What is facility management software?
Facility management software – also called building management software or a CAFM system – manages everything involved in operating a building: space and rooms, technical assets, maintenance and inspections, breakdowns, cleaning, keys, meters, contracts and service providers. It replaces the many stand-alone tools with which buildings are often managed in practice.
The modules – and which ones you need first
| Module | Benefit | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Buildings, floors, rooms | Framework for everything else | immediately |
| Equipment and assets | Know what is installed and where | immediately |
| Tickets / breakdown reports | One reporting channel instead of verbal requests and email | immediately |
| Maintenance plans and maintenance calendar | Meet inspection and maintenance obligations | immediately |
| QR codes | Reports right on the spot, without logging in | early |
| Keys and master key systems | Proof of who has which access | as needed |
| Meters | Record consumption, maintenance by meter reading | as needed |
| Cleaning schedules | Cleaning rotation and proof of cleaning | as needed |
| Inspections and checklists | Document fire safety, occupational safety and security inspections | as needed |
| Contracts, service providers, budgets | Keep costs and outside contractors under control | later |
Who benefits from facility management software
- Property management companies and owners with several properties whose systems need maintenance and whose damage must be repaired quickly.
- Commercial and industrial operations with their own building engineering and inspection obligations.
- Schools, hospitals, care facilities and hotels, where outages are felt immediately.
- Technical service providers and building maintenance services that work for many clients and have to deliver records.
- General contractors and developers who hand buildings over to operations after completion.
How to get building management running in one week
- Day 1 – Structure. In Maintably, create the properties under Buildings (Gebäude), and for the most important building add floors and the relevant rooms.
- Day 2 – Building systems. Capture the most important assets under Equipment (Geräte), each with a photo of the nameplate and its location.
- Day 3 – Obligations. For every asset that needs maintenance, create a plan under Maintenance plans (Wartungspläne) with an interval or meter reading, responsibility and advance warning.
- Day 4 – Reporting channels. Print and attach QR codes (QR-Codes) for rooms and equipment; tell users and tenants that damage should now be reported by scanning.
- Day 5 – Team. Invite maintenance technicians, engineering and property management as users and assign roles. External service providers get access only to what they need.
- From week 2 – expand. Add keys, meters, cleaning schedules, inspections and contracts as needed.
How much does building management software cost?
Classic FM systems are sold with licenses, an implementation project and a support contract – often disproportionate for smaller portfolios. Cloud solutions, by contrast, are billed monthly and can be started without installation and without a consultant. Don't compare only the monthly price, but also setup costs, minimum term and the effort until your team actually uses the software.
You can try Maintably for free – with your real buildings, not just sample data – and view the demo beforehand without signing up.
Checklist for choosing
- Does the software run in the browser on a PC, tablet and smartphone?
- Can tenants, users and employees report damage without logging in?
- Does maintenance fall due automatically and escalate?
- Are there client accounts, roles and permissions for external service providers?
- Are all changes logged in a traceable way?
- Can you start small and add modules later?