5 tips for choosing your fabrication facility management software

If you manage a coworking space, a fablab, a makerspace, or any other type of shared facility, you know how crucial it is to have an efficient management software to streamline your daily tasks. A coworking space management software can assist you in easily handling space bookings, member management, invoicing and accounting, as well as project management. However, selecting the best management software can be challenging. Here are five tips to help you make the right choice.

Tip 1: Assess Your Needs

Before choosing management software for your space like a fablab, lab, or makerspace, it's essential to define your needs and priorities. To do this, we recommend evaluating the tasks you want to automate with dedicated software. What are the administrative tasks that consume most of your time? Do you need software to manage reservations? Do you require an online payment solution? Are there any other specific features related to your activity, such as inventory management?

By listing your needs, you can establish a checklist of essential features and find management software that ticks all the boxes.

Tip 2: Compare Options

There are many management software options for spaces like fablabs, labs, or makerspaces available on the market. It's crucial to conduct thorough research to find the options that best suit your needs. Compare features, costs, ease of use, and user feedback to find the management software that is most suitable for your space. Don't hesitate to request demonstrations and free trials to test the software before making a final decision.

Also, ensure that the provider offers good customer support. Technical issues can arise at any time, so it's essential to ensure that you can quickly and easily contact customer support for assistance when needed.

Tip 3: Check User Experience

Management software should be easy to use and understand for all members of your space. Make sure to check the user experience of the management software you're considering. User-friendly and intuitive interfaces are essential for ensuring quick adoption by the members of your space.

Tip 4: Check Data Security

Data security is crucial for any space that handles sensitive information such as members' personal data. Therefore, it's important to ensure that the management software complies with data protection regulations such as the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) if you're based in Europe.

To check if a software is GDPR compliant, you can ask software providers questions to ensure they have implemented adequate security measures to protect members' data, as well as privacy and data processing policies.

During testing, you can also verify that the management software includes features such as consent management, the ability to modify/delete data, the requirement of a complex password, etc. Additionally, you can check that the software is regularly updated to ensure better security.

Tip 5: Consider Open Source Management Software

Lastly, consider the option of using open-source management software for your space. This type of software is distributed under an open-source license, meaning its source code is accessible to everyone.

Open-source management software provides an alternative to proprietary software. They offer increased flexibility to customize and adapt the software to your specific needs while often providing lower installation and usage costs than commercial software.

They also offer greater transparency, as users can see how the software works and ensure there are no hidden features or backdoors.

Fab Manager is an example of open-source management software suitable for spaces like fablabs, makerspaces, and hackerspaces. It's a software that allows you to manage all activities of a space, from machine reservations to project and member management.

Choosing the best management software for your space may seem daunting, but by following these tips, you can find the right software and provide your members with a hassle-free experience so they can focus on their projects.