Setting up your CAFM solution correctly: the importance of data

Your data is the most important part of your CAFM solution – it is what every other part of your system relies on, so getting your setup correct from day one is extremely important.

Here are our top ten tips for managing your data.

1. Don’t build data before you know what reports you want first. Your assessment should be about what reporting the business needs – with or without technology. A good CAFM system should then simply assist with the process of building data from those choices.
2. Likewise, don’t maintain data that does not drive reporting. It is easy to think you should just launch into filling a CAFM system with your facility data, but it not only has a cost to import but also a cost to maintain. If the data does not feature as a requirement for browsing or reporting then the rule is – leave it out.
3. Good CAFM Systems allow the import of all data so don’t enter data manually. Nowadays it is easy to export data from other systems into a database format such as Excel which can then be rapidly imported with little or no cost.
4. Data will be your biggest asset, so it is worth investing time in maintaining it. For example, some CAFM systems have a data health check system that highlights redundant data. (Ask your CAFM supplier how you can keep your data healthy.) Also, don’t import data without knowing your CAFM system is validating it – any CAFM system with integrity has many relationships in the huge data set that will be built. It is therefore sensible to follow the import routines that are recommended by your CAFM supplier.
5. Own your data! Don’t be caught out if you are outsourcing your facilities management provision. A growing trend to move services back in house has seen many businesses in an uncomfortable situation as they realise they do not own their own data and are either unable to obtain their data, or remain tied to their service provider.
6. Don’t put your data into any CAFM system that cannot prove it is scalable and robust. Scaling up your system to cope with more and more facility related information should be possible if your system is designed with a tiered architecture. Make sure your CAFM vendor can upgrade your data as part of your contract every time you upgrade the software.
7. Make sure your CAFM system will allow your data to be seamlessly distributed via Data Portals, Intranet and Mobile. Check that your CAFM system is developed using Microsoft’s .NET development tools to ensure total flexibility when it comes to mobility. All data and documents should be available from all mobile devices.
8. Make sure that your data is organised in your CAFM system so that it is easily retrievable by viewing/reporting etc. It is far more productive to navigate through your data if the CAFM system emulates the easy drill-down hierarchy you would find in Microsoft Outlook.
9. Make sure your data is available across your CAFM system. While your asset data is the core of your CAFM setup, your software should have many more key capabilities (helpdesk, Planned Maintenance, Property Management, Room/Resource Booking, Space Management and more…). Your data needs to be accessible by all modules of your CAFM system, including your document management setup, ensuring key dates are not missed for any of your assets.
10. Don’t be misled by the high cost of some CAFM vendors – implementing and maintaining FM data in a CAFM system is inexpensive. Historically CAFM was the luxury of fortune 500 companies. Today however, CAFM products can be purchased at a very low cost with no hidden extras and come with tools that allow users to transfer data easily.

CAFM Explorer is an all-in-one facilities management software solution – to learn more about how CAFM Explorer can be of benefit to your business, please visit www.cafmexplorer.com or call 0870 3337101.