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What Is CMMS Software?

CMMS Software is a computerised system that centralises equipment maintenance data to maximise the usability and availability of an organisation’s physical assets such as equipment, machinery, plant infrastructure, and facilities.

A CMMS provides maintenance leaders with a holistic view of a company’s physical assets and maintenance requirements, such as:

• Equipment maintenance and repair schedules
• MRO Inventory management (including spare parts)
• Equipment and employee health and safety protocols
• Compliance standards and regulations
• Historical and planned work orders

Short for computerised maintenance management system, a CMMS provides the tools to reduce unplanned downtime and reactive equipment repairs, which are costly to a business’s bottom line.

CMMS Software is used by asset-heavy organisations in industries such as oil and gas, utilities, manufacturing, engineering, and construction. These operations utilise features like work order management, asset management, inventory control, and predictive analytics to implement effective preventive maintenance strategies.

What Are the Benefits of CMMS Software?

Digitising data collection and automating maintenance management is key. Especially for businesses that rely heavily on the upkeep of their physical assets. CMMS Software deliveries the features and capabilities to do just that. Whether cloud-based or on-premise, a CMMS delivers several benefits. Including:

Cloud-based CMMS tools provide businesses with a variety of different benefits, including:

• Reducing equipment downtime
• Providing asset and work order visibility
• Increasing operational efficiency
• Controlling inventory, waste, and running costs
• Ensuring compliance management
• Improving workplace health and safety

Increase Asset Visibility

With asset management capabilities, asset data is stored in a centralised CMMS database. This enables maintenance managers and teams to access information when they need to. Data includes location, performance, maintenance history, purchase price, and more. An asset register gives users a complete view of a business’s asset ownership.

Prolong Lifespan of Equipment and Machinery

CMMS Software provides the features necessary to improve equipment uptime. This is achieved by gathering asset performance data and building maintenance strategies. With regular maintenance, the useful life of equipment can be extended. Reducing costs of new purchases and replacements.

Reduce Downtime

Reducing downtime of physical assets is a key feature of CMMS Software. When machines break down, production stops. Resulting in a loss of productivity and output. As well as experiencing excessive delays and emergency repair costs. A CMMS provides the opportunity to schedule proactive maintenance. Meaning regular services, repairs, and maintenance are carried out prior to equipment failure.

Control Costs

CMMS Software empowers maintenance managers when it comes to spending. Over-spending usually occurs when purchasing inventory. As well as spending on energy bills and scrap and rework costs. A CMMS lets maintenance staff track inventory, including costs and stock availability. As well as improve the performance of equipment to help reduce energy usage. All of which helps to avoid any costly mistakes that can affect an organisation’s bottom line.

Improve Health and Safety

A CMMS provides detailed analysis and reports on a business’s compliance management. It also offers investigative insight into health and safety concerns. This helps to improve the safety of a facility for maintenance workers. As well as generate inspection checklists and provide staff training. All of which can promote safer facilities and a healthy work environment.

CMMS Software can also impact operations in multiple areas of a business. Most notably across technical, operational, and business areas:

Key CMMS Software Features to Help Meet Maintenance Goals

CMMS Software allows maintenance teams to centralise maintenance data and improve asset availability. This is possible with access to the right features. Features found in CMMS Software enable multiple capabilities, including:

• Work Order Management
• Maintenance Management & Scheduling
• Preventive Maintenance
• Predictive Maintenance
• Asset Management
• Inventory Management and Control
• Maintenance Data Reporting and Analysis

Work Order Management

Work order management is viewed as the main functionality of a maintenance management system. CMMS Software enables businesses to automate their work orders. Providing essential capabilities to maintenance teams. Including creating, tracking, completing, and analysing multiple work orders at once. This allows them to:

• Automatically schedule repairs and maintenance strategies
• Assign skilled technicians
• Record and analyse costs
• Track and monitor equipment downtime
• Track root cause analysis (RCA)
• Reserve materials and tools

Maintenance Management & Scheduling

CMMS Software allows maintenance managers to build specific maintenance management plans. Each plan is used to improve asset availability and reduce downtime. As well as matching a business’s set maintenance budget. Typically, there are four main types of maintenance management strategies:

• Reactive maintenance (run-to-failure). Reactive maintenance refers to repairing equipment only when it has failed. This can be a cost-effective plan in terms of fewer maintenance and servicing costs. But it can also incur costly emergency repairs and delays to repairing assets. This is also known as breakdown or corrective maintenance.
• Preventive maintenance (PM). This is a proactive strategy that involves regular maintenance based on CMMS Software data. It can be an expensive strategy, but it significantly reduces unplanned downtime.
• Predictive maintenance (PdM). Also a proactive plan, predictive maintenance identifies breakdowns before they happen. By collecting and analysing data, it can fix issues before assets fail.
• Reliability-centred maintenance (RCM). Reliability-centred maintenance plans are solely based on analysis. RCM uses data to customise the most efficient maintenance strategy for each asset. Aiming to keep operations running, while increasing equipment availability.

Preventive Maintenance

Preventive Maintenance is a proactive strategy involving regular and routine asset maintenance. Aiming to reduce the likelihood of equipment failure, which results in unplanned downtime. This includes scheduled cleaning, repairs, adjustments, and part replacements.

Preventive maintenance can be performed while an asset is still operational. For instance, a machine’s oil lubricant and air filters can be replaced when running. Meaning there is no downtime or loss of production.

By utilising IoT-enabled devices, a CMMS can collect real-time maintenance data. Allowing maintenance staff to make informed decisions based on accurate data. Businesses can then build appropriate preventive maintenance schedules. Based on service dates, meter readings, times, usage, and triggered events.

Without preventive maintenance, businesses risk running assets to the point of failure. This can cost up to 10 times more in repairs and lost production. As opposed to organisations that have a proactive maintenance strategy.

Predictive Maintenance

Preventive Maintenance aims to eliminate breakdowns before they happen. It does so by tracking and monitoring an asset’s condition and performance. All while in normal operation. This enables maintenance staff to identify possible defects and fix them. Before they become an issue and result in asset failure. 91% of manufacturers who used predictive maintenance saw a significant reduction in repair time.

Similar to preventive maintenance, a predictive maintenance strategy is proactive. The difference is that PdM attempts to predict when an asset might fail. This is achieved by collecting real-time data in a CMMS with IoT devices and sensors. Allowing maintenance frequency to be as low as possible. While also helping to avoid a costly reactive approach to equipment maintenance.

Asset Management

To ensure reliability through maintenance, business’s first need to identify their assets. Asset management is synonymous with CMMS Software. It provides the tools necessary to identify, track, and update asset data. Asset management allows businesses to:

• Build a complete asset register
• Track assets from purchase to disposal
• Access historical maintenance data
• Calculate depreciation value

Having access to an asset register ensures maintenance staff are aware of all physical assets. An asset register will include data such as model numbers, manufacturers, and costs. As well as location and user history. This is possible with the collaboration of asset tracking technologies. Including Barcodes, QR Codes, RFID tags, and GPS trackers. Enabling personnel to track equipment and tools in real-time.

Inventory Management and Control

Inventory management enables staff to keep track of all parts as they move around facilities. As well as tracking assets both on-site and off-site. This includes spare parts, tools, and equipment. As well as maintenance, repairs, and operations supplies (MRO). It allows businesses to easily manage supplies and distribute inventory from one system.

Real-time inventory management enables maintenance staff to see what parts are available. Helping to avoid delays when it comes to repairs and servicing. Data is stored in a centralised CMMS system, which is accessible to all workers. Meaning field-based staff can check inventory levels when working away from the office.

Notifications can also be put in place to alert inventory managers when stock levels are low. As well as provide supplier information for purchasing processes. The purchasing process can also be automated. With procurement being triggered when stock level reaches a set number.

Maintenance Data Reporting and Analysis

CMMS Software enables data to be collected and stored in one place. Making performance, maintenance, and condition data available to all personnel. This allows maintenance teams, managers, and workers, to understand an asset’s health.

Maintenance staff are also able to generate reports across various maintenance subsets. Such as availability, running costs, and assessments. This helps to understand an asset’s performance. As well as highlight areas for improvement. Whilst also gathering the data necessary for audits.

What to Consider When Finding &
Purchasing CMMS Software

CMMS Software is an important investment for asset-heavy organisations. It is a solution deployed to improve asset uptime through maintenance data. Each CMMS solution can be built to match particular requirements. Meaning businesses need to identify their needs and considerations when comparing CMMS Software.

Clarify Readiness to Deploy a Computerised Maintenance Management System

Over 93% of CMMS Software buyers previously used spreadsheets or pen-and-paper to manage maintenance tasks. They then switched to a more accessible cloud-based model. But, moving from a manual approach to a computerised system requires a fresh perspective. For instance, the functionality of a spreadsheet isn’t the same as CMMS Software. Such as data entry, work order management, maintenance planning, and reporting.

Switching to an automated system requires a fresh perspective regarding maintenance programs. For instance, most spreadsheet-based maintenance plans are reactive or meter-based. Whereas CMMS Software provides the tools to easily plan preventive maintenance strategies.

Leading maintenance teams identify KPIs that need to be met when using a new CMMS solution. For example, a business might have 500 pieces of equipment. These generate a maintenance cost of £200,000 and have an average usable life of 4.5 years. With CMMS Software, cost-efficiency and asset availability should increase. Maintenance costs should decrease to between £160,000 to £180,000. The average age of equipment should then increase by 7 to 16%.

Identify the Equipment and Maintenance Data Needed

The basis of a cost-saving and impactful maintenance program is being able to collect data. Too much data becomes overwhelming for technicians and users. While too little data creates ‘not enough information’ scenarios.

Asset and maintenance data is needed to build efficient maintenance strategies. Whether that be proactive or reactive maintenance plans. Asset data includes purchase dates, real-time locations, and the number of users. All of which is stored in an accessible asset register. Whereas maintenance data include service and repair schedules. As well as work order progress and inventory management.

A key function of CMMS Software is being able to import existing data. That includes data from spreadsheets, accounting software, and asset tracking systems. As well as previously used CMMS solutions.

Establish Work Order Types

When switching from manual to automated work orders, establishing work order types is essential. The level of collected data is substantially different between manual methods and a CMMS. CMMS software gives access to much more data in one go, such as:

• Asset data
• Worker skillset data
• MRO and resource availability
• Equipment condition
• Maintenance, service, and repairs history
• Health and safety protocols

Another factor to consider is the responsibility of creating work orders. For instance, it’s not unusual for work order requests to be raised by customers. In which case, they’ll require the process to be simple, intuitive, and easy to use.

Identify Maintenance Framework

CMMS Software opens up multiple possibilities when it comes to maintenance management. When setting out a maintenance plan, it’s important to be clear about the framework. Whether it be routine machinery inspections to decide on preventive maintenance tasks or interval-based and condition-based maintenance activities.

Preventive Maintenance Framework

Preventative maintenance is a maintenance program built for each asset. It is based on time, interval, meter reading, and regulatory compliance. As an example, consider a timing belt on a centrifugal pump. A preventive maintenance plan can be put in place to ensure the belt is regularly replaced. Whether it be every 12 months, after a winter production run, or after 60,000 cycle counts. In effect, preventative maintenance is derived from understanding data from the mean time between failures.

There are key elements needed for a preventative maintenance program, including:

• Maintenance tools and equipment
• Skillsets required
• Location of maintenance
• A requirement of external contractors
• Equipment warranty
• Manufacturer’s instructions
• A requirement of leased equipment

Predictive Maintenance Framework

Predictive maintenance is planned by understanding the current condition of the equipment. This is achieved by using advanced condition monitoring techniques. These include vibration, lubrication and motor circuit analysis. As well as infrared thermography and ultrasonic analysis.

Other data is taken into account when determining an asset’s performance and condition. Including manufacturers’ data, production runs, benchmarking industry maintenance, and behaviour.

Reactive Maintenance Framework

Even with CMMS Software, reactive maintenance processes are common. Speed of response and quality of failure information are crucial elements in handling reactive situations.

Typically, people and equipment need to be mobilised. Quite often, temporary replacement equipment might be necessary. When choosing CMMS Software, it’s good to know how a business plans to deal with reactive situations. So, when a reactive scenario occurs, maintenance teams will know the protocol.

Take Note of Mobile CMMS Requirements

CMMS Software provides the functionality for mobile access. This can be found in most SaaS and cloud-based CMMS systems. With mobile CMMS capabilities, maintenance teams should plan their requirements in advance. Whether that be for external contractors or field-based technicians.

For instance, consider mobile hardware devices. Each device has access to compromises. Tablets can be difficult to carry, especially in space-limited maintenance zones. Some devices also have screen size limitations. While a mobile CMMS solution is responsive, using multiple screens to access data requires consideration.

Clarify Service Management Requirements

Service management is an agreed maintenance plan put in place with customers. Quite often, there also tends to be a service level agreement (SLA). Service management often involves light maintenance activities such as inspections. As well as oil changes, consumable replacements, and cleaning. The one different from maintenance management is tracking vehicle fleet statuses. However, this requirement can be addressed by most CMMS tools.

Identify Field Maintenance Requests

Knowing who is going to log maintenance requests is key when choosing CMMS Software. Quite often, service or breakdown requests are logged by the end-users of a product. So, it’s vital to understand where and how requests are going to be logged.

For instance, there are two to three types of users who log breakdown and failure requests. Mode of logging requests includes email, maintenance portals, calls, and help desks. These are important to note as they will help ask relevant questions. As well as identify the suitability of a CMMS when using free trials and demos.

Another key factor to consider is the requirements of maintenance teams in the field. They’re likely to require the restocking of tools and flexible inventory delivery points. As well as vehicle servicing and access to a printer for work orders. It is recommended to note these details as they help identify a CMMS for maintenance workflows.

Establish Ways to Monitor Maintenance Activities, KPIs, and Reports

Most CMMS tools will have hundreds of standard inbuilt report templates. Before choosing CMMS Software, users need to list the reports they need. Maintenance management reports can include:

• Key maintenance trends
• Over-maintenance and under-maintenance
• Labour and material usage
• Work orders by status
• Resource availability and skillset
• Critical assets
• Weak assets

Switching from a manual maintenance system to an automated one can have multiple benefits. One key benefit is the insight and maintenance intelligence that a system can develop. Quite often, reports are not viewed as part of the developing maintenance intelligence.

Plan for Asset Maintenance Data Collection

There has been a five-fold increase in the number of equipment with advanced sensors and thermostats. Each sensor has the capabilities to emit real-time data about activities. For example, a compressor can emit data about its operating conditions. Including temperature, pressure, meter readings, and cycle counts.

If maintenance teams require IoT-enabled equipment and machinery, ensure a CMMS is set up for this. Businesses will need a system that can collect and store maintenance data in a shared dashboard.

Equipment that emits data can help create predictive and planned maintenance schedules. In most cases, equipment is capable of highlighting potential maintenance and failure issues.

Be Aware of Cognitive Maintenance

CMMS Software can develop patterns using machine learning algorithms. This includes historic maintenance plans and correlations with equipment performance. As well as using manufacturer’s data and industry benchmarks.

As of now, most of these systems apply to CapEx heavy and asset-intensive industries. Such as Oil and Gas, Energy, Power, Aviation, Defence, and Manufacturing. For these industries, a CMMS solution with cognitive features is key. As well as machine learning and industry 4.0 capabilities.