One of the biggest challenges we see customers face after purchasing a CMMS software is coming up with a useful and comprehensive naming system for their assets. While it may seem like common sense, even the best and most organized naming conventions can become confusing with scale and time. There are a few useful best practices to keep in mind when labeling your equipment that will reduce confusion and allow your employees to focus on getting work done.
Prepare for Entry
Attempting to come up with a naming system on the spot is a recipe for disaster. Prepping a robust naming scheme before ever touching the software allows for quick equipment tagging, saved confusion, and confidence that your naming system is the best it can be.
Growth
Every company wants to grow into the next industry powerhouse- and your naming scheme should reflect that. Be sure to come up with a naming system that leaves plenty of room for growth, should you find yourself needing to expand your purchased equipment.
Consistency
Every part in your inventory should follow the same basic naming scheme, with slight variations for size, color, or any other distinguishing feature. Consistency will allow your entire asset library to be easily searchable, shared between managers, and expanded upon should new types of machines or equipment be purchased.
Acronyms Are Your Friend
One of the most common and effective methods for naming your assets is by using abbreviations. Condensing key letters in your asset’s name, like turning “motorized control damper” into MCD, is perfect for quickly knowing what the asset is on a large scale.
Create A Naming Convention Reference Guide
Once you’ve got your naming system worked out, it’s a good idea to have a separate document with instructions on how your system works. This includes how your part names are broken down, which parts belong to which location (if you have multiple but separate work sites), and can be referenced by those not familiar with your maintenance system.
There’s No Cookie-Cutter Answer
While the ideas above are great starting points, not every company needs an incredibly robust naming system. For some companies, a few dozen assets make up everything they need maintained or tracked. Part of MicroMain’s CMMS conversion service is working with customers to name their assets in a way that works for our customers, helping to take the guesswork out of how to name your equipment. If you’d like to see how our CMMS can help take your maintenance management to the next level, contact us for a free demo today!