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How to choose a CAFM mobile app

Next month, over 11,000 professionals working within the FM industry will visit over 300 suppliers and attend an array of seminars at Facilities Show 2017 in London. CAFM (Computer Aided Facilities Management) technology will be on the radar for many, in particular applications that offer extensive mobile capability in order to meet the demands of remote working and a greater industry focus on productivity.  Faced with such a choice of suppliers, FMs need to ensure they arrive at the show furnished with the right questions in order choose the best system for their organisation. We’ve outlined a selection of key considerations below

Choosing a CAFM software provider

  • Does the system need to operate offline, and is this important to your operations? Offline systems offer uninterrupted working in the field, where connectivity issues may still arise.
  • Are the vendor’s mobile apps easily configurable, ideally with no programming skills required?
  • Are the apps either entirely device-agnostic, or deployable on a wide variety of mobile devices and operating systems (iOS, Android, etc.)?
  • What steps are being taken to ensure the system is likely to function on current and future versions of devices?
  • Does the app support QR and barcode scanning of assets and equipment?
  • How fully can the mobile apps and their functionality be integrated with back-end systems (ERP, HR, etc.), and how easy is it to do so? Does the provider offer support and guidance in the integration process?
  • Is it possible to add features and functionality to the solution without having to deploy extensive upgrades – and at the same time, if it is necessary to upgrade the solution, will any configured applications be part of the upgrade and continue to work after the upgrade?
  • When considering cloud-based applications it is increasingly important to understand the likely bandwidth that each operative may consume in normal usage as this may significantly affect the running cost of bandwidth-based charging models.
  • Is there an established user base using the solution? If so, what are their thoughts?

For more information on developments in mobile technology and more detail on how to select the best option for your organisation, request our white paper, ‘Mobile Technology: A Global Facilities Trend’ or visit us on stand R700 at the Facilities Show.

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Service Works Group Facilities Show June 2017