CAFM vs CMMS: what is the difference?
A CMMS (computerised maintenance management system) manages maintenance: assets, work orders, preventive schedules and spares. A CAFM (computer-aided facility management) system covers a wider facility scope that usually adds space, helpdesk, lease and move management. Many products blur the line, so check the module list, not the label.
Definitions
CMMS. A computerised maintenance management system records assets and the work done on them. Its core functions are an asset register, work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, spare parts and maintenance history. Its question is: what needs maintaining, when, and what was done?
CAFM. Computer-aided facility management software supports the management of buildings and the services around them. It commonly includes maintenance, and adds space and occupancy management, helpdesk requests, lease and contract records, move management and often floor plans. Its question is wider: how is the facility being used and serviced?
A related term, IWMS (integrated workplace management system), extends further into real estate, capital projects and sustainability reporting.
Side by side
| CMMS | CAFM | |
|---|---|---|
| Main focus | Maintenance of assets and equipment | Operation of the facility as a whole |
| Asset register | Core | Usually included |
| Work orders and PPM | Core | Usually included |
| Space and occupancy | Rarely | Typical |
| Helpdesk requests | Sometimes | Typical |
| Floor plans and move management | Rarely | Often |
| Typical buyer | Maintenance teams and hard FM contractors | Facility managers and corporate real estate teams |
These are general tendencies. Vendors use both labels loosely, and one product may fit either.
Which one does an FM contractor need?
An FM contractor is paid to maintain someone else's assets under a service contract. The daily questions are about assets, planned visits, breakdowns, labour and billing. That points to the CMMS side: asset register, PPM, work orders and service capture. Space and occupancy features matter more to an owner-occupier managing its own estate.
Contractors have a second need that neither label covers. The maintenance work must be costed, staffed, procured and invoiced. A maintenance tool on its own leaves attendance, payroll, purchasing and finance in other systems.
Where JobNext sits
JobNext is a facilities-management and construction ERP, so it is neither a pure CMMS nor a full CAFM. Its Hard FM module covers the CMMS side: an asset register with make, model, serial, location, criticality and warranty; PPM plans and schedules; work orders with approvals and SLA timers; QR-tag mobile service capture; and lifecycle tracking. Around that it adds catering estimation, attendance-to-payroll through a Punch Manager, procurement, and finance with VAT.
The published module list does not include space and occupancy management or floor-plan tooling. If you need those, treat them as a requirement to confirm with any vendor, JobNext included.
Where the terms came from
CMMS grew out of plant and equipment maintenance, where the problem was keeping track of machines, spares and repair history. CAFM grew out of facility management, where the problem included space planning and the running of whole buildings. Over time the two have converged, and vendors often add features from the other side. That is why the label tells you less than the module list does.
Ask for the module list and then ask for a demonstration of the one process that costs you the most today. Pick the product that handles that process well, whatever it calls itself.
How to decide
- List the processes that cause you the most rework today.
- Mark which are maintenance (assets, PPM, work orders) and which are not (space, payroll, billing, procurement).
- If almost all are maintenance, a CMMS may be enough.
- If space and occupancy matter, a CAFM is the closer fit.
- If the pain spans maintenance, workforce, purchasing and billing, look at an ERP that covers them in one ledger.
Questions to ask any vendor
- Show the asset register for a chiller, including how its PPM schedule is generated.
- What happens when a work order closes: does it update cost, stock and billing?
- Which parts of my process would still live in a spreadsheet?
- What is the offline behaviour on site, where signal is poor?
- How are VAT and multi-company handled in the region I operate in?
See JobNext on your own operation.
Tell us about your sites and we will put together a tailored walkthrough, usually within one business day.
Frequently asked questions
What does CMMS stand for?
What does CAFM stand for?
Is CAFM the same as CMMS?
Which is better for an FM contractor?
Is JobNext a CAFM or a CMMS?
What is IWMS?
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