Trends in CMMS
Top computerized maintenance management system suppliers update their systems to meet the growing needs of clients.
1. Leading CMMS do more
Today’s maintenance systems have a broad range of sophisticated functionality, and the more powerful systems provide:
- Automatic scheduling of work
- The ability to schedule maintenance by asset type
- Stock control enhanced over long time periods
- Equipment monitoring with alarm generating capability
- Flexible asset register creation with the ability to trace components
- Program management functionality
- Shutdown planning functionality
- Instant viewing of key documents, photographs and AV training aids
- Real-time distribution of information by email, SMS and Internet
2. CMMS comes of age, enhancing ERP and EAM An indicator that maintenance management is acknowledged to be a key driver in business profitability is the rise of maintenance management functionality in a wide range of productivity and efficiency tools. Maintenance management funtionality is included in EAM (enterprise asset management), ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) and CMMS systems. EAM and ERP systems provide enterprise wide data and are complimentary to CMMS. To gain the benefits of efficient maintenance and receive company wide information management, businesses need to link a flexible computerized maintenance system with their ERP or EAM system.
3. PDA based systems enable mobile maintenance
Today Maintenance Engineers are on the move more than ever. Over the last 5 years the meteoric increased availability of wireless communications has enabled CMMS suppliers to enable remote electronic access to the CMMS. PDA based maintenance systems allow more flexibility and movement. Mobile technology. The following points are where CMMS benefits are most obvious:
- Asset monitoring
- Work orders
- Stock lists and scheduling
- Text/email alerts for critical breakdowns minimise downtime
4. Easy access for all management
As a vital tool in the battle for increased productivity, a CMMS should be used widely across the organization by appropriate staff. We live in a diverse world where IT literacy amongst the workforce is not homogeneous.
Easy to use dashboards are essential to ensure that all employees adopt similar working methods and to minimise the need for training. Text editors and calendars enable manual addition of data. Functionality on up-to-date systems allows job completions and adjustments to be changed all at once.
Ease of seizing and disseminating information is a significant part of a CMMS. With an aging workforce, documenting and sharing procedures for the next generation of maintenance engineers is critical. The effective CMMS packages enable staff to locate and attach several files to both work orders and tasks and associate multiple standard texts with a project. Some systems allow for multiple users to share the same PC, with user configurable desk-tops and reports.
5. Enhanced visibility
Being able to see instantaneously the status of the key assets, the progress of your maintenance team and the current hot issues is a new advantage for Maintenance Managers. Clear, simple interfaces help demonstrate the value of the maintenance department and can also enhance the wider factory culture, with everyone working from a very visible report that helps to encourage teamwork. The economic climate has forced companies to review the performance of its maintenance operation. Maintenance employees have the ability to increase productivity through reducing downtime, enhancing asset management and keeping an eye on expenditure.
With the capability to predict the future of your assets that these trends produce, Computerized Maintenance Management Systems will remain an essential tool for increasing the efficiency of maintenance teams of all sizes, helping them to turn from reactive to proactive asset management.