Facility management – whether it’s one site or a network of hundreds – was previously a repetitive and time-consuming task; juggling spreadsheets, managing endless emails, and most recently, trying to work between so many single-use apps.

Isn’t it time that you found a solution that connected it all into one, easy-to-use platform?

Moving to a new way of working can, at first, seem like a significant transformation – but once you realise how much control you have over your business, you’ll never look back to the old-fashioned methods you’re used to managing.

However, choosing the right solution for your business can be challenging. With the variety of choices out there, you might find yourself overwhelmed (especially with all the new acronyms to learn). The acronyms CMMS (“computerised maintenance management system”), EAM (“enterprise asset management”), and CAFM (“computer-aided facility management”) are used somewhat interchangeably. However, it’s more important that you find a solution that works best for your business, no matter its acronym.

To help with your decision-making, here’s a quick guide on how to determine the right facility management software for your company.

Assess Your Business Needs

With the different solutions available for facility management, there is a vast array of tools and features you must consider when choosing the right one for you. However, having more tools does not necessarily make one choice better than another. In some cases, it is enough only to have the features you need instead of having unnecessary tools cluttering your dashboards.

Talk with your team(s) about what problems they are trying to solve. Then, find a solution that enables you to work together to solve those problems.

What Others Are Saying

Read reviews or case studies from other businesses like your own for a unique insight into how the software might work for you.

There are various review sites where you can read first-hand experiences from other business owners and software users. These will give you an idea of what the software is like, what tools they have, how it impacted other companies, and what possible issues you may encounter upon acquiring their services.

Look at Ease of Use

The whole point of purchasing software is to make your processes faster and easier. With the world going mobile, working with complicated software that you can only use from a desktop—or software that you need an instruction manual to learn—defeats the purpose. This can lead to further delays, more costs, and a stressed team.

Easy-to-use software has several benefits. It hastens the transition of work from your previous system into the new platform, and you won’t need to spend time, resources, and energy training personnel to use it. This means anyone can learn to use it quickly, and they can immediately start working from day one.

Consider Pricing

Budget is often a crucial deciding factor for businesses.

There is no one price for facility management software. It all depends on the features, functions, capabilities, and services offered. Some solutions will charge you for every user that you have, and others a single price for your sites.

Just remember that you don’t need to spend more to get the best results – find the features and support that suit your needs.

The Answer to Your Facility Management Needs

The benefits of a robust facility management team stretch across your entire business – not only your maintenance team – so it’s essential that you don’t sideline this aspect of your company. With the right software, you will no longer have to worry about managing your team across multiple apps, emails, or phone calls. You’ll be able to connect your team to work together from a single source of truth.

If you’re interested in finding out more about how a robust facility management solution like HoustonPlus can help your business – or if you have further questions about finding the right facility management software – ask us.