Before CMMS, the maintenance of machinery and equipment at manufacturing plants and other facilities was less efficient and often impractical.
It mostly relied on paper files or spreadsheets that contained scattered information that took time to locate.
But with CMMS software, businesses can now centralize and automate maintenance management to make checks and maintenance work run much more smoothly.
What exactly is CMMS?
Versions of computerized maintenance management systems have been around since the 1960s, but today’s generation of CMMS software is very different. It is cloud-based, very mobile, offers more features and data security, and provides great functionality.
At the core of CMMS is its database, which organizes asset information and maintenance operations.
Because information is automated and all in one central place, it ensures maintenance technicians always know what checks and maintenance work needs to be completed in order of priority.
As a result, machine downtime is reduced, and efficiency and production are increased.
The best CMMS software helps asset-intensive companies to plan, track, measure, and optimize all of their maintenance activities.
How does it work?
The best CMMS software has databases that support functions to enable several capabilities. Here is a look at how they work.
Work Order Management
The main function of CMMS is its work order management system. That includes information like work order numbers, descriptions, priorities, order types, causes and remedies, and the personnel assigned to complete tasks.
With work order management via CMMS, companies can also automate work order generation, schedule and assign technicians, record planned and actual costs, and attach all associated documentation.
Asset Registry
All of your asset information can be easily accessed from one central place when you use CMMS.
You can store, access, and share data like specific machines’ models and serial numbers, machinery locations, performance and downtime statistics, associated costs, and associated documentation like repair manuals, warranties, and safety procedures.
Labor and Resource Management
With CMMS, you can track employees that are available and the certifications of equipment.
You can also organize shifts, manage pay rates, and assign specific tasks to technicians.
Preventive Maintenance
If you want plant operations to run smoothly, you need to implement preventive maintenance measures. It is easy to do that with CMMS software.
You can use preventive maintenance to organize assets across multiple work orders and simply sequence and schedule preventive work orders. With preventive maintenance, you can extend the life of your assets, increase productivity and efficiency, and reduce your maintenance costs in ways that a reactive maintenance process cannot.
Materials and Inventory Management
To stay on top of maintenance schedules, you need to know that you have the right materials and inventory.
With CMMS, you can distribute and reclaim maintenance and repair operation equipment and materials across your storage areas and distribution centres. You can also manage your suppliers, track your inventory costs, and automate resupplies.
Reports and Analysis
For each of the above capabilities of CMMS, reports can be automatically generated.
You can then analyze information like material usage and labour costs to understand your maintenance operations better and come up with ways to improve efficiency further.
Summing Up
Asset visibility, workflow visibility, automatic and optimized procedures, consistency, preventive maintenance, and compliance management are just a few of the advantages of adopting CMMS software.
No longer are maintenance management systems used solely by manufacturing plants. Now, CMMS software is used in a variety of sectors, such as energy, mining, food and beverage, agriculture, and pharmaceuticals.
When selecting a CMMS for your business, you should carefully consider your specific functional and technological needs.
