CAFM stands for Computer-Aided Facility Management and refers to software designed to provide digital support for building management, ranging from space and maintenance management to the documentation of technical systems.
It consolidates building data in one place and serves as the central information hub for day-to-day operations for many facility managers. The term refers both to the software itself and to the underlying methodology of managing building operations in a data-driven manner.
What is CAFM?
CAFM is a computer-based system that digitally records and manages all relevant information relating to a building. This includes floor areas, technical installations, maintenance schedules, contracts, fault reports and operating costs. Rather than keeping information scattered across spreadsheets and folders, a computer-aided facility management system consolidates it into a single database, making it analysable. In larger organisations with multiple sites, it is therefore an important tool for maintaining an overview of the building portfolio.
What do facility managers use a CAFM system for?
Facility managers use Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) to plan and document the operation and maintenance of a building in a traceable manner. The system shows which systems require maintenance and when, how space is being used, and what costs are incurred. This enables decisions to be made on the basis of data rather than gut feeling. Legal inspection and documentation requirements can also be tracked in a structured manner via a CAFM system, which saves time during audits and when providing evidence.
How are computer-aided facility management and energy monitoring linked?
Control and energy solutions continuously provide consumption and status data. This data can be fed into a CAFM system via open interfaces so that energy consumption is visible there alongside maintenance and space management. This provides a more comprehensive picture of building operations, in which energy is not viewed in isolation but is linked to other operational data. This requires systems that make their data available via interfaces such as a REST API or Open API.
What is the difference between a CAFM system and an IoT platform?
Both manage building data but have different areas of focus. A Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system is geared towards commercial and organisational management, i.e., space, maintenance, contracts and documentation. An IoT platform, on the other hand, controls networked devices in real time and processes their measurement data. In practice, they complement each other: the IoT platform provides ongoing consumption and status data, whilst the CAFM system integrates this into the organisational management of the building. Open interfaces allow both systems to be connected, ensuring that technical measurements and commercial management do not exist separately from one another.
Related terms
Sources and further information
- Betterspace: Schnittstellen für mehr Effizienz und Vernetzung
- Betterspace: better.energy at a glance
- German Facility Management Association (GEFMA): #CAFM