Distinctions
CAFM and IWMS
Where does record-keeping stop and portfolio management begin?
Originated narrower: space, asset and maintenance records.
Broader, adding real-estate/lease management, capital projects and sustainability tracking.
The difference in one sentence
IWMS is CAFM plus real estate, projects and sustainability, though the market rarely respects the line cleanly anymore.
Why they get conflated
Current commercial platforms blur the category line; providers now label most CAFM tools IWMS.
Why it matters
Running an IWMS tender without testing real-estate and project functionality may still buy a CAFM tool.
How to tell them apart
Ask whether the system manages leases, capital projects and sustainability data, not only space and work orders.
Back to distinctionsLast reviewed: 2026-08-23