Computer-Aided Facilities Management

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What Does Computer-Aided Facilities Management Mean?

Computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) refers to the use of information technology to effectively manage physical facilities in various ways. This can include long-range facilities management reporting, as well as more direct systems that actively manage aspects of facilities, such as lighting or heating and air conditioning equipment.

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Techopedia Explains Computer-Aided Facilities Management

Common features of computer-aided facilities management tools include systems that give information on floor plans and descriptions of the physical space, as well as reporting on energy consumption. These sorts of tools can also provide helpful equipment locations for a facility holding valuable or extensive business assets, such as machinery or hardware. Computer-aided facilities management tools can use extensive databases and visual modeling tools, along with geographic information systems or services, to give leaders and managers a bird’s eye view of a particular facility or building.

In addition to providing these sorts of physical tools, computer aided facilities management systems can be part of long-term planning and auditing resources. For example, planners might use these sorts of tools to evaluate the depreciation of a facility or for other tax purposes. A wide range of CAFM solutions has become extremely valuable to those who are tasked with efficiently managing the physical locations of a business or other entity.

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Margaret Rouse
Technology expert
Margaret Rouse
Technology expert

Margaret is an award-winning writer and educator known for her ability to explain complex technical topics to a non-technical business audience. Over the past twenty years, her IT definitions have been published by Que in an encyclopedia of technology terms and cited in articles in the New York Times, Time Magazine, USA Today, ZDNet, PC Magazine, and Discovery Magazine. She joined Techopedia in 2011. Margaret’s idea of ​​a fun day is to help IT and business professionals to learn to speak each other’s highly specialized languages.