How can small business get the most out of the CMMS system?

For any small business, the biggest challenge is to manage the expenses of the company and make wise investment decisions that can reap great benefits for the future.

While managing cost is important, it is also critical for small companies to ensure that the performance of their equipment is also optimized. In this regard, a CMMS software can be a perfect tool that can not only save the maintenance cost of a company but also help in maximizing the productivity of their assets.

Let’s look at some of the benefits of the CMMS software for small businesses:

1. Reduces Data-entry time
2. Helps technicians work remotely with the help of CMMS mobile application
3. It can run on cloud-based systems, thus reducing the cost of expensive servers
4. Reduces Equipment Downtime by scheduling maintenance activity periodically
5. Generate reports to reduce labor cost.

However just implementing a CMMS might not ensure success, as a facility manager, you need to follow few basic guidelines that can help you make the most of the CMMS system.

• Enter all DATA – Data is the oxygen of the CMMS tool. Therefore make sure that all the relevant management data is properly fed into the system. Also update this data periodically. On the basis of the entered data, the CMMS will schedule and process the management activities and generate relevant reports.
• Software Demo before installation – Just don’t ask the vendors to install the software. The CMMS software comes with a host of functionalities, so to ensure that the tool has all the functions that your business needs, ask for a detailed demo of the software on your systems.
• Ask for Training – Small companies might have a very small IT team that looks into all the technical queries. Therefore it is important to involve all the departments and arrange a proper training or education session on how to use the technology and how the implementation of the software can improve the overall productivity. Once the teams are trained, they will be able to use the software and every department will therefore be connected on a single platform.
• Timely Executing the CMMS schedules – The software can plan your maintenance activities and generate the report of your assets, but it cannot execute these activities. To certify the success of the software, the execution team needs to follow the plans and schedules generated by the CMMS to ensure that the tasks are performed properly, adhering to the CMMS schedules.
• Audits at regular intervals – CMMS is an important asset which can be a very beneficial tool for your business. However to ensure that the software is being used to its full potential, companies need to conduct periodic audits. With these audits, they can clearly understand how the software has contributed to their business and also identify the gaps where it could be further implemented. 

Conclusion

Preventive maintenance is the future, and it is important for all businesses to adapt this computerized maintenance management system to grow their business. The software can improve your processes and if used to its full potential, it can bring down your maintenance cost considerably.

So those companies who have already adapted this technology, need to follow the above mentioned points and make the best of their CMMS system.