can help you minimise unexpected breakdowns, extend asset lifespans, and optimise your maintenance resources. This proactive approach can help facilities managers make substantial cost savings.
Investing in Supplier Management
Building and maintaining strong relationships with suppliers and contractors is crucial for facilities managers. To maintain high-quality facilities, FMs must select qualified and reliable suppliers.
Elogs CAFM offers a comprehensive supplier management system that measures every supplier interaction. It allows FMs to track live supplier performance or view historical data, enabling them to benchmark service providers against each other and report on SLAs and KPIs.
Elogs CAFM is also integrated with Prosure360, a supply chain management software, which allows you to set supply chain standards and view a traffic light report of supplier compliance, ensuring suppliers and contractors meet your criteria at a glance. The combined power of Elogs CAFM and Prosure360 allows facilities managers to gather all the information they need regarding suppliers and contractors.
By using Elogs CAFM for supplier management, you can ensure that you’re working with the most qualified suppliers and contractors, reducing the risk of subpar work and costly rework. For FMs, this leads to better maintenance outcomes and long-term cost savings.
Monitoring ESG Across Buildings and Assets
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations are becoming increasingly important in facilities management. Not to mention, focusing on ESG objectives is also a cost-effective approach for facilities managers.
CAFM software can help FMs track and improve ESG performance by:
- Monitoring operations from an ESG perspective.
- Enhancing visibility of assets and equipment.
- Improving PPM activities.
- Generating ESG reports for stakeholders.
By leveraging CAFM for ESG monitoring, you can reduce your environmental impact and improve your organisation’s reputation. Elogs CAFM provides the ability to export meter readings in order to provide to an energy consultant or to import into a utility billing management system. This can help FMs better keep track of their buildings’ energy efficiency.
By optimising assets and equipment, FMs can potentially realise cost savings through improved energy efficiency and waste reduction.
Automating Reporting and Accurate Data Management
Data analytics and reporting is an essential part of modern facilities management, revolutionising how organisations manage their properties, assets, and operations. CAFM software automates the reporting process, saving FMs time and ensuring data accuracy.
With CAFM software, facilities managers can make data-driven decisions more quickly and confidently, leading to improved operational efficiency and cost savings.
It gives FMs the tools they need to collect, analyse, and report on critical data, leading to more efficient, cost-effective, and successful FM practices. Elogs CAFM consolidates all property data into one centralised database, ensuring that information is readily accessible, accurate, and consistently updated.
Implementing CAFM software in your facility management operations can lead to significant time and cost savings across various aspects of your work. From managing assets and suppliers to implementing effective PPM and monitoring ESG performance, CAFM provides the tools you need to optimise your operations and make data-driven decisions.
By leveraging the power of CAFM software, you can streamline your processes, reduce manual work, and focus on strategic initiatives that add value to your organisation. The initial investment in CAFM technology can quickly pay off through improved efficiency, reduced downtime, and better resource allocation.
As the facility management landscape continues to evolve, embracing CAFM software is not just a way to save time and money – it’s a strategic imperative for staying competitive and delivering exceptional value to your organisation.
Ready to save time and money while also taking your FM operations to the next level?
