5 Considerations to Successful CAFM Implementation
I've had the opportunity to be involved with several CAFM start-ups (Computer Aided Facilities Management) in the past few years and I've learned a few tips along the way. I've made a shortlist of the the top 5 considerations you need to dial in before flipping the switch.
What Do You Want? Seems simple but many companies don't have a clue what they really need. Spend several weeks brainstorming and piecing together a business case for the CAFM solution.
What reports do you need
What inputs are available to you
What exports do you require for other systems
Are there client expectations
What technology do you currently use and compatibility
What limitations do you have
Cloud based or in house
Put as much information down on paper as you possibly can. The most successful implementations are the most prepared.
What Are Comparable Businesses Using What are comparable businesses using and are they successful? A few softball questions to a competitor will generally inform you what they don't like about a system. Be sure to ask how long they have been using it for as scale-ability is important.
Get Software Reps To Visit I've had up to 5 pre-meetings per rep before due diligence even starts to insure there CAFM solutions would work for us. Reps will make huge efforts as they want your business. It's also a good way to gauge their support capabilities down the road. Every pre-meeting you will uncover positives and negatives which will help in your decision making tree. Hand them your business case and let the reps come back to you addressing your wants and needs and potential challenges that you will face. Get it down on paper as these sales folks are not programmers with implementation experience.
Dedicate Time You need a long time to demo a CAFM system. Don't assume you can figure it out in a week or two you unfortunately will not see all of the issues when blinded by a few exciting features you haven't seen before. I recommend 3 months testing all capabilities of a CAFM solution.
Dedicate Resources Dedicate a team relevant in size to your business. Insure to include accounting, management, supervisor and line level workers in your demo. You need to test different scenarios and potentially buy pieces of tech to assist. If you are going to spend 40K a year without demoing accompanying tools $400 you might be fighting to get out of a contract a few months later. I've seen a company purchase a software package which relied on real-time updates at a site with only 5% Wi-Fi / cell coverage. 60K needlessly wasted.
In closing, CAFM systems are great when you have one that fits your specific needs but many companies are required to switch them out within a year or two of implementation. Take your time, do your due diligence and insure every department involved has a seat at the table. This is a far more complex decision than most companies anticipate.