Top 10 Reasons To Consider A CMMS

Have you considered purchasing a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) but keep putting off the task? Or, perhaps you have Asset Management Software in-house but aren't sure if you're using it to its fullest potential.

We all know that any CMMS can make the life of a maintenance manager easier by automating and keeping track of maintenance performed and work to be performed. But, is that enough to convince your organization to make the investment?

Here's a list of some of the benefits of a maintenance tracking program - which may contain some you haven't yet considered.

1. Reduction in downtime
Implementation of a CMMS or Asset Management software can lead to a reduction in downtime through improved planning and scheduling. By discovering common reasons for failures, maintenance departments can take proactive corrective action, so downtime can be reduced. Planning maintenance during off-shift hours can further reduce downtime. As more maintenance activities are planned rather than reactive, more can be scheduled to occur with minimal disruption.

2. Extend the life of equipment
Setting up recurring PMs (preventive maintenance tasks) and inspections rather than running equipment to failure can help extend the life of your equipment. Your asset management software allows you to define and track the lifecycle of assets at multiple levels (individual units or all related assets, for example) to spot trends and take corrective action. Select CMMS systems also allow you to utilize condition data (such as temperature or vibration readings) to trigger PMs, allowing you to take corrective problems before they occur.

3. Standardized repair procedures
Having a detailed checklist of each step of a maintenance task ensures that the work is performed consistently. These checklists can be utilized to train new employees, assists in scheduling labor resources, prevents a knowledge drain and shortens the learning curve when there is employee turnover.

4. Lower inventory costs
Asset management software includes a database of spare parts, keeping track of cost, quantities and locations. In your CMMS, you can further define reorder points and order items as they're needed rather than keeping excess quantities on hand "just in case". Having inventory visible across multiple locations allows you to share inventory. Less reliance on expediting parts for an emergency repairs further reduces costs. Keeping track of what was paid the last time an item was purchased and who it was purchased from can also help you better manage your inventory expense.

5. Improve labor productivity
It's been well-established that what we measure starts to improve. Establishing expected times for work to be performed and tracking actual times versus expected allows you to see where bottlenecks are and where you may need to invest in training.

6. Meeting audit and compliance regulations
Providing proper documentation and historical records to both internal departments and external regulatory agencies is easier with asset management software due to the extensive reporting features and comprehensive historical database. Each task that is checked in the audit is logged and marked as completed making it simpler to comply with requests for documents demonstrating completion.

7. Keep track of the true cost of maintenance
Accurate cost tracking allows you to avoid surprises when budgeting and justify staffing needs. You can drill down to individual pieces of equipment and determine if it's more cost-effective to replace the equipment rather than continuing to invest in repairs. Your CMMS should be able to readily provide this type of reporting. If outside contractors are utilized, you can track their expenses against contract guidelines to ensure that contracts are being billed properly or if they need to be renegotiated.

8. Reduce emergency expenditures
Emergency repairs have many associated added costs including expedited shipping charges for spare parts, unplanned overtime for both maintenance technicians as well as production personnel during catch-up.

9. Reduction in overtime
There are several ways in which a CMMS can help you reduce your overtime. Having standardized hours for work to be performed sets expectations and targets. Automating reordering of parts used (by associating parts lists with repairs) eliminates the need to manually reorder parts at the end of a shift. As you move toward a greater percentage of work being planned rather than reactive, the work can be scheduled and shifts aligned to meet those schedules, reducing the need for unplanned overtime.

10. Improved safety
Improved safety is an indirect benefit of proper of you CMMS implementation. Using more reliable equipment, keeping track of safety checks and standardizing safety procedures can lead to fewer accidents. Safety checks can now be logged into the system creating an audit trail that ensures they are being done diligently. Christina Bailey is the author of this article about CMMS and asset management software. She is a maintenance manager for an IT company for over 15 years. She loves to travel to North Carolina during her free time to visit friends and family.