Recording and sourcing maintenance information over the years has evolved from using a pen and paper to spreadsheets. Until recently, maintenance managers have started embracing a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS).
Using a spreadsheet for storing and retrieving maintenance data is a good start, but CMMS is better.
Here is why…
CMMS came into existence in the late 1980s and early 1990s, at a time when organizations started migrating from paper to computers. This meant organizations could easily track work orders, generate accurate reports and instantly determine which of their assets require preventive maintenance as information could be readily accessed from their computers and this led to extended assets lifespan, utilization and ultimately reduced cost.
CMMS which means Computerized Maintenance Management System is a software created to assist companies/organizations plan, record and automate their maintenance management operations.
Implementing a CMMS has proven to improve communication, collaboration, productivity, planning, scheduling, documentation, control, and reporting of maintenance activities. It can automate most of the administrative tasks, thus allowing the facility manager to focus on the most important tasks which are the optimal utilization of the facilities/assets and equipment.
If you experiencing any of these maintenance challenges then you need to implement a CMMS.
#1 Frequent Equipment Downtime Resulting in Costly Unplanned Maintenance
Do you experience frequent equipment failure resulting in costly unplanned maintenance? Then you need to closely review the effectiveness of your planned preventive maintenance program. Unplanned downtime can significantly be reduced by implementing a sound predictive and preventive maintenance program using a CMMS. Most CMMS tools like Instanta CMMS allow you to easily set time-based or meter-based maintenance schedules and then automatically sends notification and reminders to your officers close to the due date.
#2 Lost Work orders and Slow Response to Work Order
Facilities and maintenance management is a demanding profession and it not uncommon for managers to be cluttered with lots of administrative tasks. (More on this in our previous article “Must read for facility managers who wants to work smarter not harder”) For large operations, these activities could easily spiral out of control, become chaotic, and almost impossible for facility/maintenance officer to execute jobs on time and on budget, resulting in end-user dissatisfaction and extended equipment outages.
Jobs can easily fall into cracks and completely forgotten especially in situations where multiple channels exist for end-users to submit work requests. These channels may include email, phone call, SMS or maybe face to face discussion in the elevator.
With a CMMS work request portal that could be available on web or mobile, your end-users will be able to submit their requests anywhere anytime, which in turn automatically notifies the facility manager via email and/or SMS hence no work order can fall into cracks. The work order management feature will enable you to easily track, modify and manage the lifecycle of a job from submission to closure and also measure SLA (Service level agreement) compliance and collect requesters satisfaction ratings/feedback. A glance at the work order dashboard reveals among others the status of each job, the assigned technician/vendor, due date, cost, and the requester’s name.
#3 Too many paperwork
Keeping maintenance records on paper could be very expensive, considering the cost of paper and printing, paper handling/logistics cost, storage cost and the difficulty in creating useful reports and analytics from the data stored in the paper format. With a CMMS, maintenance records will be stored on an in-house server or on the cloud server and this maintenance data can be readily accessible by employee/users for reporting and decision making at the click of a button.
#4 Poor Inventory Control
Proper inventory planning requires that parts and materials are available as at when needed. Are you struggling with controlling your inventory? Do you sometimes experience inventory leakages or fraud? Do you run out of stock, overstock or understock? Then you need a CMMS.
By using a CMMS inventory module your stock levels will be automatically updated when items are issued out, used in work order or restocked. You will always have an updated stock level information and will be able to easily report the usage history of each stocked item. It will also automatically alert you via email or SMS when an item’s stock level reaches the predefined reorder level.
#5 Inability to Generate Useful Reports for Management Decision Making
Do you find it difficult to produce insightful maintenance reports to assist you in your day to day (operational) and management decision making?
As a facility or maintenance manager, it is very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day administrative and maintenance issues and lose track of the bigger picture. As explained in our blog post “5 key maintenance summary reports every facility and asset manager needs“, You should continuously ask questions such as; are SLA targets being met? which assets or job categories are consuming most of my resources (personnel time and money)? Are my maintenance costs increasing or decreasing? Who are my top and least performing vendors and technicians?
With a click of a button on a CMMS, you can generate reports and analytics to answer these questions
In Conclusion
CMMS offers huge benefits and it’s essential to facility and maintenance management for recording, storing, tracking, processing and reporting maintenance activities. CMMS is not limited to manufacturing, it can also be beneficial to facility management, fleet management, utilities, and other types of organizations where their equipment/asset are subject to wear and tear, and thus require maintenance.
Choosing the right CMMS to buy could be a daunting task, therefore we have created an ebook to help guide you. Click the link below to download.
To learn more about Instanta CMMS visit www.sysservesolutions.com to request for a demo.
