If you’ve been involved in maintenance management for a few years, you probably have a good CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) in place. You and your techs are adhering to a schedule to ensure efficient operations, fewer breakdowns, and less costly downtime. Your techs are more than just employees; they’re the wheels that make the operation run. And your inspection results are usually stellar, thanks to the way you’re running your well-oiled machine of a maintenance management organization.

But what if you’re just starting out as a maintenance management supervisor or your team hasn’t quite got it all down just yet? You’ve got the job because the business is depending on you to make it all work, and while you’ve assured them that you’re the person for the job, it may be difficult to know where to start. All you’ve got is a backlog staring at you, customers with emergency calls, and inventory that as organized as your sock drawer. Where do you start, and how do you get out from under and eventually, get ahead?

One of the first items you may want to address is the company’s CMMS. Why? Because it can help you get organized and make sure you stay that way with the least amount of effort. Some early questions: Does your company use one? Is it up to date, and is data entered on a regular basis? Does it work for your business and your issues, or does there seem to be a lot of features that you don’t, and will never need?

If your company doesn’t use a system you can easily understand, that may be where you need to start. There is no other tool-bar none-that provides maintenance management with so many benefits as a CMMS. And because, on average, the return on investment is usually less than a year, initial cost is not really a valid reason for not having a good system. You get what you pay for, so try to avoid a cheap-or even “free”-system. There’s usually a reason why they’re so inexpensive, and you don’t want to find out the hard way.

On the other hand, buying the most expensive system on the market is no guarantee of success, either. More than likely, you’ll be bogged down with a lot of tools you’ll never use. Your best plan is to list everything you want the system to address, and make sure you include your entire staff in the planning phase. Not only will it bring your crew together-but you never know who might make the suggestion no one else thought about.

Once you’ve gotten your must have and wish list defined, it us time to shop for a quality maintenance management software developer. While it’s difficult to discern one vendor from another, there are some methods you can employ in your search for the right system. A major clue can come from a prospective developer’s web site; in this day and age, every professional organization knows the importance of a professional web presence.

Since your developer will probably utilize the same kind of technologies on their site that they would in your system, take a good look around. Is it laid out in a way that promotes intuitive navigation? Do the features work? Is everything on the page there for a reason, or is the page full of useless items? First perusing the prospective developer’s site can go a long way in making a determination about their ability to meet your needs.

A basic search on the Internet can produce additional information on maintenance management software vendors, such as compliments and positive reviews, the financial stability of the prospective developer, and how long the vendor has been in the business. While some start-up companies have the ability to make a good product, most industry experts suggest a vendor which has been in the business of developing CMMS for at least five years.

Some of the better maintenance management software developers have the ability and experience to put a custom-designed system together that specifically meets the needs of your organization. By utilizing this option, you’ll work with features that address your needs, without unnecessary items that serve to do nothing more than slow down your production. Any additional initial costs in a custom-designed system are quickly made up through the increased efficiency and the effective workflow it provides.

So, you’ve got your CMMS up and running. Now, put it to work. One of the best ways to ensure that equipment runs efficiently and well past its warranty is to develop a good preventive maintenance schedule. All systems will include preventive maintenance software, making this job easier. Developing a preventive maintenance schedule isn’t something that happens overnight. Records of equipment breakdowns and parts replacement invoices, as well as the manufacturers recommended maintenance schedule, can help you develop the right schedule to suit the needs of your assets. Just be sure to enter the schedule into your system as soon as possible.

And while entering data into the system on a regular basis is a necessary step, it’s just as important to enter the correct type of data. In evaluating efficiency reports and making adjustments to maintenance schedules, it’s imperative to define your failure codes, and make them as specific as possible. An asset which is coded as having an “Oil Leak” denotes a specific problem; where a code of “Broken” doesn’t really help you get to the root cause at all.

But creating a thorough maintenance schedule is just one step in preventing equipment failure. Your initial preventive maintenance schedule was created through some guesswork, probably requiring adjustments throughout the life of the asset. Follow-up inspections must be made, and periodic adjustments to the preventive maintenance schedule should be planned, in order to continue to keep equipment running at full capacity.

Follow these basic steps, using your CMMS and planning with your staff, and you’ll quickly have your assets under control and your backlog down to a minimum. Stick to the plan, and enter the necessary data into your system on a regular basis, and you’ll reap the benefits of a quality CMMS.

John Harris is the Sr. Vice President of PSIwebware, which provides Computerized Maintenance Management Systems, or CMMS to help facility managers improve operations efficiency. Recent advancements in CMMS Mobile Technology have improved employee performance and accountability, increasing client satisfaction and facility sustainability.

John Harris is the Sr. Vice President of http://www.PSIwebware.com, which provides Computerized Maintenance Management Systems, or CMMS to help facility managers improve operations efficiency. Recent advancements in CMMS Mobile Technology have improved employee performance and accountability.

Author Bio: John Harris is the Sr. Vice President of PSIwebware, which provides Computerized Maintenance Management Systems, or CMMS to help facility managers improve operations efficiency. Recent advancements in CMMS Mobile Technology have improved employee performance and accountability, increasing client satisfaction and facility sustainability.

Category: Business Management
Keywords: CMMS,Computerized Maintenance Management Software,Maintenance Management Software