Context
Understanding the Gordian VFA landscape
Gordian VFA (formerly VFA, Inc., acquired by Accruent and now part of Fortive Corporation) has been a leader in facility condition assessment since 1998. Their software, combined with professional assessment services and RSMeans cost data, helps organizations plan capital investments across large facility portfolios.
However, VFA is a capital planning tool - not a CMMS. Organizations using VFA still need a separate system for work orders, preventive maintenance, and day-to-day operations. If you want FCI tracking and maintenance management in one platform, without the cost of consultant-led assessments, AssetLab offers an integrated alternative.
Why teams switch
Why organizations are looking beyond Gordian VFA
VFA is powerful for dedicated capital planning teams. But many organizations encounter these limitations, and AssetLab combines FCI tracking and capital planning with full CMMS functionality - one platform for strategic planning and day-to-day operations.
How AssetLab solves these problems
Self-Service FCI Tracking
Track Facility Condition Index without expensive consultant assessments. Your team keeps replacement values and service lives in the asset register, and AssetLab calculates FCI automatically at portfolio, site, building, and system-class levels.
Full CMMS Built In
Work orders, preventive maintenance, parts inventory, vendor management, and contract tracking all in one platform. Manage day-to-day operations alongside long-term capital planning without separate systems.
Modern, Intuitive Interface
Clean, modern UI designed for rapid adoption. No weeks of training required. Your team can be productive on day one with logical workflows and contextual help throughout.
Transparent, Predictable Pricing
AssetLab 360 is $65 CAD per user per month, published - FCI tracking, capital planning, and full CMMS (CMMS alone is $45). No custom quotes for the published plans and no consultant requirements.
Canadian-Owned, PIPEDA-Aligned
AssetLab is Canadian-owned and headquartered in Vancouver, follows PIPEDA-aligned privacy practices, prices in CAD and contracts under Canadian law. The Trust Center names where data is hosted and every service that processes it outside Canada.
20-Year Capital Planning
Forecast replacement costs over 20+ years with Uniformat classification. Build defensible capital budgets backed by real asset data and condition assessments your team maintains.
Where Gordian VFA falls short
Expensive Consultant-Led Assessments
Gordian VFA typically requires professional facility condition assessments to populate the system. These consultant-led engagements add significant cost on top of software licensing, with assessments needed every 3-5 years to maintain data accuracy.
No CMMS Functionality
VFA is a capital planning tool, not a CMMS. It has no work order management, preventive maintenance scheduling, parts inventory, or vendor management. Organizations need a separate system for day-to-day maintenance operations.
Dated Interface
Users describe VFA as "dated and tedious to use." The interface reflects legacy software design with complex navigation and workflows that require significant training to master.
Data Maintenance Challenges
Without regular updates, VFA data becomes obsolete. Organizations must choose between partial updates that create inconsistencies or working with outdated information. Maintaining data accuracy requires ongoing effort and often additional consultant support.
Opaque Enterprise Pricing
VFA uses custom enterprise pricing with no public rates. Consultant-led implementations, professional assessment services, and ongoing data maintenance services all add costs that are difficult to budget in advance.
Limited Integration Capabilities
VFA does not have a public API. Integration with other enterprise systems requires custom development. English-only language support limits accessibility for diverse workforces.
The two-system problem
The two-system problem: VFA + CMMS vs AssetLab
Organizations using Gordian VFA typically need a separate CMMS for maintenance operations. AssetLab eliminates this complexity:
AssetLab (All-in-One)
- One platform for capital planning and CMMS
- FCI data connected to maintenance history
- Single vendor, single support channel
- Predictable published pricing: $65 CAD/user/month on AssetLab 360
- Unified data - no manual sync
VFA + Separate CMMS
- Two platforms to learn and manage
- Data siloed between capital planning and maintenance
- Two vendor relationships and support channels
- Higher combined cost (VFA + CMMS licensing)
- Manual data synchronization required
Feature by feature
Where they overlap, and where they part
3
In both
9
Only in AssetLab
2
With caveats in Gordian VFA
1
Only in Gordian VFA
Both platforms cover
- Uniformat Classification
- Multi-site Management
- Reporting & Analytics
Where they differ
| Feature | AssetLab | Gordian VFA |
|---|---|---|
| Work Order Management | Included | Not available |
| Preventive Maintenance | Included | Not available |
| Parts & Inventory | Included | Not available |
| QR Code Scanning | Included | Not available |
| Vendor Management | Included | Not available |
| Contract Management | Included | Not available |
| Project Management | Enterprise plan or add-on | Not available |
| Self-Service Setup | Included | Not available |
| Transparent Per-User Pricing | Published for CMMS & 360 | Not available |
| PIPEDA Aligned | Included | Not specified |
| Mobile App | iOS & Android | VFA Auditor (tablet) |
| RSMeans Cost Data Integration | Not available | Included |
| FCI Tracking & Forecasting | 360 & Enterprise plans | Included |
| Capital Planning | 360 & Enterprise plans | Included |
| 20+ Year Replacement Forecasting | 360 & Enterprise plans | Included |
| Custom Report Builder | 360 & Enterprise plans | Included |
| Asset Management (Full Lifecycle) | 360 & Enterprise plans | Facility-level only |
| Risk Assessment (LoF x CoF) | 360 & Enterprise plans | Limited |
| REST API & MCP | Enterprise plan or add-on | Custom integration only |
Pricing
What each one costs
AssetLab Pricing
- AssetLab 360 (FCI)
- $65 CAD/user/month
- Free Trial
- Yes - no credit card
- Implementation
- Guided onboarding included
- Published Plans
- Yes
All prices in CAD. No consultants required. No custom quotes.
Gordian VFA Pricing
- Software
- Custom enterprise pricing
- Free Trial
- Yes (requires contact)
- Implementation
- Consultant-led (additional)
- FCA Services
- Professional services add-on
Pricing not publicly available. Requires enterprise sales process.
AssetLab differentiators
AssetLab differentiators
Capabilities where AssetLab offers distinct advantages:
All-in-One CMMS + Capital Planning
Work orders, preventive maintenance, parts inventory, vendor management, FCI tracking, and capital planning in one platform. No need for VFA + a separate CMMS.
Transparent, Predictable Pricing
AssetLab CMMS at $45 and AssetLab 360 at $65 CAD per user per month, published. No custom quotes for those plans and no consultant-led implementations.
Self-Service FCI Tracking
Your team records condition assessments and keeps replacement values and service lives in the asset register. No expensive consultant-led assessments required. FCI is calculated automatically from asset age against service life, at portfolio, site, building, and system-class level.
Canadian-Owned, PIPEDA-Aligned
AssetLab is Canadian-owned and headquartered in Vancouver, follows PIPEDA-aligned privacy practices, prices in CAD and contracts under Canadian law. The Trust Center names where data is hosted and every service that processes it outside Canada.
Uniformat Classification
Organize assets using Uniformat II classification standards. Essential for facilities teams and capital planning, with standardized taxonomies for reporting.
Risk-Based Prioritization
Likelihood of Failure x Consequence of Failure risk assessment alongside FCI tracking. Multi-dimensional prioritization for capital investment decisions.
Fit
Who is AssetLab best for?
- Organizations that need CMMS and capital planning in one platform, not two separate systems
- Teams that want FCI tracking without expensive consultant-led assessments
- Canadian public sector, healthcare, and education that want a Canadian-owned vendor
- Facilities teams managing day-to-day maintenance alongside long-term capital planning
- Organizations seeking transparent, predictable per-user pricing
- Teams that want to set up without consultant engagements
When Gordian VFA Might Still Be the Right Choice
- Organizations that need RSMeans cost data integrated into forecasts
- Large portfolios requiring professional third-party FCA services
- Dedicated capital planning teams with separate CMMS already in place
- Organizations already in the Gordian/Fortive ecosystem
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Can AssetLab replace Gordian VFA for FCI tracking?
Yes. AssetLab calculates Facility Condition Index at portfolio, site, building, and system levels with forecasting capabilities. The key difference is that AssetLab also includes full CMMS functionality (work orders, preventive maintenance, parts, vendors) while VFA does not. If you need RSMeans cost data integration, VFA has an advantage there.
Do I need expensive consultant assessments with AssetLab?
No. AssetLab is designed for your own team to run condition assessments (on AssetLab 360). Your team enters condition data through an intuitive interface, and FCI is calculated automatically. You can certainly engage consultants if you prefer, but the platform does not require it the way VFA typically does.
How difficult is it to switch from Gordian VFA to AssetLab?
You export your data and import it with the downloadable AssetLab onboarding workbook (Excel or CSV), with guided onboarding for larger imports. Done-for-you migration is also available as a paid service. That covers your facility data, condition assessments, and capital plans. A small asset base can be running within hours; larger imports take a few weeks with guided onboarding, without consultant engagements.
Does AssetLab support Uniformat classification?
Yes. AssetLab supports Uniformat II classification standards for organizing assets. This is essential for facilities teams and capital planning, providing standardized taxonomies that align with industry best practices and facilitate consistent reporting across your portfolio.
What about RSMeans cost data?
AssetLab does not integrate RSMeans cost data the way VFA does. If your capital planning process is deeply dependent on RSMeans for cost estimation, that is a VFA strength. AssetLab focuses on flexible cost tracking that your team manages based on actual procurement data and historical costs.
Next step
Ready for FCI tracking and CMMS in one platform?
Start a free trial and see how AssetLab delivers capital planning, FCI tracking, and full maintenance management - without expensive consultant assessments.
No credit card required
AssetLab wrote this comparison, so read it knowing who it comes from. Competitor details are taken from each vendor's public website and documentation and can change without notice. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we will correct it.
