Best CMMS Software

CMMS Software Guide

CMMS software, also known as Computerized Maintenance Management Software, is an integrated software package designed to help manage all aspects of maintenance for a business or organization. It combines a variety of functions such as preventive maintenance scheduling, work order management, and inventory control. With CMMS software, you can create a database for tracking maintenance equipment and materials, monitor the performance of those assets over time, generate reports based on that data, and much more.

CMMS software typically includes functions such as preventive maintenance scheduling so that you can easily plan out and track regular maintenance tasks; work order management so that you can easily assign tasks to staff members and track progress; spare parts inventory control allowing you to quickly locate spares when needed; asset lifecycle cost analysis which allows you to accurately forecast future costs associated with specific equipment; downtime reporting giving you greater visibility into any equipment interruptions; contractor management allowing you to keep records on outside vendors used in your maintenance operations; training records tracking so that employees are kept up-to-date on required certifications;and cost tracking so that you can measure the cost impact of each item or action in your CMMS system.

In addition to these standard features, most CMMS systems are highly customizable. They allow for different levels of access depending on whether users need administrative privileges or simply wish to view information. Furthermore, they often offer integration with other systems like enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions or advanced analytics tools for better insight into your data. Finally, some packages come with mobile capabilities making it easier than ever before for technicians in the field to access information from anywhere at anytime.

Given its comprehensive suite of features and flexibility for customization and integration with other systems, CMMS technology is invaluable in helping companies effectively manage their maintenance operations while reducing costs and improving productivity both within their own teams as well as across their entire supply chain network.

How Does CMMS Work?

CMMS is a system that automates the management of reactive and preventive maintenance of a company’s assets and facilities. It provides lower-level workers with the tools they need to be able to work efficiently and also enter data about materials, parts, and repairs. The software gives managers visibility and control over the condition of the company’s property, compliance, and maintenance histories. CMMS is able to help organizations devote more resources and time for their bottom line as well as eliminating equipment downtime and improving workflows for back-end upkeep.

From a semantic standpoint, most people consider CMMS compatible with enterprise asset management (EAM software), especially since it has built-in tools that work well with asset management. However, there are several differences between them. EAM offers better functionality to handle any kind of assets such as IT equipment or physical machinery with centralized access for the entire enterprise. On the other hand, CMMS systems are limited to only physical assets in a smaller facility network or just one single site. With all of this said, EAM and CMMS are not jointly exclusive – they can work with other enterprise software like enterprise resource planning (ERP software) solutions or EAMs. In addition, there is a multitude of maintenance management solutions that are sold as modules, giving buyers the ability to custom-build their solutions by only paying for the specific features they need. The products available include basic work-order modules which are built into the property management system.

Features of CMMS Software

• Preventive Maintenance: CMMS software enables users to set up and manage preventive maintenance and maintenance management plans, which are designed to proactively address potential issues before they can turn into costly repairs. This feature is especially helpful for facilities with a large number of assets that need to be routinely inspected and maintained in order to prevent breakdowns.
• Asset Tracking: CMMS software helps users keep track of their assets by providing detailed information about each asset, including its location, condition, service history, and warranty information. This data can then be used to optimize asset utilization by scheduling preventive maintenance when needed or replacing obsolete assets that are beyond repair.
• Work Order Management: CMMS software keeps track of all work orders issued by the facilities team. It also allows users to assign tasks to different members of the team and track their progress in real time. As tasks are completed, relevant records are updated in the system automatically so that the facilities staff can stay on top of any outstanding issues or future projects.
• Reporting & Analytics: CMMS software provides powerful reporting tools which allow users to analyze their operations and make informed decisions based on data-driven insights. These reports can include a variety of metrics such as downtime, cost savings, labor productivity, asset utilization rate, and more. By leveraging this data-driven approach, facilities managers can identify areas where improvements can be made in order to increase efficiency and reduce costs.
• Inventory Tracking & Replenishment: CMMS software makes it easy for facility teams to monitor their inventory levels so they never run out of critical supplies or materials needed for regular maintenance operations. The system also allows users to set up automated replenishment notifications so they know exactly when it’s time for new stock orders placed with suppliers.
• Mobile Access: Many CMMS software solutions offer mobile access capabilities so users can stay connected to the system no matter where they are. This allows staff to easily access critical data, receive notifications, and take action on tasks even if they are away from their desks.
• Scheduling & Task Automation: CMMS software makes it easy to create and manage schedules for maintenance operations. It also allows facilities teams to automate the task of scheduling by setting up recurring tasks and reminders. This helps users ensure that all tasks are completed on time and nothing is overlooked in the process.
• Materials and Job Costs: This feature enables the standardizing and recording of materials and jobs expenses that can be used for prioritizing accounting, reporting, and work.
• Compliance Management: This feature stores all documentation and data to ensure that managers will comply with industry standards, permits, and safety and be able to respond to audit requests.

Common Use Cases of CMMS Software

CMMS is the smartest investment you can make for your business because it can manage a collection of depreciable assets as well as a high-traffic, high-priority facility. CMMS is used in a wide variety of industries including data centers, the public sector, utilities and energy, construction, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.

There are three tiers that the target market is divided into which we will discuss below.

The first tier includes simple facilities. These kinds of facilities are single-site and have basic maintenance management requirements that revolve around one-off troubleshooting and facility upkeep. Managers in these facilities prefer a CMMS that’s intuitive and simple to use for building compliance and tracking work orders.

The next tier includes asset and equipment groupings. Organizations with a large number of depreciable assets use CMMS systems as a central automation engine for feeding and caring for their assets. Fleet management is a common example. This can be found in public sector vehicles or school bus systems. Likewise, a company’s assets can include digital assets (servers), hardware (printers or fax machines), or stationary equipment (factory floor machines).

The final tier includes complex facilities. These facilities can typically span various locations or consist of multiple buildings within a campus environment including work zones or variable interference such as pedestrian streets, environmental hazards, or terrain. Some examples include global enterprises, industrial plants, medical installations, and college campuses. Complex facilities have more widespread maintenance software needs because they require tools to manage both assets and facilities across a broader geographic area.

Features to Consider

Mobile capabilities are certainly one important feature to consider. Because technicians often work in the field, the use of mobile devices has become more predominant in today’s market. These capabilities give personnel the know-how to update records immediately and make data available across the entire business. You can generate work orders directly from your mobile device, issue, return, and receive parts in real-time, and track inventory and labor usage.

There are several other mobile capabilities offered in some CMMS systems:

One of these capabilities is voice recognition. Technicians always use both of their hands while they’re performing their work. With voice recognition, technicians can record hands-free notes and allow notes to be converted automatically to text and entered into a CMMS. This saves technicians from having to write notes by hand for data entry.

Another capability is QR/barcoding. Quick response barcoding and coding capabilities are included with many CMMS systems. When you scan an asset’s code, it gives you a preview of its entire maintenance history and gives instant insight into the last task that was performed, when the next upkeep is due, warranty information, or troubleshooting notes. Quick response barcoding will let technicians include notes about assets that are promptly accessible all throughout the organization.

Benefits of CMMS Software

CMMS Planning and Cash Flow

The accurate planning and budgeting of cash-flow is paramount to a successful company. The integrity of your projection models can be destroyed due to unexpected costs. It’s bad enough to have the burden of unexpected costs but when unplanned expenses sink a forecast or budget, issues can become worse. Budgets help set motivational goals and provide a roadmap or a plan for your company as a whole.

A major source of unplanned expenses can include equipment failures which are often among one of the costliest. Executing and implementing proper maintenance plans help eliminate burdensome or unexpected costs.

CMMS systems can remove cost bumps. They can help you spread costs more predictably and evenly and limit large, unpredictable costs. Whichever CMMS system you choose will have many sophisticated tools you can use to make a repair as opposed to replacing decisions based on trustworthy data alone.

Productivity and Quality Control Assurance

A huge selling point for your business is often based on the quality of your work. Providing top-of-the-line services and goods greatly impacts retention and customer satisfaction. CMMS systems not only help a company save money, but can increase your company’s overall revenue too.

It’s important to limit your breakdowns in order to reduce cycle times. If you keep your equipment in sub-par condition, your products and services that are produced will become inferior.

Lower Maintenance Costs with CMMS

Ensuring that you have a reliable equipment maintenance system will save money and time on unplanned or planned maintenance in the long run.

Before expensive repairs are needed, CMMS systems can help you plan maintenance by keeping accurate tracking on equipment maintenance. CMMS systems do more than just track required preventative maintenance when it’s needed. They can also figure out the best times to perform the maintenance. A more sophisticated CMMS system will consider production and forecast information to determine slow times that can be utilized for equipment maintenance.

CMMS systems provide centralized repositories for information and maintenance instructions such as what the process is, who is involved in the process, what parts are required, and what service firms may be needed to conduct the maintenance. The cost of maintenance can be drastically reduced with better organization.

Unplanned repairs are often needed even with preventative maintenance that’s performed on a regular basis. Any equipment failures that occur on the job site or during a production run can disrupt how your business operates. CMMS systems are consistent with managing, reporting, and tracking repairs which keeps the cost and disruption of equipment failures to a minimum.

Workplace safety is also very important, but extremely costly. If equipment is not maintained properly, that can increase your liability risk. According to OSHA, most American employers pay up to $1 billion a week in worker’s compensation claims alone. Having a CMMS system will protect your company against excessive safety-related expenses.

Additional benefits of CMMS software include:

1. Improved Efficiency: CMMS software can improve the efficiency of asset management, enabling users to complete tasks more quickly and accurately. For instance, with CMMS software, users can view work order statuses in real-time and track inventory levels. Additionally, automated features such as notifications for upcoming preventive maintenance tasks can help streamline operations and ensure that repairs are completed on time.
2. Cost Savings: By utilizing CMMS software, users can save money on maintenance costs. For example, by tracking asset data, users can identify potential problems before they become serious issues and prevent costly breakdowns. Furthermore, predictive analytics capabilities enable users to forecast future maintenance needs and plan accordingly to reduce expenses.
3. Increased Asset Lifespan: With the right system in place, organizations can extend the lifespan of their assets and maximize return on investment (ROI). Specifically, when maintenance is properly tracked with CMMS software tools like preventive maintenance scheduling or root cause analysis, businesses will be able to address underlying problems before they become larger issues that would require replacement parts or new investments in equipment.
4. Improved Documentation: Comprehensive documentation of all asset and service data is essential for effective asset management. With CMMS software systems in place, organizations have an organized database of information about their assets’ functionality and performance over time which makes it easier to troubleshoot any issues quickly or keep accurate records for audits and compliance purposes. Additionally, reporting generated from this data helps managers draw insights into past performance as well as make informed decisions about future maintenance strategies.
5. Enhanced Safety Protocols: In industries where safety regulations are especially stringent (e.g., healthcare), having a system that keeps track of all safety protocols is invaluable for mitigating risks associated with potentially hazardous equipment or situations. By tracking data generated from routine inspections or tests related to safety measures throughout an organization's operational lifespan, companies can ensure that their employees are working under safe conditions at all times.

CMMS Software Trends

1. Cost Reduction: Many companies are finding that the cost of implementing a CMMS system is often much lower than the costs associated with manual maintenance and repair processes. This allows businesses to reduce their overhead costs and improve their bottom line.
2. Increased Productivity: By automating many of the manual processes and increasing the efficiency of workflows, CMMS software can significantly increase employee productivity. This can lead to more accurate data, which can help businesses make better decisions when it comes to scheduling repairs and maintenance.
3. Scalability: As businesses grow, they often need to expand the scope of their CMMS software in order to manage an ever-increasing number of assets or locations. The scalability of modern-day CMMS systems allows them to easily accommodate such growth without having to invest additional resources into training employees on a new system or purchasing new hardware/software.
4. Enhanced User Experience: Thanks to advancements in user interface (UI) design, modern CMMS systems offer far superior user experience compared to older versions. Not only does this increase usability for end users, but it also helps boost employee morale by making the task of managing assets more enjoyable and efficient for everyone involved.
5. Improved Data Management: Modern-day CMMS systems offer features designed specifically for collecting and storing data related to assets, parts, locations, etc., as well as integrating other external data sources into its database so that users can access all necessary information from a single point within the system itself. This makes it easier for businesses to track asset performance over time and identify potential areas of improvement throughout their workflow processes.
6. Automated Workflows: With automation capabilities built into the system, modern CMMS software can significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to complete routine tasks, such as ordering parts and scheduling repairs/maintenance. This allows employees to focus more on strategic tasks rather than mundane ones, which increases overall efficiency and productivity.

Who Uses CMMS Software?

• Facility Managers: Responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of buildings, grounds, and related systems.
• Maintenance Supervisors: Manage daily maintenance tasks and oversee the work of technicians.
• Maintenance Technicians: Perform actual physical work on equipment such as lubricating, adjusting, replacing parts and components, performing repairs, etc.
• Operations Managers: Oversee production operations from a macro perspective to ensure efficient use of resources.
• Inventory Managers: Responsible for managing critical spare parts inventory levels, orders for new stock items, and issuing replacement parts when needed.
• Quality Assurance Managers: Responsible for ensuring that all products meet quality standards.
• Purchasing Agents: Responsible for acquiring materials or services from vendors in order to keep inventories stocked with necessary supplies.
• Safety Officers: Monitor safety protocols to ensure workers are safe while working with heavy machinery or hazardous materials.
• Plant Engineers/Managers: Design processes, supervise the installation of new equipment or major modifications to existing equipment, develop plans to address problems with process technology or major equipment issues.
• Reliability Engineers/Managers: Analyze data related to asset performance in order to identify opportunities for improvement in reliability and cost reductions; frequently interact with other departments such as maintenance or procurement in order to formulate strategies based on findings derived from their analysis.
• Cost Accountants: Responsible for tracking and auditing costs associated with plant operations, maintenance activities, and purchases.
• Facility Inspectors: Responsible for performing quality control inspections of building systems, utility systems, safety protocols, etc.
• Environmental Services Managers: Responsible for the assessment and protection of a building’s environment, including HVAC issues, indoor air quality, waste management, and more.
• Building Automation Specialists/Managers: Responsible for the installation and maintenance of electronic systems used to automate building systems such as lighting, heating, cooling, etc.
• IT Specialists/Managers: Responsible for the installation, maintenance and support of all computerized systems used by a CMMS, including hardware, software and network systems.
• Security Managers: Responsible for safeguarding company assets from physical threats such as theft or vandalism.
• Data Entry Clerks: Responsible for entering data into the CMMS system.

How Much Does CMMS Software Cost?

The cost of CMMS software depends on many factors, such as the size of your organization, the type and number of modules you need, and whether you are using a single-user or multi-user license. Generally speaking, prices for CMMS software can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Small businesses with 10 or fewer users can expect to spend in the range of $500-$1500 for basic CMMS software that provides fundamental features like work orders and asset tracking.

For more complex installations with more advanced functionality such as predictive maintenance, quality assurance and data analysis—or if you have a larger team—you’ll likely pay anywhere from $3,000-$15,000 or more depending on the scope of your requirements.

Fortunately, many providers offer free trials so you can sample the system before buying it outright. Other companies even offer subscription options which allow companies to pay an ongoing fee in order to use the software on an ongoing basis. This is an increasingly popular option among organizations who don't want to commit to expensive upfront costs but still need access to powerful features and benefits offered by premium CMMS products.

What Software Integrates With CMMS Software?

CMMS software can integrate with a variety of different types of software, including inventory management programs, budgeting and accounting systems, document control systems, asset tracking solutions, energy monitoring solutions and project management software. Additionally, CMMS software can integrate with other enterprise resource planning (ERP) or computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) solutions that are used to track maintenance activities related to an organization's assets. Integrating these various software solutions enables companies to store a single source of data in one place in order to streamline operations and optimize performance.

How to Choose the Right CMMS Software

1. Make a list of the desired CMMS software features: Start by making a list of must-have and nice-to-have features you would like your CMMS software to have. Include items such as equipment tracking, preventive maintenance scheduling, asset management, and reporting capabilities.
2. Research available systems: Look into different systems that meet your feature requirements and compare pricing, user reviews, system compatibility, etc. Use the tools on this page to compare CMMS software by different criteria.
3. Create an implementation plan: Decide how you intend to deploy the system in your business or organization and create an implementation plan to ensure successful integration of the software into daily operations.
4. Choose a budget: Establish a budget for purchasing and maintaining your CMMS software so that you know what can be reasonably invested in this project upfront and over time.
5. Ask for demos or trial versions: Request demos or trial versions from various providers to get an even better feel for their products before making any major decisions on which one is right for you.
6. Select your CMMS system: After evaluating all potential options carefully against your criteria list, select the one that best meets all of your needs within the established budget parameters.