The Best Facilities Management Software for Schools
We tested the most popular facilities management systems for schools on the market and selected our favorites for administrations of all sizes, from independent schools to universities. See our results below.
- Strong virtual support
- Offers free plan
- Streamlined mobile app allows users to add images/documents
- Picture capture and upload capabilities
- QR code scanning
- User-friendly mobile app
- Offline mode with work order syncing capabilities
- Customizable KPIs
- Strong international support: multi-currency, multilingual, multi-location, etc
Facilities management software for schools includes tools such as work order processing, maintenance management, asset tracking, and reporting. We used our advanced review methodology to analyze top solutions for single school managers and university administrators.
- MaintainX: Best Overall
- UpKeep: Best for Private Schools
- eMaint: Best for Universities
- FMX: Best for K-12 School Districts
- Facilitron: Best for Renting School Facilities
- Asset Panda: Best Asset Management Tools
1 MaintainX - Best Overall
Why We Chose It: We chose MaintainX as our best overall pick because it can fit the needs of schools of all sizes, from universities to single private schools. It contains industry-specific features like work request management, preventative maintenance scheduling, and cost reporting. These features help staff stay current on all maintenance needs and enhance operational efficiency.
We like MaintanX’s mobile app due to its collaboration capabilities and on-the-go data entry. Its asset tracking allows complete coverage of all equipment, which helps schools see where resources are being spent and what equipment needs maintenance. Customizable checklists allow schools to have control of their physical infrastructure by ensuring every job is done completely. One feature we found missing from the system is phone support, which can inconvenience users who prefer to call about issues instead of messaging on the website.
2 UpKeep - Best for Private Schools
Why We Chose It: We found UpKeep best for private schools because of its strong feature set that suits campuses with several facilities and assets. Specifically, UpKeep allows unlimited free requesters, so large student bodies can all submit requests for free. Its checklist templates enable users to assign OSHA items to technicians to ensure student and public safety. Students can use the mobile app or desktop system to submit maintenance requests, and staff can assign different priorities to technicians.
We like UpKeep’s asset management module, which allows staff to define, track, and report assets in a multi-tier hierarchy. It also tracks their value and utilization, helping private schools save money by knowing when to fix or replace them. One shortcoming we found with UpKeep is that its top plan requires businesses to schedule a consultation for pricing, and it’s the only plan that includes open API access.
3 eMaint - Best for Universities
Why We Chose It: eMaint is a CMMS (computerized maintenance management software) best suited for universities because of its wide array of features that cater to large campuses. During our product demo, we liked its drag-and-drop scheduling feature that organizes preventative maintenance and recurring tasks in one calendar. This helps large universities stay on top of all work orders and efficiently collaborate with staff and maintenance teams.
eMaint can support small to global universities with features like multi-site management, which supports multiple languages and currencies. We also like its reporting dashboards, which let users access real-time data and transform any report into a graph or chart for easy visualization. These dashboards show KPIs and data trends and are customizable for specific asset groups. Because of the large feature set, eMaint is a bit pricey, with its base plan starting at $69/month per user. Therefore, we wouldn’t recommend eMaint for small schools below the university level.
4 FMX - Best for K-12 School Districts
Why We Chose It: FMX is a facilities management system that we found best suited for K-12 school districts. It offers work order management, event scheduling, preventative maintenance, and capital budgeting planning. FMX lets staff manage IT help desk tickets, which is particularly beneficial for school districts with hundreds of computers and projectors across multiple locations. The tickets are sorted by request type and are easily assignable to a technician from one location.
Its organizational calendar lets districts view all facility maintenance, including IT, with filters to sort by different areas. The calendar helps districts stay on track with work orders and preventative school maintenance inspections. While these features work well on desktops, FMX’s biggest drawback is that it doesn’t offer a mobile app. Administrators can access the system through a mobile web browser, but the experience is clunky compared to a native app experience.
5 Facilitron - Best for Renting School Facilities
Why We Chose It: Facilitron is a facility maintenance system that lets school districts rent out facilities for extracurriculars while maintaining their own. School districts can use Facilitron to find and rent spaces like computer labs and classrooms for tutoring, college test prep, and extra language courses. This benefits smaller K-12 school districts that are limited in space and require extra student facilities. It also allows districts with available facilities to rent them out using the scheduling and reservations system.
We also like Facilitron’s facility maintenance features, such as work order management, scheduling, and asset tracking. Its CMMS mobile app lets users create work orders on the go and receive alerts for new ones in real-time. One drawback of Facilitron is that its pricing is not public, so administrations must request a quote.
6 Asset Panda - Best Asset Management Tools
Why We Chose It: We like Asset Panda as the best school asset management system because of its tracking and organization capabilities. Its built-in barcode scanning tool makes it easy for users to check devices in and out for in-facility and remote use. This benefits schools of all types that rent out equipment like iPads and Chromebooks to students and need to keep track of each device.
Asset Panda’s inventory maintenance is also noteworthy. It allows staff to monitor equipment conditions and upkeep schedules, ensuring they’re all up to date while minimizing delays. It offers unlimited users and flexible permissions, which improves accountability. One drawback we found is that Asset Panda only integrates 14 different software, including Google Workspace and Microsoft Intune, which could be limiting if a school’s current system is not included.
7 EZOfficeInventory
Why We Chose It: EZOfficeInventory is an asset and maintenance management system that can help school systems streamline processes. It features extensive asset-tracking tools like its availability calendar, which lets users know which equipment is available and checked out or reserved. Users can also bundle equipment together so they don’t have to check them out individually, making the process more efficient.
Additionally, EZOfficeInventory includes maintenance management features. We appreciate its service ticket system, which lets users schedule maintenance events to streamline the process. However, because of its steep price, EZOfficeInventory may not suit schools with under 250 assets.
8 Maintenance Care
Why We Chose It: We chose Maintenance Care for our list because of its ability to optimize education facility management. Its work order request form makes it easy for staff to submit customized maintenance requests from a computer or mobile device. The system also features cloud storage to keep all documentation in one place for simple reference.
Maintenance Care also helps schools adhere to safety and compliance requirements within their facilities. Regulations such as clean air and water are easier to maintain with automatic maintenance inspection notifications. We like that it offers a free plan for small and independent school districts that only require the basic work order management system. However, the mobile app and asset management features are only available in the Enterprise edition at $200/month.
9 MicroMain
Why We Chose It: MicroMain is a CMMS with diverse features, including QR code generation for assets, preventative maintenance, and work order management. We like that it helps meet compliance reporting requirements, optimizing report generation for multiple sites while keeping up with local regulations and codes.
MicroMain streamlines facility maintenance for any sized district or university with its ability to track inspections and automate work order generations. However, we found that some of MicroMain’s features, like parts and inventory management, are more tailored to manufacturing, which can turn away administrations looking for a more industry-specific option.
What is Facilities Management Software for Schools?
School facilities management software helps administrators maintain their physical assets and manage maintenance needs for their infrastructure. The systems help schools comply with local codes and regulations, ensure all equipment is accounted for, and efficiently process maintenance orders.
Facility management software for schools is usually a CMMS or asset management system used to track equipment such as laptops, iPads, and Chromebooks. Facilities management software can accommodate your needs whether you administrate one school building or an entire university campus.
Key Features
The key features of facilities management for schools include:
- Maintenance Management: Schedule inspections, create checklists for each work order, and ensure all requests are organized and handled timely.
- Asset management and tracking: Keep all assets in a database for easy reference. Check equipment in and out quickly and view when each item needs maintenance.
- Maintenance Calander: Keep all scheduled maintenance, inspections, and events in one shared calendar. Write notes and detailed information for each entry.
- Reporting and analytics: Automatically generate reports on essential information like costs, productivity, and completion rate. Generate charts and graphs for easy visualization.
- Preventative Maintenance: Stay on top of recurring maintenance issues and prevent major problems from occurring. Schedule regular inspections to stay up to code
- Work Order Management: Allow students and staff to submit work orders and requests that automatically go into the calendar.
- Mobile app: Many systems allow users to manage, schedule, and submit maintenance requests all on the go. Communicate with maintenance crews while they are on the job.
Primary Benefits
Facilities management software for schools has several benefits, including:
Increased Maintenance Efficiency
Installing facilities management software for your school or district can result in faster request processing. The system eliminates a manual paper filing system that often delays work orders due to lost or backed-up orders. The calendar tools allow administrators to schedule optimal maintenance times to minimize disruptions. This gives schools consistency with tracking repairs and allows all users to collaborate and be on the same page.
Another way it optimizes the maintenance process is through online portals. Students and staff can submit requests on their phones or computers, and the request is automatically put into the shared calendar. Administrators can get notifications for new requests and work orders, allowing instant scheduling and awareness.
Ensuring Regulatory Compliance and Student Safety
Facilities management software makes keeping facilities up to all regulations and codes easier. Staff can evaluate all aspects of their facilities in one place, so no issues fall through the cracks. Recurring inspections are easily scheduled, so administrators know when they occur. Many systems include built-in compliance with local codes and regulations, ensuring all inspections are passed and facilities are safe for students and staff.
Detailed Asset Tracking
Schools often rent out equipment to students, including Chromebooks or iPads, which can easily become lost or damaged. Asset tracking allows staff to accurately monitor all equipment by checking it in and out, ensuring all devices are accounted for. Some systems even show asset depreciation, so schools know when each needs to be replaced.
Save Money on Maintenance
Systems enable schools to stay on top of all facility maintenance, including when to replace or repair equipment and utilities. Preventative maintenance is included in most facilities management software so schools can stay ahead of potential problems. This saves money by knowing when problems arise and accurately diagnosing the solution, preventing further damage.
Pricing
For basic plans, CMMS costs start between $29 and $70/user/month. Systems also include onboarding costs for all price tiers, ranging from $600 to $2,500 upfront. The software are commonly priced through tiered packages, with each package increasing in price while adding additional features like asset management and open API. Some systems, like Asset Panda, allow unlimited users for all plans, while most others price per user.
Like any software, facilities management software for schools depends on what your administration needs regarding features and cost, as well as the size of your school or district.
