This article was written by Daphne Tomlinson of Tomlinson Business Research. The integration of software aimed at supporting processes in the management of commercial and industrial facilities and real estate has been a continuing trend over recent years. It has gained ground with the convergence of building energy management software into common data platforms combining other facility, property and asset management solutions. These tools are variously grouped as workplace management solutions, IWMS (Integrated Workplace Management Systems) or CAFM (Computer Aided Facility Management) tools. IWMS, a term largely adopted by North American software vendors, was initially used in 2004 by Gartner, who defined it as an enterprise-class software platform that integrates five key components of functionality, operated from a single technology platform and database repository. These functional areas are: Real estate and lease management Facilities and space management Maintenance management Project management Environmental sustainability Gartner reported in its 2014 Magic Quadrant for Integrated Workplace Management Systems […]