COMPUTER AIDED FACILITIES MANAGEMENT

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Overview

As organizations strategize their way to the marketplace, their focus is on bottom line results and are focusing on optimizing their infrastructure costs through accurate planning, minimizing inventory wastage, and effective use of processes, reducing manual dependency and optimal utilization of available resources. But most of the organizations while executing the stated activities face a major bottleneck of non availability of relevant, real time, comprehensive information as the information and its data is scattered across multiple layers, locations and departments.

Introduction

Computer Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) applies the concept of Facilities Management (FM) and brings it alive by recording and tracking FM-related activities through the use of CAD technology. CAFM systems provide a database of facilities-related information linked to digital floor plans, giving the facility manager the tools to track and report them.

FM information (such as assets and work) requests are recorded and tracked in ‘layers’ over the CAD drawing file. This FM information is linked together in a database for ease of data entry and retrieval. Typically, CAFM systems track data such as building and real estate inventory, space characteristics and use, departmental occupancy, and furniture, equipment, IT and telecom assets.

A CAFM application should aid organizations in optimizing facilities infrastructure usage. It must provide a complete view of an enterprise-wide infrastructure and facilities in form of comprehensive and flexible MIS. It should be able to integrate data from different sources like ERP or other in-house applications and generates a wide-range of customized reports. The manager or the facilities – in charge can get real time status of assets and facilities usage in the form of customized reports on multiple parameters, for all layers and fields of operation without any constraint of time and location.

An efficient CAFM solution assures rapid deployment, reduces risks and offers technologies and services enabling integration with other existing systems, if any, like virtual help desk, e-HR, e-Travel etc. CAFM should be a workforce-centric system, should appeal to organizations with dispersed facilities, to manage their geographically spread out assets. The product should essentially track enterprise assets and facilities, and maps them with the users (workforce).

Trends in India

So what do we expect will Indian enterprises do in the area of enterprise infrastructure and asset management in coming future?

The focus is on implementing automation tools. These tools will help the Facilities personnel get alert messages much before any deadline. In the area of infrastructure management, Indian enterprises will concentrate on managed services in coming years. Industries will try to focus on their core businesses and outsource infrastructure management functions. And depending on the cost, leasing may be a favored option. Facilities management practices will be the key to successful operations.

The Proliferation of Web-Based CAFM Solutions

The major development in CAFM software in the last few years has been the proliferation of Web-based applications. This interface helps in providing facilities data to a larger audience, thus enabling better decisions by a more informed organization. In order to reach more people, the applications must be simple enough to be accessed and navigated via Web browser on the typical employee's desktop.

Implementing a Web-based CAFM product is cost-effective for two reasons: "The first being that as more people use the system, the unit cost goes down. The second reason is that by enrolling additional users in the CAFM system, there are increased levels of productivity and efficiency in the organization, which also reduces cost. Together, the two increase the ROI for the company's CAFM investment."

Integrating CAFM Systems and Other Business Systems

The facilities management (FM) systems are becoming foundation sets of information that get proliferated throughout the organization. This means the financial system, human resources system, and Administration system are populated with one source of data that is validated and checked without having to be recreated.

There is a higher level of integration going on in organizations between the FM data structures and the other data structures. Sharing FM data eliminates redundancy and mistakes."

"The promise of CAFM originally was to bring together islands of information–such as property, space, asset management, and employee services–into one arena

CAFM now have a greater need of a two-way share of information with other departments. This means greater visibility is required by making better use of intranets, the internet and mobile technologies. Today’s CAFM systems need to work in harmony with modern communications, without adding layers of complexity.

Assets to keep

Managing infrastructure is a responsibility that many Indian CFOs may not take seriously. Gone are the days when CFOs thought that the operations are fine if there are no complains. They now have to pay more attention to the other peripheral areas like optimum usage of resources and space chargeback.

Handling critical aspects

In reality many organizations are busy fighting fires, and there's less scope and thought for better infrastructure management. An ideal situation is where the CFO is very aware of all the options available to get better value out of the existing infrastructure. The CFO can do with the efficient use of strategies, management skills, and technology tools.