A CMMS is software that helps organisations plan, track, measure, and optimize everything to do with maintenance.

A computerised maintenance management system AKA (CMMS) helps users organise and manage preventative maintenance tasks, their inventory, operational safety, and more. It’s the foundation for better maintenance practices and provides the fuel used by production to drive better results.

CMMS is also from time-to-time known as EAM (Enterprise Asset Management) Software, Fleet Maintenance Software, Facilities Maintenance Software, PM Software, Preventative Maintenance Software, Work Order Management Software. Whilst there are some subtle differences between the functions these software products provide, they share a fundamental set of features that can be used in very similar ways. For the record my particular favourite is Maintenance Management Software – it does exactly what it says on the tin!

Ashcom Technologies are here to help you optimise your maintenance operation. Get in touch today to find out more about our state of the art maintenance management solutions

What does Maintenance management software do?

The right Maintenance management software choice will transform your maintenance function, allowing you to take control of your assets – your equipment, your team, your data and most importantly your costs. A fully functional maintenance management platform includes the tools a maintenance team needs to take control, improve efficiency and function as a profit centre, rather than a cost.

Work Orders

Starting as a Work Request, then becoming a Work Order, and finally, a closed Work Order, tracking maintenance activities from beginning to end is an essential part of any Maintenance Management programme. Work Requests can be submitted by non-maintenance team members such as line operators in a manufacturing operation or nurses, teachers, tenants, support staff in facility-based operations. When a Work Request is accepted it becomes a Work Order describing an issue and is assigned to a specific technician or class of technicians to undertake the work. When the work is completed, the responsible technician creates notes about the work performed, marks the Work Order "complete" and the manager and requestor are notified that the work is done.

Preventative Maintenance

Most cars today tell you when it's time for an oil change or a service; Maintenance teams need reminders too! Maintenance management software allows you to schedule recurring work or Preventative Maintenance tasks that need to occur at given intervals. You can take it a step further and schedule the workload by job classification or specific maintenance personnel, making sure the workload is distributed evenly and the tasks are completed and not forgotten!

Recording Equipment History

Equipment, assets, machines-whatever you call them, are staples in any operation. Keeping records of past problems, fixes, and upkeep is essential for successful maintenance teams. Maintenance management software archives an asset's entire history in one easy to access place. Repair work completed details are recorded in the asset's history log and can be viewed again by workers. This saves time and energy and gives technicians information about past experiences to help solve problems.

Managing Inventory

Tracking large lists of supplies including spare parts from multiple suppliers for machines is a challenge, it is also vitally important to maximise equipment uptime and reduce costs. Maintenance management software shows how many items are in storage, what items were used for repairs, and prompts you when new ones should be ordered. Inventory management saves money by pre-planning purchases instead of last-minute purchasing and expediting critical components.

Audit Ready

Preparing for audits can be a stressful, time consuming and costly process. Well, it can be, but it isn’t with Maintenance management software in place. Your software will store an unchangeable, searchable record of every task, so an asset’s maintenance history can be audited, and inspectors can verify actions have been completed. Providing the proof needed to achieve certification or accreditation with archived work orders, task lists, and other data attached to work orders. These searchable logs and reports make it easy to track key data and recall information about an asset and tasks performed on it.

Benefits of CMMS Software

By implementing a Maintenance management system, you can expect many benefits including:

Reduce operational downtime: Preventive maintenance is easier to manage, minimizing unplanned asset breakdowns and loss of production.

Better Accountability: Know when work is completed and by whom, increasing transparency and accountability within your maintenance department.

Less Overtime: By utilizing the scheduling component of your Maintenance management software you can schedule better; limit idle time, even out task distribution among staff, and reduce your wage bill.

Information Capture: Record problems and solutions, within a tool everyone has access to, rather than depositing it straight into the head of an experienced member of staff.

Savings: Inventory planning features give you the time to shop around for spare parts-finding the best price, instead of having to rush a purchase and ship next day further compounding the impact of cost.

Certification & Analysis: A full record of assets, including performance and maintenance, helps managers manage maintenance team performance and compliance.

Improve Health and Safety: Maintenance management software gives you peace of mind when it comes to the welfare of your team by outlining safety requirements for all tasks and making them more accessible, helping you track safety training and reducing stress levels by presenting tasks in an orderly fashion.

Who Uses Maintenance management software?

Every industry or sector we can think of needs some level of maintenance, maintenance management software helps to record and plan that workload. There are obvious end users such as the manufacturing sector, companies that have machines, assembly lines, forklifts, and heavy equipment need them to function so production may continue. There are others. Facility Maintenance - the upkeep of buildings such as Hospitals, Schools, Hotels, Care Homes and Public Amenities all require maintenance to ensure they can best fulfill their function and extend their functional lifetime. Fleet Management - companies that take care of vehicles, be they their own or used by a 3^rd party a non-functional vehicle is no good to anybody. Regular maintenance can mitigate this risk. There are of course others: Laboratories and Test Houses, Logistics and 3PL’s all rely on functional and maintained equipment to perform their primary business function.

How do you choose your Maintenance management software provider?

Choosing the right Maintenance management software and therefore software provider could mean the difference between getting your maintenance under control and wasting a lot of time and money. That’s why it’s crucial to choose a solution that’s not just a good fit for your operation, but one that improves how your operation functions and is delivered by a company that understands your business, and that even the right solution, if not deployed appropriately will fail to have the expected impact. Who is that you may ask? Well, the answer to that question is much more straight forward.