A CMMS is a tool that can help a company achieve greater efficiencies and increase profitability, particularly when coupled with a company-wide focus on several key best practices.
Before and after implementing a CMMS, it is vital that there is a clear owner of the system. This should be someone that will have significant interaction with the software and not just an IT representative. If you cannot provide a clear answer for who is in charge of the CMMS, your return on investment will not be optimal. If necessary, set up a new role or position within the company to ensure someone is managing the CMMS software. This role will help monitor the data entered into the database, help key users better understand the system, and ensure that all use of the system is providing value to the organization. Technology cannot manage itself, it needs supervision.
Often companies will not place someone in charge of a CMMS because they believe that paper reduction equals administrative reduction. However, this is often the reverse of what happens when implementing software. In order to receive maximum value from your CMMS, processes need to become more disciplined. All work orders must be entered, all work orders must be closed, and all additional data must be put in the system. To use the software for analysis, data must be entered in a consistent fashion and standards adhered to. If your organization cannot support the additional work, the system could be seen as a burden since no one is focusing on showing the benefits to others or putting in the time to produce quality results.
When organizations realize the commitment required to maximize the return on their investment, they often start taking shortcuts within the system. However, short cuts will actually reduce the accuracy and long term value of your CMMS. For instance, if a company stops entering short repetitive jobs in order to save time, they lose the value of analysis and often miss some of the biggest problems within their maintenance program. Small jobs can equate to considerable downtime cumulatively. Do not cut out key data just because you are not currently using it. Future goals often rely on information you may currently do not see as important.
In order to properly manage and analyze the benefits of the system, organizations will need to ensure they are building high-quality, accurate data. This development should start at implementation because, as discussed, earlier data is the foundation of a successful CMMS implementation. The biggest mistake departments make is putting off data entry. Busy schedules often push data entry to the distant future. Though this can appear to be an overwhelming step in the process, there are key places to start. First, build a location hierarchy that includes class, subclass, and detailed attributes. Next, build a master equipment list. Finally, focus on accurate bills of materials. By linking items to equipment, planners can increase their productivity by spending less time figuring out what part to use in each job. This is key for emergency requests that require a quick response.
These are just the beginning steps to optimizing your CMMS. In addition, a long term organization strategy must be put into place and user acceptance must be achieved.
Darrent Hassan is the author this article on CMMS systems and works part-time in Brazil where they refer to these concepts as ordens de serviço or manutenção preventiva.