subject: Cmms Software: Definition And Its Uses [print this page] What Is CMMS? What Is CMMS?
A CMMS or Computerized Maintenance Management System is a valuable management and operational tool for managing asset preservation. It also ensures that production systems function as necessary and that downtime is minimized. A good and effective CMMS should have the ability to fulfill these functions by gathering important information and automating administrative tasks. It is also essential that a CMMS be able to create and supervise a strategic plan for adequate and appropriate replacement, maintenance and upgrading of valuable assets.
What Is CMMS Used for?
The main function of a CMMS is to manage and keep track of the different maintenance, inspection and repair activities of a company or organization. There are also a number of CMMS solutions that perform that perform certain basic functions, like giving work orders for the maintenance and repairs of plants, buildings and equipment. The use of effective CMMS solutions also allow for efficient scheduling system for maintenance and preventive work on assets that are considered maintainable. In addition, CMMS solutions can collect costing data for the materials and labor needed to perform the maintenance work.
Advanced CMMS solutions are also used to improve several other aspects of day-to-day activities. They also provide information to simplify the understanding and analysis of the processes involved in repair and maintenance. Manual data entry is even eliminated through the use of CMMS solutions. They can also incorporate triggers, alerts and escalation procedures. This way, focus is shifted from unnecessary administrative tasks to important maintenance activities.
The combination of advanced CMMS software and other equipment, like PDAs and other handheld devices can definitely increase the benefits obtained from using CMMS. First of all, it will allow for the electronic updating of information, which will eliminate unnecessary data entry and paperwork. Capturing signatures and timestamps will also be possible. This could also help engineers, maintenance personnel and even inspectors by giving them electronic work orders. Moreover, this combination allows for the automatic tracking and management of timesheets and inventories.
Is CMMS Necessary?
The main consideration in deciding whether to have CMMS is if maintenance information should be kept in a computer or a database. To some people, this will depend on how big the organization is as well as its assets. For others, it should be based on the quality and number of available staff.
Whatever the basis is for the utilization or application of CMMS, it can certainly help improve the organizations operations. However, it is important to choose only an easy to use and well designed CMMS solution in order to make sure daily activities will be improved. Such activities will include more efficient assigning of work, automated inventory tracking, shifting of focus on processes that matter, indexing and sorting through records of maintenance, strategic planning and cleaning of buildings and equipment.
At any rate, any organization, regardless of its scale, needs to have and maintain a database for all the different types of work performed. The use of CMMS only makes this process better, more accurate and more efficient.
