Resilience in action: How CAFM helps facilities managers overcome workforce shortages

As workforce shortages and operational demands grow, research from Idox reveals how Computer-Aided Facilities Management (CAFM) systems are helping facilities managers work smarter and lead strategic change.

The recent celebration of World FM Day 2025 and its theme “Resilience in Action: FM Thriving in a World of Change” highlighted facilities managers (FMs) keeping workplaces safe and operational. However, beneath this resilience are challenges in staffing shortages, tighter budgets, complex compliance demands, and growing sustainability expectations. Idox’s latest report, “The Future of CAFM,” based on in-depth research with over 100 FMs from a range of industries, offers valuable insights into the evolving FM landscape: from shifting strategic priorities to the growing role of technology.

The workforce challenge

With 35% of facilities managers citing workforce shortages as a top concern and 25% reporting low team morale, the challenges for FMs are compounded by fewer newcomers entering the field and growing pressure to deliver not just routine maintenance, but strategic initiatives including sustainability.

“Many FMs will struggle to find time to focus on strategic goals without better systems to drive efficiency and improve operational reporting.” – Esther Coleman, Senior Product Manager at Idox, from The Future of CAFM report.

In response, some organisations are increasingly turning to outsourcing, with 22% already outsourcing their FM functions and a further 11% planning to do so. However, outsourcing alone is not a comprehensive solution. While third-party providers can help alleviate the operational load on internal teams, the ultimate responsibility for performance, regulatory compliance, and cost-efficiency remains with the facilities manager.

CAFM: Turning resilience into action

As the report shows, the FM industry is increasingly turning to technology, specifically CAFM systems, as a solution to bridge workforce gaps and maintain performance during this time of change.

A CAFM system such as CAFM Explorer® centralises all operational data – from maintenance schedules and asset histories to contractor performance and space utilisation – into a comprehensive dashboard, creating a single source of truth. This capability is transforming FM roles from reactive problem-solvers into strategic decision-makers.

Here’s how CAFM Explorer® enables organisations to thrive in the face of workforce constraints:

• Boost engineer productivity: By giving field teams mobile access to job orders, asset data, and service histories, CAFM Explorer® helps reduce downtime, avoid unnecessary trips, and enhance collaboration – crucial when teams are stretched.
• Drive Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM): Automated, deadline-driven maintenance schedules ensure equipment is serviced to reduce failure and emergency repairs, preserving limited staff resources.
• Manage outsourced services: With a CAFM system, FMs can track contractor SLAs, monitor quality, and ensure outsourced providers are truly supporting, not complicating, operations.
• Support compliance and strategic reporting: CAFM enables FMs to instantly access accurate, real-time data for audits, ESG reports, and safety protocols, helping meet evolving regulatory requirements.
• Enable smarter decision-making: With insights on building utilisation, lease costs, and asset lifecycles, CAFM provides the data needed to guide major decisions — from office closures to energy optimisation.

“CAFM Explorer® allows us to schedule and administer maintenance jobs, view open jobs, and run monthly reports on outstanding jobs. It provides insightful data, real-time tracking, and automatic notifications, which helps us keep on top of SLAs as well as highlight jobs that have crossed SLAs.” – Regional Facilities Manager, Affinity Water

Looking ahead, the integration of CAFM with technologies like Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming smarter, more proactive facilities management. By centralising accurate, reliable data, CAFM provides the foundation for AI driven insights, allowing AI systems to sift through vast volumes of information to identify patterns, optimise performance, and anticipate maintenance needs before they arise. CAFM supports this by centralising and maintaining clean, reliable data, giving FMs the foundation they need to make informed decisions. This marks the beginning of a broader transformation: a journey where AI enhances CAFM’s capabilities to deliver predictive, automated, and insight-driven decision-making. From predictive maintenance to occupancy-based environmental controls, these intelligent ecosystems are helping FMs reduce costs, support sustainability, and enhance employee wellbeing.

Our research found that:

• 45% of FMs plan to invest in facilities management software in the next 12 months
• 41% are focused on smart buildings and IoT integration
• 73% say increasing efficiency and productivity is a key priority

In essence, CAFM serves not merely as a tool for operational continuity, but as a strategic platform for long-term resilience and sustainable growth.

Building resilience with CAFM

As World FM Day 2025 celebrates the industry’s ability to adapt and thrive, it’s clear that technology, especially CAFM, is playing a central role in that journey.

Whether coping with fewer staff, managing complex compliance landscapes, or steering sustainability initiatives, FMs equipped with robust CAFM systems are turning resilience into action. They are not only navigating today’s challenges but shaping the workplaces of tomorrow.

To find out more about CAFM Explorer®, visit idoxgroup.com/cafm