FM Notes from the Field: Software Selection
In “FM Notes from the Field“, industry veteran Jim Turner focuses on the Facilities Management Organization (FMO) maturity model and IWMS. This week his focus is on software selection.
It’s likely that the Facilities Management Organization (FMO) that has reached the Level Two stage of maturity model development will have already identified several opportunities for running the business better. These ideas are generated through the organizational and strategy assessment elements of Level One, as well as from the increased knowledge of assigned inventory and from business process improvements that will have been begun and potentially have been completed by this stage.
Software Selection
The focus of the FMO maturity model then moves to identifying and selecting appropriate systems and tools to support further progress. As we noted in last week’s post, commercial-off-the-shelf systems come with limitations due to a common denominator design concept, so some adaptation to the unique aspects of the FMO’s business model will be required. Due to the earlier developmental stages of the maturity model, it’s likely that the FMO is better prepared to address these constraints with supplemental modules or programming, further adaptations to business processes, or other approaches.
Business Improvement
Whether the driving issue behind system acquisition is to better manage inventory requirements, improving communication and work hand-offs between functional departments or geographically distributed staff, or supporting decision-making, there is likely to be a real estate or facilities management software application designed to address the need. Addressing business improvement initiatives such as these forms the first of four selection requirements for the FMO’s system solution.
Reach, Range and Responsiveness
The second requirement involves defining the platform’s reach, range and responsiveness:
- How available is it to distributed users to deliver timely information?
- What is the range of analytical tools and transaction support provided?
- When will the system be available to the staff (24/7, normal business hours, etc.) and how quickly it can respond to their requests for information?
Trade-offs
The third requirement to be addressed during system selection involves the trade-offs between system security, capability, and dependability, as well as its ability to interface with existing enterprise and financial systems the organization has already deployed.
The Business Case
The fourth and final requirement for systems selection is making the business case. This step involves a detailed look at the total costs of the proposed system, including initial purchase, ongoing support, specialized programming, and training; the risks of implementation, including the potential for cost overruns, schedule delays, and other challenges in the installation; and finally the benefits to be gained from the new tool, including improved decision-making, streamlined business processes, and potential bottom-line impacts.
Some of IWMS tools were designed to address more than one FMO business need – in fact, because the IWMS segment is so dynamic, the tools are constantly updated with new modules and approaches. In the current marketplace, it is not unusual to see systems that integrate a real estate component, a maintenance management solution, and space management elements, making the early organization and process work all the more fundamental.
NFMT Conference
As I mentioned in last week’s post, this past Tuesday I was at the National Facilities Management and Technology (NFMT) Conference in Baltimore (more information at www.nfmt.com). I presented on the FMO maturity model and then took a walk around the trade show, where I was able to watch some IWMS demos and pick up product literature on several of the tools. It was the first day of the conference and most of the booths were busy with visitors.
Preview
Next week, we’ll take a step back from our discussion of competencies and look at the maturity model itself, in preparation for future posts on Levels Three through Five. Meanwhile, if you would like more details on the references mentioned in any of the previous posts, drop a note to me at jim.turner@iwmsnews.com and I will send a reading list. Thanks for reading, and thanks again to Steven Hanks and IWMSNews for hosting the blog.
