You're asking the wrong question about FM systems

I have watched this pattern repeat dozens of times.

An FM team gets approval for new software. They schedule vendor demos. They compare feature lists. They negotiate pricing. They sign a contract.

Then six months later, the system sits mostly unused while the team goes back to their old Excel trackers.

The failure started before the first demo was ever scheduled.

The question that breaks everything

Most facility managers ask: "Which FM system should we use?"

That question assumes you already know what you need. It assumes your organizational context is clear. It assumes you understand your actual operational problems.

You probably don't.

I've seen organizations buy CMMS platforms loaded with preventive maintenance modules when their real problem was communication breakdowns between service providers. I've watched teams purchase expensive CAFM systems with space planning features they will never touch while lacking basic work order tracking.

The industry accepts a 50% implementation failure rate. Half of all FM software deployments fail, and we treat this as normal.

What context actually means

Before you evaluate a single system, you need to understand your organizational reality.

Your industry shapes everything. A hospital has different risk tolerances than a corporate office. A manufacturing facility has different compliance requirements than a retail chain. A multi-site portfolio has different coordination needs than a single building.

Your building portfolio matters. Are you managing one location or fifty? Are they similar or wildly different? Do you have in-house teams or rely entirely on contractors?

Your strategic goals determine what success looks like. Are you trying to reduce costs, improve response times, enhance user satisfaction, or prepare for growth?

When I walk into a struggling operation, I look for two things first: whether the FM team understands what each service provider is actually doing, and whether internal clients feel served or frustrated.

Knowing what contractors do and if clients feel satisfied : those two indicators tell me if the organization has clarity about its own operations.

The backwards approach that keeps failing

Organizations treat FM system selection as a technical purchase. They delegate it to the maintenance team. They focus on cost comparisons.

This is an organizational design decision that requires leadership involvement.

The terms CMMS and CAFM are vague. They can mean almost anything. Vendors pack their systems with features to win feature-comparison battles, which is why 80% of CMMS users never touch most of their software's capabilities.

You're buying functions you'll never use while missing the specific capabilities your context demands.

I've seen this play out in resource allocation too. Organizations have the right number of people but invest nothing in their technology or training. The big boss has the latest iPhone while field workers struggle with outdated tools, even though those workers are expected to operate increasingly complex systems.

The field worker is becoming less of a blue collar role, but we're not paying or equipping them accordingly.

Start with what you actually need

Before you schedule vendor demos, answer these questions:

What specific operational problems are killing your team right now? Not generic pain points. Actual, recurring breakdowns in your workflow.

How do different service teams communicate today? Can a cleaner easily flag a maintenance issue? Do security and facilities coordinate effectively? Is there a single point of contact for internal clients?

What does your current process look like? Most organizations have legacy workflows built on old software, email chains, and Excel trackers that evolved over time. You need to understand what you're actually doing before you can improve it.

Who needs to collaborate, and how? An FM system is a collaborative tool. Leadership must be involved in selecting it because it shapes how your entire organization works.

Ask your workers how they want to work together. What makes them accountable? What makes them proud of their work? What failed recently and why?

Ask your internal clients what good service looks like. Speed? Communication? First-time fixes?

Then audit what tools you actually use. Cut the ones nobody touches and see if anyone complains.

Context determines everything

Your industry, building portfolio, risk tolerance, and strategic goals create a unique operational context.

The right FM system for a healthcare facility managing preventive maintenance across multiple buildings looks nothing like the right system for a corporate office focused on space optimization and user experience.

When you lead with "which system should we buy," you're solving for the vendor's context, not yours.

Start with understanding what your organization actually needs to function.

Then find the system that fits that reality.