Modernizing Facility Operations: EAM Maintenance Software or Facility Management (FM) Software?

So, you’ve decided it’s time to modernize your facility operations. Whether that means you’re implementing a new software solution or replacing an existing one, there’s a lot to consider. You want to make sure you find the right platform to support your team. When going through the selection process, most leaders explore a range of options like:

• Enterprise asset management (EAM)
• Integrated workplace management system (IWMS)
• Facility management software (FM Software)
• Computer-aided facility management (CAFM)

Picking the right solution will ultimately be determined by your specific needs and goals. In this post, we review some of the differences between EAM maintenance software and FM software to help narrow down your list of options.

EAM Maintenance Software vs. Facility Management (FM) Software

EAM Maintenance Software

The “EAM” of EAM maintenance software stands for “enterprise asset management.” The “enterprise” component references the scope of assets that are being managed by the platform across an entire organization, including locations, buildings, and business functions (HR, inventory, procurements, maintenance, etc.). The goal of EAM maintenance software is to manage an asset’s lifecycle to maximize its useful life to increase efficiency and reduce costs.

EAM maintenance software manages the entire lifecycle of assets to maximize useful life.

FM Software

FM software is built to manage, monitor, and maintain all aspects of a facility or portfolio. It’s used by everyone within an organization, from maintenance workers to facility managers to stakeholders. Basic FM software typically includes maintenance and asset management, while advanced solutions also include location-based asset mapping, capital management, and facility compliance tools. The most robust FM software solutions offer the architectural foundation needed to power IoT, big data, and AI predictive models to support the future of maintenance through proactive workflows.

Advanced facility management software solutions take a comprehensive approach to maintenance and capital planning by bringing together critical data points to drive decisions.

Which Is Better?

There are a few similarities when it comes to EAM maintenance software and FM software. They both help to:

• Manage maintenance across an asset’s lifecycle
• Reduce costs
• Increase efficiency
• Integrate maintenance activity with other systems

The main difference between these two solutions is the scope of the information collected and how it is used. EAM maintenance software focuses on maintenance and operational data, while advanced FM software takes it a step further, adding capital planning and resource optimization. Both use predictive maintenance models, but FM software integrates your data into other capital planning predictive scenarios.

Ultimately, the best solution will depend on what you need. If you’re strictly looking for a maintenance and operations solution, then EAM maintenance software may cover everything you need, but if you’re looking for a more comprehensive solution, we suggest opting for an FM platform.

The Future of Facility Management

A modern FM software solution is the answer facility professionals need to seamlessly gather and analyze data points and put actionable insights at facility leaders’ fingertips. These insights inform resource allocation, maintenance prioritization, and future investments. The right facility management software can provide the foundational architecture needed to fully leverage IoT, big data, and AI to implement predictive maintenance and optimize staffing.

Modern Software

Although the assets within facilities have been upgraded over the years, facility management processes and tools have stayed mired in place. It’s time to revamp.

Improve Data Collection

Modernizing facility management starts with improving the data that supports critical decision-making. Data is at the core of operational decisions—from managing day-to-day maintenance tasks to larger capital planning discussions. It’s time to rethink current data collection processes and bring in new tools that constantly create, update, and verify your facility data to support facility managers and stakeholders.

Modern facility management software digitizes traditional processes as a first step. This enables the critical second step of uniting siloed raw data and organizing it to give users a 360-degree view of their facilities and underlying assets. Decisions can then be based on the most accurate and up-to-date data.

EAM maintenance software pulls maintenance and operational processes into a single digital platform.
FM software does the same and then completes additional analysis to see how these processes impact capital planning.

Shift from Reactive to Preventive

By giving technicians the tools they need to work more efficiently, facility managers can shift resources to preventive maintenance and significantly reduce reactive maintenance firefighting. FM software’s digital tools automate recurring tasks, ensuring that preventive maintenance always stays on track. When the flow of accurate, real-time facility data is driving your prioritization, tasks are easily distributed across your team, and tangible benefits are achieved:

• Save money and waste less energy
• Extend the useful life of critical equipment
• Create a safer work environment
• Significantly reduce unexpected disruptions
• Improve planning and budget allocation for upcoming maintenance

Stop chasing fires and start preventing them from sparking in the first place.

Bridge the Gaps

Balancing generational differences and varying skill levels in a facility team can be challenging. However, by taking advantage of each generation’s strengths, you can achieve the perfect balance to unlock your team’s full potential.

There are gaps between layers of management:

And generational gaps between internal teams:

Modern FM software technology bridges these gaps to:

• Improve communication between facilities and upper management with precise data highlighting the ROI of critical facilities expenditures.
• Streamline workflows between tech-savvy workers who are eager for efficient digital solutions and managers desperate for more hours in the day.
• Capture institutional knowledge with innovative reference tools that document Baby Boomer expertise before retirement and pass it on to new generations.

Finding the Right Modern Maintenance Software

The key to picking the right FM software is finding a platform that can support operations now and for decades to come. Look for a comprehensive solution that connects to the future of facility management and includes:

• Asset management
• Maintenance management
• Capital management
• Inspections support

At AkitaBox, we take a forward-thinking approach to facility management. Our solution is specifically designed to improve operations based on your existing workflows and legacy systems. We integrate with your current systems to increase connectivity and help establish a foundation for the future of preventive facility maintenance.