CMMS 101
As technology advances and businesses invest more and more in equipment and services, professionals need assistance in maintaining and in making decisions about upkeep and equipment management. That’s where a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) fits in—to help IT personnel and management in controlling and managing equipment. This system functions as a centralized detailed database of information on past issues experienced, dates of service, problems and notes on any damages.
Some systems are targeted towards certain industries, such as hospitals or rental car firms, with programs customized for these sectors. The benefit of this setup is that the learning curve is decreased, and the system looks familiar since it employs known words and terminology typical of those areas.
You buy the system as a package of functions, including:
Work orders
- schedules jobs, personnel and timely inspection of machines. It also keeps tracks of machine breakdown and time maintenance to avoid the problems from occurring.
Asset Management
- contains details of date of purchase, vendor, expected lifetime, service contracts, spare parts issues and any other information helpful to technicians and management.
Inventory Control
- controls tools and parts with the ability to make reservations for certain materials, inventory levels and overall management of materials and parts inventories.
Safety
- handles permits, safety documentation to comply with government rules, and electrical safety.
Most Computerized Maintenance Management Systems are accessed through the web or the internal network of a business. This system may link to other software, such as costing, purchasing, fixed assets and scheduling programs. CMMS often connects to workflow programs to function effectively with key processes and performance indicators.
Management must commit to the CMMS for it to work as designed, improving efficiencies, decreasing downtime. For this system to help managers, all processes should be documented and input in the database. The idea is for the CMMS to be the hub of information and the tool to use in making decisions, such as whether to buy new equipment or not. Note that many firms change their workflows and processes as the CMMS is implemented, changing their operations for the better.
If you make the decision to use a CMMS, you need to make sure that the system is indeed making a difference in your firm. If you acquire the system, but employees are not trained in it, management doesn’t know how to extract information--this system will go the way of the dodo bird and be extinct fast. Have a plan of action, which should include training and the goal to have all processes documented in the system within a few months. Also make sure the CMMS is integrated with other systems to avoid confusion and doubling of effort.
