Enterprise Strategy: The Evolution of CAFM
The International Facility Management Association (IFMA) defines facility management as the practice of coordinating the physical workplace with the people and work of the organization. It integrates the principles of business administration, architecture and the behavioral and engineering sciences. As such, facility management has been practiced, whether specifically identified as its own discipline or not, since the inception of the business organization. It has evolved over the years through the development and codification of processes into a clearly defined field of expertise.
The establishment of IFMA, the professional association for facility managers, in 1980 was a significant step in this evolution. IFMA classifies facility management responsibilities into several major functional areas:
- Long-range and annual facility planning
- Facility financial forecasting
- Real estate acquisition and/or disposal
- Work specifications, installation and space management
- Architectural and engineering planning and design
- New construction and/or renovation
- Maintenance and operations management
- Telecommunications integration, security and general administrative services
CAFM evolved in the late 1980s leveraging the PC to automate the collection and maintenance of facilities management information. CAFM systems provided the facility manager with the tools to track and report on facilities information. Typically, CAFM systems track and maintain the following core facilities items:
- Strategic Planning - Real Estate, Business Operations, Headcount Requirements, Forecasting Future Space
- Space Planning & Management - Allocations, Inventory, Classifications
- People Management - Occupant, Vendors, Staff
- Maintenance Management - Demand and Scheduled (Preventive Maintenance)
- Emergency Management - Disaster Planning and Recovery, Safety information
- Capital Project Management - Construction/Renovation, Move Management
- Lease Management - Property Financial Data
- Asset Management - Depreciation, Equipment, Furniture, Telecommunications, Cabling
- BIM Integration - Interaction with Revit
- Sustainability - Energy Performance, Building Certifications (LEED, Energy Star), Sustainability Projects
While CAFM systems have delivered real benefits and their use has grown, their value has been limited by their ability to distribute information to those beyond facility management. As a result, many CAFM solutions are relegated to personal productivity or at best, a departmental tool.
Read more about this topic: Computer-aided Facility Management
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