CAFM best practice

Planon synopsis
For over 25 years Planon software has been helping some of the world’s biggest and best known companies intelligently manage their workplace operations and real estate assets. With around 300 employees and an R&D budget of approximately 20% of annual turnover Planon is able to respond and even anticipate the need of its 1300-plus customers. Planon has offices in Europe, the USA and India and has a growing global Partner Network.

Introduction
When I see the term 'best practice', I often wonder if this is a missive to train in a particular subject or if it is a reference to the best way of doing something!

With reference to CAFM system implementation, this dual meaning is entirely appropriate, as those who have been through the process will no doubt agree. Prior experience or a practised approach, as in most things, helps enormously and when this is combined with proven standard set-ups or blueprints then significant savings can be made.

However, for most organisations embarking on a CAFM/IWMS implementation such a 'best practised' approach is not likely to be immediately available within the client team. CAFM systems, and more so with comprehensive Integrated Workplace Management Software solutions like Planon, touch virtually all secondary (supporting) processes within modern organisations from soft FM to hard FM services and from corporate real estate to supply chain integration. As such, the implementation of these systems should not be undertaken lightly nor without due consideration and planning. Success is required first time and the project must run on time and on budget, so recruiting 'best-practice-practised' experience to your project implementation team is a high priority.

At Planon, we see the successful organisational implementation of an 'Integrated Workplace Management System' as made up of two basic components; firstly a project control and command structure and secondly, specific implementation work packages. We call our method 'PIM2'(Planon Implementation Method 2) and this is because it encapsulates our specific software best practices and system set-ups together with (aspects of) the industry accepted project management method, Prince2. PIM2 is used by our professional services teams on a daily basis and is scalable for use in small medium and large scale (multi-national) implementation projects. Our best practices and implementation scenarios represent our accumulated experience in over 1300 implemented customer solutions and are central to the success of our solutions.

Software does not implement itself, and once a project is agreed and software is purchased it needs to be carefully introduced to the organisation in a controlled manner and according to an agreed timetable. In this article I will focus on the vitally important issues surrounding proper project set-up and control, without which any project is compromised from the very outset. This is not intended to be detailed 'how-to' instructions but simple and I hope practical guidance.

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author:
Nigel Francis
Version:
Essential fm report