What is a CMMS Used For?

A Computerized Maintenance Management System  or “CMMS” is a software program designed specifically to help maintenance teams carry out their jobs more efficiently. A CMMS is used in a wide range of industries and is perfect for organizations that need to perform regular maintenance of equipment and assets and track inventories. Here is a look at some of the many ways an organization can use a CMMS.

Work Order Tracking

Managers who use a CMMS have the ability to easily track work from start to finish. Here’s an example of how work order tracking can be done using a CMMS.

• A maintenance manager selects the equipment on-screen with the problem and then gives a short narrative outlining the issues
• The maintenance manager then assigns the work order to a technician to carry out the work
• When the equipment is fixed, the technician marks the on-screen work order as complete
• Finally, the maintenance manager gets on-screen notification that the work is complete.

Task Scheduling

Most equipment and assets should receive regular preventive maintenance, but preventive maintenance is often a task that has to be scheduled well in advance to balance out the daily workload. A CMMS system acts as a reliable calendar that will take the guess work out of maintenance scheduling. The system organizes scheduling and sends reminders to the appropriate people so that no tasks are overlooked.

Asset History Recording

Many companies routinely carry out maintenance on items that are 20, 30 or even 40 years old. This being the case, it’s likely they’ll have a long list of previous repairs. If a similar problem occurs, it’s always helpful to be able to look back and see how the equipment was fixed in the past. The CMMS allows repairs to be recorded in the history log for anyone to reference at a later date, and as such, technicians can look back on the system and identify problem areas.

Total Inventory Management

If you’re involved in maintenance work, chances are you’re probably going to store a lot of inventoried items. A CMMS can manage the entire inventory and its whereabouts at any particular time. With access to information such as the number of a particular item in stock, the number used in recent repair work, and when new items will need to be ordered, companies will have fingertip references of their entire inventory. This means inventory purchases can be planned in advance saving the company money. After all, it’s far better to pre-plan purchases rather than being forced to pay top dollar for speedy delivery on a component part that’s needed today.

Certification and Audits

A CMMS keeps a centralized database of maintenance history, and this can be very useful in the event of an audit. Using the CMMS, an inspector can quickly determine if the right maintenance was carried out at the right time. This is also handy in the event of an insurance/accident claim. Finally, documenting regular maintenance can also help towards ISO certification.

‘Out-of-House’ Work Requests

On occasions, teams take work requests from outside of their community. For example, an assembly line operator may hear strange noises coming from a piece of machinery they’re using. Alternatively, a tenant may have problems with their shower. These things can be recorded via the CMMS and progress can be tracked and checked to ensure the equipment is fixed and ready to use.

In essence, a CMMS has the ability to streamline and centralize maintenance management thus extending asset life and lowering those all important bottom line costs.