Architosh Staff (info@architosh.com)

6 June 2001

Macintosh Facilities Management software options

Architosh just recently published a request for info on Macintosh facilities management software options. We were delighted to find out that there are more than just a couple options.

FM Software for the Mac

Facility Wizards

As noted last week Facility Wizards makes some award-winning software products. They tell us that most of their products are purchased by PC users but all of their development internally is done on the Macintosh. FileMaker Pro Developer is the database development engine behind their line of software which includes: Workorderama (TM), a work order tracking software; Lease-o-later (TM) for managing a portfolio of leased or owned properties, Lease-o-later FX for companies managing an international portfolio of properties; and Projecto (TM) for corporations or institutions managing any number of projects that need management and fiscal control.

CenterStone Software

CenterStone is the maker of e-Center One (TM), which they claim is the world's only "open-platform, all Internet service solution" dedicated entirely to Workplace Resource Management (WRM) from anywhere in the world.

e-Center One is different than computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) products in that it doesn't require you to purchase expensive server/client/web solutions. e-Center One is a service solution that you "pay for as you use". It is designed from the ground up to be open and runs entirely within a typical Web browser, allowing management and departmental specialist data and collaborative management capabilities for handling corporate facilities, RE, leasing, asset accounting, security, IT and HR planning. To learn more about different solutions and services visit their web site.

Personal Computer Management & Consulting

RPMS Real Property Management System by PCMC is a complete property management system developed with FileMaker Pro Developer. The system is cross-platform and includes a series of modules that work together to form a complete business solution. In addition to the Property module and integrated Contacts module, there are modules for: Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Invoicing, Pre-billing, Journal, Advertising, Bank Deposits, Documents, Job Scheduling and more.

Aperture

Aperture Technologies Inc. makes a number of leading FM solutions used by Fortune 500 and Fortune 1000 companies. We have written to them regarding their Macintosh products and if they have a future. Currently they only list Windows software with their Facilities Management Solutions. The last Macintosh version was 5.0.7 (last year) while the rest of the product line has gone up to above version 6.0. (6.2.32.31update).

Aperture is a CAFM solution featuring the unique ability to draw over imported Autocad and other CAD drawings. The simple CAD tools allow non-CAD professionals the means to control the graphical representations of their property assets and eliminates the burden of synchronizing the Aperture data with third-party CAD files.

ArchiCAD 7.0

Greg Conyngham of Integrated CADD Services (ICS is a Corporate Sponsor of Architosh.com) has written in to inform us that ArchiCAD 7.0 has some powerful FM functionality built-in to the CAD program.

The Zone tool in ArchiCAD is a very powerful FM tool when used with ArchiCAD's object oriented, parametric drawing tools and Calculation list. This is further enhanced in the upcoming 7.0 version which has FM attributes already added to its parametric objects and includes some improved tools for producing calculation and asset listings.

Graphisoft also makes a tool specifically for FM called ArchiFM 2000. Unfortunately the program is Windows only at the moment. However it can utilize the files generated by the cross-platform ArchiCAD generated on the Macintosh to produce a sophisticated facilities management solution within a mixed environment.

Special thanks to Greg Conyngham for much of this information!