Schools around the country are nearly out for Summer. It’s no vacation for those in charge of maintaining the schools and facilities though. The planners out there need to keep a watchful eye on their school’s budget, the state of their facility and the personnel tasked with keeping everything in order. There are countless ways a maintenance management system can help schools and the people responsible for their buildings and equipment.

1. Keep Assets Running

A recent study estimated that the ROI from using proper preventive maintenance procedures versus purely reaction maintenance is 545%. Taking the time to sit down and map out exactly when you need to service your equipment and what inspections need to happen are critical. Tracking all that with a pen and paper or even a few Excel docs can be a nightmare.

A computerized maintenance management system or CMMS can keep track of that data for you. So after scheduling and inputting the information, your work orders for the chiller or the generator will pop up automatically.

2. Manage Supplies

Tons of items flow into a school every year, from air filters to overhead projector light bulbs. There are several benefits of tracking supplies and parts with a CMMS.

First, tracking usage with a CMMS makes it easy to see when you are coming close to running out of parts. Alerts can even be setup to notify you. Second, reports can be run based on part data. This information might be helpful in determining if there is a specific building that is using more parts than others. Knowing that will let you investigate the issue and solve. Furthermore, a maintenance management system can be used to generate purchase orders for parts, saving time.

3. Track Labor

The old proverb goes “it takes a village to raise a child.” Well, it takes near a village of labor to manage a large school or facility. There is not only the full time maintenance and custodial staff, but also outside vendors who assist with projects.

A maintenance management system can make sure that their time is accounted for. Knowing where the hours are spent in a work day can make employees accountable and keep your priorities in-line. With maintenance software, you can also associate hours with work orders and inspections and know who fixed what.

4. Keep Everyone Happy

A school can be thought of a symphony of teachers, parents, students and paraprofessionals. A broken A/C unit or dirty bathroom can turn that symphony’s sweet music sour.

Preventive maintenance can stop some of those problems from occurring, but on-demand or emergency work orders are bound to occur. In this case, responding to issues in a timely manner is key to keeping everyone happy. Setting up an online work order request system allows anyone in the school to submit a work request, monitor the request and even rate how the request was resolved.

5. Save Maintenance Time

The largest campus by size in the world is Berry College in Georgia. The campus at Berry measure 27,000 acres! Imagine how long it would take to drive your Polaris across, much less walk.

Accessing your CMMS from the field with a smartphone or tablet can save time and increase accuracy of data. With mobile maintenance software, your maintenance tech will no longer have to go back to the office to either pick up hard copy work orders or update their desktop-based system.

Take Action Today

To get your school or campus on the path towards better operations, request a free consultation. Our experts will listen to your needs and develop a plan of action.

The post 5 Ways Maintenance Management Software Can Help Schools | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

The MicroMain Users Conference has been attracting attendees for each of the past twelve years. That’s a long time, especially in the constantly-shifting software and technology climate. This year we’re continuing to evolve the conference with a new name and new offerings.

A Storied History

For the past twelve years MicroMain has provided attendees with informative classes, ample networking opportunities, one-on-one product walkthroughs, expert guest speakers, and our famous Customer Appreciation Night.

The picture above is from one of the first conferences in 2004. The computers and fashion sure have changed since then, but the sense of community has not.

Looking Ahead

We’re holding onto the cherished parts of the past, but at the same time looking ahead. This year we’ve renamed the annual event ACCELERATE 2013. The new name reflects our goal with the conference. We want to accelerate your capabilities, accelerate your knowledge, accelerate your control, and in the end, accelerate your success.

ACCELERATE 2013 will take place from October 8-9, 2013. It is the perfect time to turbocharge your maintenance and facility management software knowledge and network with some of the fastest minds in the industry. We’ll cover the new products released in the past year and give previews of what is in store in 2014 and beyond.

Take Action

If you want to attend, we advise you to signup soon. October will be a busy time in Austin with the ACL Music Festival spanning two weekends now. Hotel reservations are limited and the price of flights is subject to increase. You can signup now at www.micromain.com/accelerate.

At ACCELERATE 2013, MicroMain will arm you with all the knowledge and solutions you need to kick your maintenance performance into high gear. Don’t get left behind!

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In this webinar, Craig Shepard covered how hospitals and other medical facilities can use Maintenance Healthcare to support their operations. Craig showed how the software can be used to assess risks accurately, enhance inspections, improve operations, report on compliance and accomplish work on-the-go.

It was recorded and available below. The recording is also available full screen.

Register now for our next webinar or sign up to see Maintenance Healthcare in action.

The post How a CMMS Helps Hospitals Webinar Recap | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

According to the Earth Day Network, “The first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, activated 20 million Americans from all walks of life and is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement. The passage of the landmark Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, Endangered Species Act and many other groundbreaking environmental laws soon followed. Growing out of the first Earth Day, Earth Day Network (EDN) works with over 22,000 partners in 192 countries to broaden, diversify and mobilize the environmental movement. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world.”

Some people celebrate Earth Day by planting a tree, creating a Google Doodle, walking when they could drive or just continuing to make smart decisions with regards to their daily habits. Bringing a reuseable bag instead of a temporary plastic or paper bag, making sure your recyclable items are not thrown in the trash and turning off the lights when you leave a room are small things, but they add up.

Since Earth Day’s inception in 1970, companies have joined the effort. Large and small companies alike can support the spirit of Earth Day by taking steps to reduce their impact. Running efficient operations and reducing waste are good not only for the Earth, but for the bottom line.

For over 20 years, MicroMain has helped companies achieve more streamlined operations with our software. Companies can use a CMMS and a mobile device to eliminate the need for paperwork. Assets information can be maintained and tracked, so a leaky pump will be discovered during a scheduled PM and the harmful material won’t get into the watershed.

John F. Kennedy famously said “One person can make a difference, and everyone should try.”  So on this Earth Day and throughout the year, I hope we all try to make a difference.

The post Happy Earth Day | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

Searching for the right software for your company can be quite the task. Many important questions need to be answered before making the leap to purchase. Questions involving pricing, features, and customer reviews are all crucial in the software research process.

Capterra is an online software directory and has become a top resource for business software buyers. In order to aid buyers in their search for maintenance management software, Capterra did a little research of their own.

Capterra states, “With budget cuts and a tight economy looming, no business can afford to lose a functioning building and their working equipment.” That is exactly why so many people are on the hunt for the perfect CMMS software.

Using a popularity index, the most popular maintenance management software’s are based on the number of customer, number of users, and social presence of each company. MicroMain was ranked #2 out of 20. This list is a great starting point for someone who is in the CMMS market.

Like all other software products, there are many CMMS solutions to choose from. But, it’s those important questions that will determine which software will ultimately enhance your company’s facilities and operations.

© 2013 Capterra, Inc.

The post The CMMS Software Hunt | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

MicroMain Corporation is announcing that Joe Brummer has been named President and Chief Executive Officer. Brummer has been with MicroMain for over 13 years. His promotion to Chief Executive Officer is the first change of CEO leadership in the company’s 22-year history. Brummer brings over 20 years of leadership experience to the position.  He will take over for MicroMain’s founder, Pat Conroy.

Though there is a change in leadership, the focus of the company remains the same.

“At MicroMain, we put our customers first,” said Brummer. “We see the maintenance and facility staff as heroes. Using our software, they can show others their accomplishments, as well, in productivity, cost savings, and outstanding performance.”

You can read the full details in our official press release or Austin Business Journal Article.

The post MicroMain Promotes Joe Brummer to CEO | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

In this webinar, Mark Stellfox covered how companies around the world can use a CMMS to support their manufacturing operations. Topics covered include creating work orders, managing preventive maintenance, using mobile devices with your CMMS and generating reports on your operations.

It was recorded and available below. The recording is also available full screen.

Register now for our next webinar or sign up to see MicroMain’s CMMS software in action.

The post How a CMMS Supports Manufacturing Webinar Recap | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

On March 8-17, Austin, TX played host to South by Southwest (SXSW), a massive congregation of festivals/conferences related to technology, music, and film. MicroMain’s Austin location gives as profound insight into emerging trends, keeping us at the forefront of innovation. We can’t think of another city we’d rather be headquartered.

This year’s SXSW Interactive saw over 30,000 attendees, making it one of the world’s largest technology festivals in the world. For those of you who couldn’t make it, we put together a list of some of this year’s highlights – key innovations, trends, and product announcements.

3-D Printing

The last few months, 3-D printing has captured the imagination of tech fans. Many SXSW attendees and sponsors championed it as the world’s next sweeping technological shift. Several panels were focused on the ins and outs of 3-D printing, and more than a few entrepreneurs and tech companies discussed the subject.

The technology is a lot closer than people think. The NPR Blog noted:

“Among the celebrity entrepreneurs in the 3-D printing field is Ping Fu, who …  took the stage at SXSW wearing a 3-D printed scarf and a pair of 3-D printed shoes. The company is about to release a printer that you can buy for $1,299. Fu says that in three years she expects the price of the printer to drop below $500, and she expects that it will keep dropping so everyone will have one at home.”

Brooklyn-based MakerBot went a step further, announcing a 3D scanner add-on for its line of 3-D printers.

Real talk: How will 3-D printing change the manufacturing landscape? Or will it? We’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.

Wearable Sensors

Our CMMS Healthcare product helps hospitals around the country manage work orders, assets, inventory, and more. So we’re especially interested in how technology can help reshape the health industry.

From a consumer product standpoint, SXSW proved that wearable sensors have become a significant industry trend. Nike’s FuelBand gives users a chance to track their heart rate, calories burned, and steps taken per day. Other wearable sensors are designed to track blood glucose levels, and even look for early signs of breast cancer. We expect these pioneering devices to become more popular in the coming years, with increased integration in pre-existing products like smart phones and watches.

Grumpy Cat

Grumpy Cat, one of the internet’s foremost upset-looking cat celebrities, was on hand at the Mashable party to answer questions and sign autographs, which she could not do because she is a cat. Throngs of people were nevertheless lined up to take a picture with the renowned cat. Were Grumpy Cat actually grumpy, she likely would not have been able to endure all the attention, but first-hand reports indicated she handled the crowd very well. We’re certain everyone who waited several hours in line to see an angry-looking cat had a satisfying experience.

Google Glass … and  Google Shoes

Google Glass was seen all over SXSW, with more than a few Google rep wearing the high-tech glasses. For those unacquainted, Google Glass lets users take videos and pictures, access Gmail and Evernote, and more, straight from their glasses. Could there be a day when your field technicians complete work orders using a MicroMain application on Google Glass?

Google’s wearable tech doesn’t stop at glasses. In a technological innovation that looks at first blush like parody, Google also announced the Google Talking Shoe, a proof of concept pair of sneakers with an accelerometer, gyroscope, and Google+ integration. Although there may not be much demand for high-tech shoes, the project proves that when it comes to innovation, Google is a step ahead of their competitors.

We can’t wait to see what technologies will debut in Austin during SXSW 2014.

The post South by Southwest Recap | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

In this special joint webinar, Dale Blann of Marshall Institute presented on how to maximize your asset reliability using effective preventive maintenance and logic. Then Craig Shepard of MicroMain covered how a CMMS can support excellent PM practices.

It was recorded and available below. The recording is also available full screen.

Register now for our next webinar or sign up to see MicroMain’s CMMS software in action.

The post Maximizing Asset Reliability Webinar Recap | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.

From time to time we at MicroMain stumble across sites and articles we think would be useful for our CMMS software and facility management customers. The MicroMain blog is pleased to share this content in our weekly Maintenance Round-Up: a one-stop location for facility and maintenance news.

Strategies to Boost Your Warehouse Workforce’s Efficiency – Software Advice

Even with the perfect CMMS, workforce ineffeciency has the potential to cost your organization time and money. Here five methods for treating the problem at its root.

What is the Cost and ROI of Recommissioning? – FacilitiesNet

Recommissioning a building can help restore operating performance, but it comes at a definite cost. This video series on the benefits of recommissioning (including possible ROI) is a definite watch.

World’s largest office furniture supplier celebrates 100 years by reducing its energy consumption and carbon footprint – Plant Engineering

Is your organization set in its ways with regards to energy use? You can teach an old company new tricks by adapting a forward-thinking software solution. Energy monotitoring sofware just might be the perfect compliment to your CMMS.

The post Maintenance Round-Up, February 19 2013 | Blog appeared first on MicroMain.