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Computer-aided facility management software: CAFM, CMMS, EAM, and IWMS compared
CAFM, CMMS, EAM and IWMS overlap and are not interchangeable. What each term covers, anchored in ISO 41011 and the GEFMA 444 certification standard.
Computer-aided facility management software, usually shortened to CAFM, supports the facility management function across a building portfolio: space and floor plans, moves and occupancy, service requests, maintenance, and compliance records. It differs from CMMS and EAM, which grew out of asset maintenance, and from IWMS, a market category defined by analysts rather than a specification.
The four terms, and what actually defines each
| Term | What it names | What defines it |
|---|---|---|
| FM | The organizational function itself, not software | ISO 41011:2017: "the organizational function which integrates people, place and process within the built environment" |
| CAFM | Software supporting that function across a portfolio | GEFMA 444, the German facility management association’s certification, expanded to 20 criteria catalogues in its June 2026 update |
| CMMS / EAM | Software in the asset management lineage | ISO 55000, which defines asset management as "the coordinated activity of an organization to realize value from assets" |
| IWMS / CPIP | A market category coined by analysts | No standard. Verdantix now labels the category Connected Portfolio Intelligence Platforms alongside IWMS |
What CAFM software covers, according to the standard
GEFMA certifies CAFM software against guideline GEFMA 444, structured as criteria catalogues covering distinct functional areas. In an update published 23 June 2026, GEFMA expanded GEFMA 444 from 9 catalogues to 20, adding auditing and checklists and sustainability. GEFMA is a German association and its guidelines carry most weight in German-speaking markets, but it is the best available standard for what CAFM means, absent a global equivalent.
Which one a multi-site occupier actually needs
Plant-shaped problems involve a smaller number of sites with complex equipment, production lines, and maintenance regimes, where the asset management lineage was built for it and CMMS or EAM will feel native. Estate-shaped problems involve many sites that are individually simple, where the work is space, occupancy, moves, and vendor-delivered service across a wide geography, and the facility management lineage will feel native. A retail or branch portfolio is almost always the second kind. Much of what a facilities system needs to know is in the lease, which no CAFM, CMMS, or IWMS extracts on its own; see our space and asset data and facilities platforms.
How to tell which you need
- Are your assets complex, or are your sites numerous?
- Is space a first-class problem: floor plans, occupancy, moves, utilization?
- Where does the work originate: scheduled maintenance, or inbound requests from many sites?
- Who performs the work: in-house technicians, or contracted vendors across a geography?
- Do you need one platform, or one capability?
Frequently asked questions
What does CAFM stand for?
- Computer-aided facility management. The "computer-aided" element dates from when the distinguishing capability was linking facility and space records to CAD floor plans, which is why CAFM products are typically strongest around space and occupancy.
What is the difference between CAFM and CMMS?
- They come from different lineages. CAFM supports the facility management function across a portfolio, including space, moves, and compliance. CMMS descends from asset management and centers on equipment, work orders, and maintenance regimes.
Is CAFM the same as IWMS?
- No. CAFM describes a tool type with a certification standard behind it in GEFMA 444. IWMS describes a market category defined by analysts to cover broad platforms spanning real estate, facilities, space, and projects.
Does CAFM software include lease information?
- Generally not in any depth. Facilities obligations are frequently defined by the lease, including maintenance responsibility and recoverable costs, and that information has to come from the lease record.
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