CMMS are amongst the best tools for facility and maintenance managers when it comes to getting work done, maintaining the buildings, and planning for future needs. The most significant benefit of maintenance software is the flexibility it provides regardless of your industry. A CMMS can be used for any business from educational, to healthcare, property management, seniors housing, golf courses, and even small businesses. The key is to figure out what your maintenance needs are and then to create a plan to address those needs.
While every CMMS company may offer different tools for its users, for the most part, there are five features that you can find in almost any CMMS software, these are work orders, asset tracking, preventative maintenance, reporting, and a mobile app. Maintenance Care also offers document storage in our Space Center, vendor store, and sensors. These features allow maintenance managers to stay on top of all of the facilities needs and plan for future budgets.
Features Of a Maintenance Management Software
Let’s break down these features to gain a better understanding of what they are and the ways they can be used to maintain your business.
Work Order System: Work order software is one of the greatest technologies ever created for maintenance crews. In the past work orders were distributed in carbon copied paper form that could be easily lost or accidentally destroyed (or maintenance team members were simply stopped in the halls and verbally told about the request). Thankfully, those days are long gone.
Now work orders can be placed digitally making tracking and assigning efficient and straightforward. Managers can review and assign tasks from any location and know what their team is working on, which frees them to focus on other important tasks.
Asset Tracking Software: Asset management is a powerful tool for your maintenance team. Using an asset tracking system your team can track everything from what equipment was purchased from what provider. You can record make, model, serial numbers, and more. This information will be crucial when it comes time to create an annual budget.
Asset tracking can also record repairs and even life expectancy. Wouldn't it be nice to know that your boiler is about to exceed it's life expectancy in five years allowing you to budget the money you need to potentially replace it? All of these details are used to help your capital planning. Using a CMMS to track your assets simplifies your job and gives you the data you need to prove your budget request are necessary to maintain your facility.
Preventative Maintenance Software: You've heard the saying "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," well, a CMMS is the best way to ensure you’re doing all of the prevention you need. A preventative maintenance strategy is crucial in avoiding maintenance emergencies and keeping productivity levels high.
It’s very common for weekly or monthly maintenance to be completed to make sure equipment you are using is operating at peak performance and to maintain longevity. A preventative maintenance feature allows you to schedule those routine updates. It allows you to remain compliant to regulations you may be held accountable for. Some preventative maintenance software even allows you to attach important documents like MSDS and training instructions to the task.
Staying on top of your equipment means you can keep it running longer. Plus, having preventative maintenance software means you’ll be spending less on repairs, and therefore, maximizing your maintenance ROI.
Reporting Tools: Having the software and tools you need to make the process of managing your team and facilities easier is just one of the advantages of a user-friendly CMMS. One of the best values is in the reporting functionality because of what it means for your team’s productivity.
Being able to report to your supervisors the work your team has completed, export databases, and create detailed lists simplifies your job. You no longer have to bounce between excel sheets, calendars, and stacks of paper to get the answers you need about your maintenance efforts. That’s what we call the definition of efficient.
Mobile App: It is rare that a facility manager is going to be spending their day at a desk. More likely they will be bouncing from meetings to visiting teams working on projects. Working in a transient position like this requires a tool that can meet your active position.
Using a CMMS with a mobile app is the best way for you to be aware of your team’s tasks and what awaits them as they complete projects. Being mobile as a facility manager is part of the job, and you can be more efficient at it with a CMMS program that offers a mobile app.
USING CMMS ACROSS INDUSTRIES
CMMS is not restricted to any one industry. In fact, as you probably read earlier, there are many different industries that can benefit from having maintenance software. With the various tools and features available, different industries will appreciate different aspects of their CMMS.
Here are just some of the specific ways some industries are able to use CMMS tools to fit their unique needs:
Healthcare Facility Management: Hospitals will be able to capitalize on all of the functionality of a CMMS. In particular, preventative maintenance and work order software will be very useful to healthcare facilities. The work order tools will allow the maintenance team to stay on top of repairs and preventative maintenance software will make sure that generators, emergency systems, and HVAC equipment is not only working efficiently but is also meeting compliance regulations.
Property Management: For property managers, the ability to manage maintenance at multiple properties is a huge benefit of using CMMS. The asset-tracking will aid in capital planning, making it easier to plan and budget for repairs and replacements when they’re actually needed. The knowledge about what replacement equipment each property needs and when will allow for buying things like fire detectors in bulk to save money.
Manufacturing Plant Maintenance: Manufacturing businesses have a strong need for the work order management tools of a CMMS. Instead of having manager’s email inboxes overflowing with maintenance requests that need to be assigned, the work order software will streamline the process of assigning and completing tasks. The preventative maintenance tool ensures that routine maintenance tasks are completed when they should be so a maintenance issue won’t stop the plant from running properly.
Hotel and Hospitality Maintenance: In an industry where keeping guests happy is the most important thing, unplanned repairs or broken equipment can cause serious problems. That’s why having a CMMS with preventative maintenance tools is crucial for the hospitality industry. Plus, keeping guests happy by maintaining the cleanliness and functionality of rooms is easy with the work order software.
Small Business: Small businesses are one industry that doesn’t use CMMS nearly as much as they should. For some, it may be that they are unaware of how useful it is, or they think it isn’t necessary. But, being able to schedule routine upkeep and task it to your team will simplify your day-to-day activities. Knowing your equipment and assets may be due for replacement allows you to create an action plan that won’t break your bank.