Asset Management with CMMS

How to Manage Your Equipment Effectively with CMMS

CMMS is a hardware or software package which an organization can use for managing their assets, equipment and facility maintenance. It has quite a presence in various businesses and industries. Let us see how and why you must make it a part of your organization.

Why CMMS is a Good Idea

If you are looking forward to implementing CMMS at your workplace, you must understand how it actually works and how it will benefit your organization specifically. It will eventually come down to how many maintenance people are under the management, the number of assets that are being maintained and the number of work orders every year. Some companies might be large in size but have few assets to maintain, while other facilities such as healthcare might not be large but they have to maintain a large number of assets. If you have to manage a huge number of assets and you can’t achieve it manually, implementing CMMS will be a good idea.

CMMS software can adapt to a wide range and sizes of businesses. With CMMS strategies, you can even reduce the overall maintenance costs too. It is capable of scheduling maintenance visits by vendors as well. In short, CMMS ensures that every piece of equipment is maintained on schedule, extend the life of an asset and avoid damaging failures.

Implementing CMMS – Step-by-Step Guide

Computerized maintenance management systems are not one-model-fits-all kind of structures. Before you implement one, check which CMMS model would be the best fit for your business by following these steps:

1. Prioritize on your facility’s exact needs.

2. Take all the assets you have in the company into account and prepare a comprehensive history of their maintenance schedules to determine whether they need replacement or repair parts.

3. Monitor each and every request coming from all the departments regarding asset maintenance.

4. Take inputs from those who are already using CMMS programs to manage their maintenance programs.

5. Make a list of what you want to achieve with CMMS – things you want to fix, how you want to track the history of assets, can you have better auditing abilities for regulatory agencies, etc.

6. Decide how much of your budget you can afford to spend on CMMS.

7. Talk to vendors, discuss the models that are suitable for you.

8. Ask for a test run before you decide to implement it.

Setting It Up Smoothly

Now that you have decided which CMMS to implement, you must ensure that the set up is smooth. Make sure the vendors provide the necessary training to your staff. It would be ideal to model one department or floor at a time. Enter all the assets of the department and start scheduling preventive maintenance. The results will give you an idea on how to proceed with the implementation for the rest of the company.

Another approach would be to put together as much information as you can and implement CMMS throughout the company. Remember that setting up will never get completed. This is because the system has to change along with the company’s future requirements and goals. Stick to a schedule when you set up as it will help you achieve the implementation within the timelines that work for you.

Maintenance and Beyond

CMMS maintenance software can offer you much more than just maintenance functions. Apart from tracking orders, you can even add value to multiple aspects of your business. For example, you can keep track of the office trips taken by employees, reduce them in an efficient manner and minimize the carbon footprint of the company, or analyze how cost-effective would switching to LED lighting be if you are sending a lot of lamps to the landfill.

If you use the best CMMS software properly, you can lower your organizational costs, significantly improve the facility’s efficiency, increase equipment uptime, create a one-stop database of important building information and directly impact the bottom line through continued productivity.

About the author

Lindsey Walker is the marketing manager for NEXGEN Asset Management. She specializes in business development, project management, and asset management. She loves to read and the books in her library are her prized possessions.