7 Reasons Why Healthcare Facilities are Switching to CMMS Systems
Maintenance plays a major role in keeping healthcare facilities running smoothly. It’s a challenging task. These organizations juggle the needs of patients and providers, while complying with related legislation and regulations. Typical maintenance needs can range from facility HVAC systems and generators to equipment to electrical and plumbing repair to cleaning supplies. Additionally, the type of assets found in healthcare facilities is vast. From clinics to hospitals to laboratories to residential care, these organizations use specialized assets and facilities that require ongoing maintenance services—including life-saving equipment, offices, residential units, and outdoor space. As a result, organizations need the right tools to manage maintenance for all these assets, whether it’s repairing a critical piece of equipment or replacing a light bulb. CMMS software for healthcare excels at tracking the details of your increasingly complex healthcare operations. Healthcare facilities often identify at least one of these seven reasons for implementing a CMMS. Reason #1: Compliance Healthcare facilities must maintain compliance with numerous regulatory agencies. CMMS software can help by providing a reliable central repository for your maintenance and safety data. It collates all the vital information and generates accurate reports for audits. Healthcare CMMS software is designed specifically for maintenance, thereby enabling you to safely store all the required PM schedules, equipment records, and asset data. That information provides the basis for any reporting needed for regulatory audits or inspections. Yet since CMMS solutions don’t track patient information, they aren’t held to the same level of security as other software used by healthcare facilities, such as CRM or ERP programs. Reason #2: Preventive Maintenance When a maintenance team establishes and regularly performs PM tasks that contribute to the upkeep of assets, an organization may be able to sidestep serious problems that arise as a result of neglect, as well as delay more expensive maintenance. For example, medical equipment requires periodic inspections to ensure that it’s working correctly. Healthcare CMMS programs ensure equipment is properly calibrated and lubricated, and maintenance tasks are performed in a timely manner. Automating preventive maintenance with CMMS software helps maintenance teams schedule PM tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Maintenance intervals can be scheduled based on time, operating hours, or part condition—triggering a work order just before the point when system inefficiencies or failures begin to occur. Over time CMMS creates historical data for the asset, which maintenance managers can use to determine if repairs were successful or if they need to adjust the PM schedule based on performance. Reason #3: Condition-Based Maintenance Condition-based maintenance (CBM) keeps tabs on the actual state of your critical assets by recording the output of any meters and gauges on that asset. When an asset’s condition changes outside of specified ranges, a trigger lets you know immediately so you can react to prevent breakdowns before they happen. CBM may apply to the maintenance of high-risk medical equipment. That includes all life support equipment and any other device for which there is a risk of serious injury or death to a patient or staff member should it fail. Maintenance activities and frequencies should follow manufacturers’ instructions and recommendations for maintaining, inspecting, and testing all medical equipment. Reason #4: Fewer Breakdowns CMMS software can help you reduce emergency maintenance issues and unexpected downtime. This, in turn, cuts overtime costs for emergency repairs. For example, inspections need to occur at specific time intervals to help maintenance teams spot issues before they occur. Common time triggers include items like fire alarms, elevators, and seasonal facility equipment (i.e., HVAC units). You also can use CMMS to trigger maintenance tasks using a specific meter. You can choose meters like mileage, usage time, production volume, pressure, flow rate, etc. Over time these repairs create historical data for the asset. Then, maintenance managers can determine if repairs were successful or if they should adjust the PM schedule based on performance. For example, if an asset breaks roughly every 1,000 hours of usage time, set your trigger for 900 hours. Reason #5: Documentation Healthcare facility maintenance requires documentation, which CMMS can automate. Once it’s set up, your maintenance team is ready to go. Your maintenance technicians have custom checklists, resources like repair and preventative maintenance manuals, asset history, and safety procedures right there with the work order. Inconsistent record-keeping procedures are a common cause of regulatory agency citations and fines. CMMS data provides both the big picture and the little details, so your maintenance tasks are both visible and verifiable. Much of that documentation is also automated with each completed work order. And best of all, you can access the information in minutes, instead of spending hours or even days sorting through a paper filing system. Reason #6: Safety Safety in the workplace affects everyone. CMMS helps healthcare organizations improve safety policies with updated safety procedures, documented safety training, employee reminders, standardized checklists for scheduled inspections, paper trails showing preventive measures, and detailed emergency procedures in case of a natural disaster or other incidents. A proactive safety initiative supported by consistent documentation particularly serves its purpose during an emergency. Such an event can trigger related tasks such as conducting inspections; implementing safety measures; managing resources, supplies, and personnel; gathering data for insurance purposes, etc. Reason #7: Key Performance Indicators CMMS software uses the data gathered in every work order to create meaningful KPIs that tell you about the effectiveness of your maintenance strategies. While every organization is different, maintenance KPIs that most MPulse customers find helpful to monitor include… Planned Maintenance Percentage: the percentage of the total hours spent on PM maintenance activities over a specific period. Preventative Maintenance Compliance (PMC): the percentage of scheduled PM tasks that get done in a specific time interval. Mean Time to Repair (MTTR): the average time to evaluate and repair failed equipment. Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): the predicted time between failures of an asset during normal operation. Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): the percentage of time that an asset is truly productive. Maintenance Backlog: the percentage of uncompleted tasks. Annual
What Are the Most Important Maintenance Metrics and KPIs in Manufacturing?
Manufacturing facilities use many key performance indicators (KPIs) and other metrics to measure everything from cycle times to throughput to deliveries. For the maintenance team, manufacturing KPIs evaluate your team’s success in the areas you (or your bosses) care about, giving you a new level of insight on what’s going on in your department. How to Measure KPIs in a Company For the maintenance team, CMMS software uses the data gathered in every work order to create meaningful KPIs that tell you about the effectiveness of your maintenance strategies. First, you’ll want to pick KPIs that measure specific goals. Note that KPIs for your maintenance team may differ from the production team. Common maintenance goals in manufacturing facilities include… Reducing downtime Expanding planned maintenance programs Preventing equipment failures Decreasing costs Finding bottlenecks Tracking time or inventory Fine-tuning schedules Improving efficiency and productivity. Next, you’ll want to optimize your CMMS software to make sure you’re gathering the right data to evaluate performance in these specific areas. This data typically includes… Equipment records: asset information, including type, make and model, purchase date, associated inventory, location, etc. Maintenance records: tasks performed on an asset, including planned maintenance, unplanned repairs, work orders, inventory and supplies used, time required, etc. Inventory records: parts and supplies required to perform maintenance tasks, including part information, vendor details, stock levels, reorder points, etc. This data provides the basis of the KPIs and metrics you’ll track over time, helping you make informed decisions about your operations. Manufacturing KPI Examples Six maintenance KPIs that most MPulse customers find handy include… Planned Maintenance Percentage: the percentage of the total hours spent on PM maintenance activities over a specific period Preventative Maintenance Compliance (PMC): the percentage of scheduled PM tasks that get done in a specific time interval Mean Time to Repair (MTTR): the average time to evaluate and repair failed equipment Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF): the predicted time between failures of an asset during normal operation Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE): the percentage of manufacturing time that is truly productive Maintenance Backlog: the percentage of uncompleted tasks Additionally, manufacturing facilities may track other metrics or KPIs that apply specifically to this field… Total Cycle Time: the total time interval between start and finish of all operations, which shows how efficient a machine is Throughput: the rate of the number of units produced over time, either on a specific machine or line Capacity Utilization: a machine producing goods at an ideal cycle time is running at 100% capacity, so a lower percentage indicates available capacity Yield: a measure of quality and performance to identify processes that require substantive re-work, which will affect throughput and influence total cycle times Total Scrap / Total Product Run: percentage of discarded or rejected material from the manufacturing process, measured in either units or volume Availability: the measure of machine uptime and downtime, with the goal of identifying the causes of downtime to determine ways to reduce it These manufacturing KPIs are common, but you can track many more in MPulse Maintenance Software. Over time, MPulse helps you pinpoint trends and determine what areas need more attention. You also can create benchmarks to measure current performance against historic performance or goals. Have questions about setting up KPIs in CMMS software? Contact us. We can help.
10 Signs It’s Time to Upgrade Your Maintenance Software
If you haven’t researched CMMS software lately, you might be surprised at how much things have changed. Maintenance software consistently gets more powerful—and more flexible—while also often becoming more affordable. So, how do you know when it’s time to upgrade your CMMS software? Look for one of these ten signs. Sign #1: Your Organization Has Grown When your organization grows, maintenance feels the impact. Suddenly you’ve got more equipment to maintain, additional production to support, new staff members to manage, extra inventory to store, and different safety procedures to perform. Software scalability means your CMMS can accommodate changes in size or volume as needs change. Whether it’s a larger staff, better internal efficiency, or better integration, you want software that can fit your needs today—and tomorrow. Sign #2: You Need More or Better Data CMMS software can help reduce operational costs by using detailed tracking tools for financial and business metrics. Some even offer cost center budgeting tools. If your current software is weak in this important area, that alone could justify an upgrade. CMMS software allows you to collect and report on data across your entire asset inventory, providing numerous measures to help you make better decisions and answer business-critical questions. That includes data on… Labor costs Parts costs Energy costs Purchase price and date Life expectancy Warranty information Replacement costs Other custom data Additionally, many contemporary CMMS solutions like MPulse allow you to connect to meters and gauges directly, eliminating the need for meter readings and manual data entry. Sign #3: You Need User-Friendly Software Time is money, so if it takes more than a few shifts for someone to learn the ropes on your current software, you’ll save big bucks with a modern, user-friendly CMMS. It’s all about the user interface (UI). With the right UI, all your users can get the job done faster. Look for these features: A simple, intuitive layout that maps data quickly. A “set it and forget it” scheduling feature. Comprehensive compatibility with other data stores. At the very least: Excel, .csv, .txt, SQL Server, and XML Web Services. Sign #4: Your Team Uses Mobile Devices Mobile technology is a natural fit for maintainers. With smartphones and tablets, you can capture information on the spot—instead of jotting it down on paper to be input later. The explosive growth of mobile technology is being matched by growing bandwidth and better access to it. You can now connect to the Internet, and virtually any business application, from almost anywhere, via Wi-Fi or cellular connection. CMMS allows you to access critical information easily without calling back to the office or getting “plugged in.” Imagine your staff being able to do these activities from anywhere: Open, access, and complete work orders Send or upload photographs of failed components View available parts inventory Access historical data on assets Get up-to-the minute alerts and reports Update inventory using barcode scanning and online ordering systems Access maintenance and repair manuals Record locations automatically with a GPS-enabled device. Sign #5: You Need to Keep Data Secure CMMS data is an organizational asset, and it needs to be protected like any other asset. You don’t hand the keys to your office over to just anyone—and you don’t want unauthorized access to your CMMS software either. Modern CMMS software can help you achieve that goal. For example, MPulse’s single sign-on (SSO) option extends an organization’s internal Microsoft Active Directory to the MPulse cloud environment. This feature supports multiple identity providers (including Microsoft ADFS and Okta) as well as user self-provisioning and custom claims for populating user data. MPulse supports SAML SSO, enabling its cloud-based CMMS software to integrate with security directories that determine who gets access to what computers, networks, applications, and services. No other third parties are required. Modern CMMS applications also incorporate easy-to-manage security controls to ensure the right people—and only the right people—have access to the right information. Features like MPulse Role-Based Access Control were designed for this purpose—enabling you to reduce errors in data entry, prevent unauthorized users from viewing or editing data, gain tighter control over data access, and eliminate the “data clutter” of unnecessary information. Sign #6: Your Customers Are Asking for New Features The service request management features in most modern CMMS applications allow requesters to monitor the progress of maintenance requests as you update and complete repairs. Empower them, and their trust and confidence in your team will grow. The approval system automatically filters maintenance requests based on your predetermined criteria. Then the software quickly routes them to the appropriate people for review and approval. It’s easy to configure and provides the powerful features you need: Directs maintenance requests to the approvers you designate Lets approvers take action, append notes, and make comments on requests Provides email notification of approval status Gives easy access to approval status and comments Includes multiple custom filters, fields, and options Saves a permanent record of request approval details. Sign #7: Your Preventive Maintenance Schedules are Complicated Preventive maintenance (PM) scheduling keeps your assets working and prevents expensive downtime. If your current system makes scheduling difficult, you’re missing PMs—count on it. A modern system will make scheduling easier and help you avoid costly failures. Setting up a PM tracking routine helps prevent the need for more costly repairs. Benefits include: Automated PM tasks schedules that make it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guideline Reduced emergency maintenance issues and unexpected production stoppages Lower overtime costs for emergency repairs and production losses Decrease in more serious problems and more expensive maintenance that arise as a result of neglect Established schedules that ensure equipment is properly calibrated and lubricated Elimination of lost information between shifts, reducing confusion and errors Automated schedules for both employees and contract workers Improved equipment and asset reliability Streamlined compliance reporting Sign #8: You Need to Integrate with Other Business Software While CMMS software holds clear advantages for the maintenance team, other departments can benefit as well. And, expanding software across departments is probably easier than you
How CMMS Software Can Help You Make Data-Driven Decisions
CMMS data can be one of the most valuable tools in your maintenance department. Making decisions based on hard data makes maintenance more effective because it can serve as the foundation of every decision your organization makes about its assets. CMMS software gathers data with every completed work order or preventive maintenance task. You can glean a lot of insights into your operations from that data. That information really comes into play when it’s time to make important decisions about the condition of your assets, like whether you should repair, replace it, or extend its lifecycle. You’ll be able to purchase, operate, maintain, upgrade, or dispose of assets in the most cost-effective manner. Maintenance Software for Data-Driven Decision Making Data-driven decision at its core means making informed choices based on data. CMMS software allows you to collect and report on data across your entire asset inventory, providing numerous measures to help you make better decisions and answer business-critical questions. That includes data on… Labor costs Parts costs Parts stocking recommendations Inventory lead times Energy costs Purchase price and date Life expectancy Warranty information Replacement costs Other custom data Additionally, many contemporary CMMS solutions like MPulse allow you to connect to meters and gauges directly, eliminating the need for meter readings and manual data entry ensuring its accuracy and timely capture. Data-Driven Decisions vs. Intuition, Observation, or Guesswork You’ve likely made decisions based on intuition, experience, or guesswork. We’ve all done it. While sometimes your intuition is correct, making decisions based on data is defendable, makes it easier to show others (like your boss), and why it’s the right decision. Downtime Let’s say you have a compressor that seems to break down every 6 weeks. Your tech suggests that replacing it makes more sense than constantly repairing it. They might be right. But it’s hard to know unless you can look at the data. Your CMMS software reveals that your team has fixed that compressor every 6 weeks for the past 12 months. Parts cost $500 each time, plus another hour of your tech’s time that averages about $80/hour. So the direct cost of one repair to that compressor is about $580. However, each time it needs to be fixed, your operations team experiences about an hour of downtime. Let’s conservatively estimate that downtime costs your organization about $532,000 per hour. The cost of a new compressor is $70,000. Now, that decision is easy to make—and justify—because the numbers work out. While the direct repair costs aren’t bad, the downtime is significant. It’s time to replace that compressor, and you have the data to back up your decision. Total Cost of Ownership CMMS data changes the way you make decisions because you have all the information at your fingertips to determine the total cost of ownership. In another example, you have a generator that’s about 10 years old. This asset has been working hard for you, with only minimal preventive maintenance and two breakdowns during that entire time. It’s still working, but it looks old and outdated. In this case, you’ll look at the generator’s initial cost, maintenance costs over 5 years, and the remaining value after 5 years of depreciation. Maintenance costs should include repairs, preventive maintenance, parts and supplies, and electricity usage. Initial cost + Maintenance cost – Remaining value = Total Cost Of Ownership You use your CMMS data to calculate the cost of ownership, it works out to less than $4,000/year. A new generator is $50,000. Even though that old generator doesn’t look pretty, and a new one may be more efficient, the numbers support not replacing it—yet. Use CMMS Data to Determine Whether to Repair or Replace Assets When it’s time to decide whether to repair or replace an asset, use CMMS data to make your decision based on hard numbers. By running a few simple reports, you know which assets cost the least amount of money to maintain and repair. Additionally, you can calculate when the increased efficiencies of newer models will pay off in the long run. These decisions affect more than the replacement budget. Analyzing the life cycle of assets also helps reduce downtime and prevent unexpected repairs. When you have the hard data about the age of the equipment and the miles, hours, life-to-date repair dollars, and other metrics—it is easier to decide when it’s time to replace an asset instead of repair it. What does CMMS data tell me? Even simple data from work order records can provide powerful insights. At a glance, you’ll know exactly how much money each work order type is costing your business in maintenance for a specified timeframe. You can quickly answer questions like… What type of maintenance do I spend the most on? How does the cost of preventive maintenance compare to repair costs? If I run this report for a different time period, like last year, are there significant changes by category? Beyond general questions, you can ask precise questions that’ll lead to a more informed decision-making process… Why are my machining maintenance costs so high? What new equipment needs to be purchased, if any? How much will the new equipment cost compared to the current maintenance expense? Will I save money over time by purchasing new equipment? How much? Moving Beyond Assumptions A CMMS gives you accurate, complete data, and this data can be applied directly to purchasing or other important organizational decisions. Don’t rely on intuiting the right answers for your critical business decisions. Begin to ask yourself whether it’s possible to support your decisions with numbers. Then identify opportunities where these numbers can inform your decision-making process. To learn more about data-driven maintenance and some of the powerful, affordable tools that make it easy, contact us.
State of The Industry: CMMS Review & Trends
The start of a new year always brings a fresh perspective. With that in mind, we wanted to share the CMMS trends that could impact your maintenance operations in 2023. The last few years have shed light on who the essential workers really are, as well as the vital role of maintenance. Companies continue to rethink employee safety in the wake of COVID-19, with a careful eye on other challenges like an aging workforce and limited labor resources. As we look towards 2023, we can apply these lessons and make our organizations better prepared for the future. Proactive Maintenance As global supply chain issues continue, a proactive maintenance strategy lessens the possibility of equipment or asset failure. That may include preventive maintenance software that will generate a schedule of PM tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Or a condition-based maintenance (CBM) approach to keep tabs on the actual state of your critical assets by recording the output of any meters and gauges on that asset. Or data collected by the Internet of Things (IoT) devices and analyzed by CMMS software to help managers cut costs and find the best way to manage workloads and prevent emergency breakdowns. Whichever proactive strategy you choose, properly maintained assets perform more efficiently, use less energy, and fail less often—extending their usable life. When a maintenance team establishes and regularly performs tasks that contribute to the upkeep of assets, an organization may be able to sidestep serious problems that arise as a result of neglect, as well as delay more expensive maintenance. Compliance Regulatory compliance continues to evolve and tighten for many industries after COVID and supply chain disruptions. CMMS software provides the right tools to document important compliance information, as well as features to make reporting on that data quick and easy when inspections or audits occur. Organizations use CMMS to link all the elements of repair and maintenance work in one place. The data recorded for assets, employees, inventory, schedules, and work orders provides the basis for your compliance documentation. This information improves response times and completion rates with better access to historical data and other important details, like documenting preventive maintenance tasks on key assets. Asset Performance Management As the name suggests, the main purpose of asset performance management (APM) is to improve the performance of assets. As a result, they can continue to work in their intended function. It’s taking maintenance to the next level, where it’s easier to spot problems before they occur or identify ways to make your operations more productive. APM maximizes the predictability and profitability of equipment or facilities with CMMS software and real-time data, analytics, reporting, and life cycle analysis to optimize asset performance and reliability. Additionally, you can use APM to minimize unplanned repair work, manage risk, reduce equipment failure, and extend asset life without unnecessary costs. CMMS enables organizations to access real-time information about their assets. With this information, companies can determine the efficiency of their equipment and whether or not it should be repaired or replaced. It provides valuable data to help them decide how to run their operations effectively and efficiently. Mobile Maintenance happens in the field, so techs benefit from an adaptive interface that makes it easy to access work orders and make updates wherever they are, without stopping by the office or finding a computer. Mobile CMMS makes it possible to access vital maintenance data anywhere, via Wi-Fi or cellular connection. Improved security features mean you can safely control access to your data, even when you aren’t in the office. Using an adaptive interface and smart devices, maintenance techs can report problems as they find them and capture data when they are working on the job. Best of all, your team members don’t need to come back to the office to get the next work order—they can see their assignments wherever they are. Inventory Management The biggest benefit of parts and supplies management is controlling your cost of maintenance. You can get your fastest return on investment (ROI) by implementing inventory management. That’s because for most organizations, a lot of capital sits in the stockroom. Better management of parts and supplies helps your organization save time and money by improving tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. That’s more important during challenging times, like the current state of the supply chain. With its inventory control and parts management features, CMMS software helps you prevent time- and money-wasting problems like running out of parts, searching for lost parts or duplicating inventory you didn’t know you had. Control your stock based on need and availability, so the right parts are on the shelf, yet you can minimize other parts that are used less frequently. For example, if a critical part has a three-week lead time, you can adjust stocking levels to make sure it is available when your staff needs it. Most importantly, when an emergency arises, this information provides critical data for making cost-efficient decisions. Data Integration Technological advances continue to make more and more detailed, relevant data available. And with that increased capability comes increased opportunity to improve organizational performance at all levels, and in all departments—including the maintenance team. The maintenance department is in the unique position of interacting with most, if not all, other departments. So, tight integration between CMMS and other business-critical applications and data stores will do more than reduce hassle. You’ll also experience fewer errors due to manual data entry, reduced data input redundancy, faster response times to maintenance problems, near real-time monitoring of critical data, and the ability to grow with your company’s changing technologies Expanding software across departments enables your entire organization to benefit from the ability to collaborate. As a result, everyone can benefit from easy access to data to make decisions. Large businesses have been using data-driven management for decades, but now it’s easy for smaller organizations to jump on the data train with software integration tools. Organizations in all industries are currently faced with a multitude of
CMMS & Compliance: Merging Software & Practice
Using CMMS doesn’t automatically make you compliant with regulatory guidelines. Your maintenance software provides vital tools to help your organization maintain compliance, but you need to set it up correctly to follow the standards outlined by regulatory agencies. To support all compliance-related documentation, align your CMMS software with your team’s workflows to streamline the documentation process. Your goal should be to automate the completion of compliance tasks as much as possible and record each and every one. Track Asset History With every work order in CMMS software, you’ll build a traceable history for your assets. When it comes to compliance, that documentation serves as the foundation for proving to regulatory agencies that your organization is doing what it needs to for compliance. Ensure you are gathering all key data that an auditor would want, including the task, status, due date, completion date, and asset condition. This data serves as the foundation for reports that outline exactly what your team has done and when. Manage Parts & Inventory Inventory management tools in CMMS software can help quickly identify what you need for which piece of equipment. When an emergency arises, this information provides critical data for making cost-efficient decisions. It also helps your organization save time and money by improving tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. Using CMMS to manage and control inventory and parts not only helps streamline operations, but also will prove to regulatory auditors that you’ve taken steps to enable the timely completion of work orders and related worker safety. You’ll have the documentation you need to answer any questions during an audit or inspection. Automate Preventive Maintenance Tasks When a maintenance team establishes and regularly performs preventive maintenance tasks that contribute to the upkeep of assets, an organization may be able to sidestep serious problems that arise as a result of neglect, as well as delay more expensive maintenance. CMMS software will generate a schedule of PM tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. These schedules and inspections help spot issues before they occur. As each PM task is completed, you’re documenting your efforts to ensure your assets are properly calibrated and lubricated when they need to be. Create Inspection Checklists You can use CMMS to build inspections and checklists into your workflows. That includes tracking employee health and safety information, documenting efforts to keep equipment safe and reliable, and ensuring all safety inspections and tests are done correctly and on schedule. CMMS encourages safety when you integrate all compliance codes and maintenance manuals to on-site equipment records. As a result, you can use maintenance software to resolve potential risks before outside auditors do. However, these safety measures aren’t just about protecting your organization in an audit or inspection. It’s in everyone’s best interest to be proactive about your employees’ health and safety. Customize CMMS Dashboard A configurable dashboard reduces the need to search for frequently used features or data by placing them all in a single location. End-users with the appropriate permission are able to create their personal dashboards. These “command center consoles” will allow you to customize the content that you can view. That means you can put your most important data related to compliance front and center, where you don’t have to dig for it. CMMS software makes regulatory compliance so much easier for maintenance operations. The savings in time and effort alone pay off quickly, not to mention the reduced stress associated with inspections or audits. Contact us to learn more about how MPulse can help.
3 Things You Don’t Need in CMMS Software
When you’re researching CMMS software, you typically focus on what you and your organization need. But it’s also helpful to understand what you don’t need. Here are three things most maintenance departments don’t need in CMMS. #1: You Don’t Need Features Your Team Won’t Use When you research CMMS software, consider how the features will impact your users. If the software has specific features that are difficult to learn and navigate, the software won’t be adopted quickly by your users. Study after study shows that software that’s easier to use is used more often—and more effectively. But, You Do Need Scalability Instead, ask if advanced features like condition-based maintenance, cost center budgeting and advanced inventory tracking can be added later as your organization matures. You may not use these functions initially—and shouldn’t have to pay for them right out of the gate—but make sure there’s a reasonable upgrade path. #2: You (Probably) Don’t Need Predictive Maintenance Predictive maintenance requires a combination of gauges, meters, or other measurement techniques like infrared thermography, vibration analysis, or lubrication analysis. But if you’re not a Fortune 500 company, the payoff of such precise monitoring doesn’t pencil out when you consider how much infrastructure you need for predictive maintenance. But, You Do Need Preventive Maintenance A lot of customers say “predictive maintenance,” when they really mean preventive or condition-based maintenance. Preventive maintenance software is usually the right choice for small and medium-sized companies. It will generate a schedule of PM tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. #3: You Don’t Want to Spend Too Much on Licenses Not so long ago, most organizations sold “per-seat” licenses. Each person—or seat—needed one license. Five people needed five licenses… ten people needed ten licenses… and so on. And you needed to add even more licenses for casual users who only needed access on a sporadic basis. But, Concurrent Licensing Can Save You Money Concurrent user licensing is a newer approach where you buy licenses based on the number of users accessing the software at the same time. Say seven of your techs work the night shift, while ten are on the day shift. You’d only need ten licenses because the night shift won’t be using the system at the same time. If someone leaves and you hire someone new, you don’t need to buy new licenses because the number of users accessing the software at the same time hasn’t changed. Have questions? Contact us. We’re here to help.
Get More Out of Your CMMS Software
When your organization’s equipment hasn’t been maintained properly, you’re going to experience more breakdowns. That translates into lost dollars and intense pressure on the maintenance team to get production running again. Prevent these issues and get more out of your CMMS software. Scheduled preventive maintenance reduces the possibility of equipment or asset failure. CMMS will generate a schedule of PM tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. These schedules and inspections help spot issues before they occur. Maintenance intervals can be scheduled based on time, operating hours, or part condition—triggering a work order just before the point when system inefficiencies or failures begin to occur. But that’s just the beginning. Here’s how you can take your preventive maintenance to the next level. Calendar Management in Preventive Maintenance Software Calendars are a huge part of the maintenance operations management field—from safety inspections to planned maintenance tasks to staff schedules. The ability to visualize what needs to happen and when helps maintenance teams stay on the same page, no matter how busy they get. Customized and filtered schedules make sure your whole maintenance team knows what needs to be done, and by when. These CMMS calendars can show work order due dates, preventive maintenance, warranty expiration, employees or vendors, task type, completion dates, and much more. MPulse Calendar Management In MPulse, calendars can be customized and filtered, and they work seamlessly with our maintenance work order creation tool. View calendars by month, week, or day. Plus, there’s no limit to the number or type of calendar views. You’ll be able to see what needs to happen when, quickly and easily. MPulse Calendar Management features include… Customization and filters for work order due dates, scheduled maintenance, warranty expiration, employees or vendors, task type, completion dates, and much more Drag-and-drop capability to reschedule in a flash Unlimited number or type of calendar views Automated scheduling for tasks or meetings Ability to quickly add tasks and other deadlines on the fly Capacity to add inspections, deadlines, tasks, meetings, travel information, and much more Media Management in Preventive Maintenance Software Media management in CMMS stores all digital assets related to equipment, facilities, or work orders—including videos, photos, PDFs, manuals, vendor websites, intranet sites, documents, and more. As a result, all maintenance team members have access to these materials directly from records in the software. Media management in CMMS offers the following benefits… Quick access to digital information resources right from your software Information stored with record, so it’s easy to find it the next time Commonly used resources available to all team members Reduced time looking for important documents or information Accessible storage of important training materials MPulse Media Management MPulse’s Media Management feature also lets you link media assets to your Dashboards, so it’s right there waiting for you every time you sign in. It also enables you to… Store or link to a wide variety of digital assets, including videos, photos, PDFs, manuals, vendor websites, intranet sites, documents, and more Link to media from asset records or work orders Provide quick access to media materials for team members Easily update or add media assets as necessary Condition-Based Maintenance in Preventive Maintenance Software Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) keeps tabs on the actual state of your critical assets by recording the output of any meters and gauges on that asset. Sensors attached to equipment will use methods like vibration, viscosity, ultrasound, thermography, and other technologies to determine any changes to the condition of that asset. In combination with CMMS software, maintenance teams can use that data to identify patterns that could lead to machine failure. When your maintenance team uses a condition-based maintenance system, tasks occur when the specified parameters reach a level that indicates a lower performance level. Once a parameter reaches an unacceptable level, maintenance workers are dispatched. As a result, your maintenance tasks are performed at the moment they are needed. MPulse CBM When an asset’s condition changes outside of specified ranges, MPulse lets you know immediately with CBM assessments, so you can react to prevent breakdowns before they happen. The benefits include…. Improved asset reliability and equipment uptime Reduced costs associated with asset failures and production downtime Fewer disruptions to normal operations Noninvasive measuring technology More streamlined parts and inventory management Optimized maintenance intervals Improved safety Reduced maintenance and labor overtime costs Fewer chances for collateral damage to other systems Data Integration These days, every company relies on an assortment of systems to capture, store, and report on activities and transactions across the enterprise. Until recently, getting all your applications to share data required teams of highly skilled consultants in data integration solutions and services and weeks or months of work—sometimes with questionable results. Integrated data services help you instantly share data across your enterprise. A tight data integration system between preventive maintenance software and your other business-critical applications and data stores offer benefits like the ability to… Minimize errors due to manual data entry Reduce data input redundancy Respond faster to maintenance problems Provide near real-time monitoring of critical data Adapt to your company’s changing technologies Share maintenance expense data with your accounting software Send readings from meters, gauges, and PLCs to your CMMS Exchange ERP data with your maintenance software Collect data from Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices MPulse DataLink Integration Adapter MPulse DataLink Integration Adapter includes four powerful features… Import data to MPulse from files, databases, or other applications Export data from MPulse to other applications, files, or databases Schedule imports and exports based on times or file changes Save unlimited “mapping profiles” to your data sources and targets Mobile Preventive Maintenance Software Maintenance doesn’t happen in the office. Mobile preventive maintenance software is a natural fit for maintainers. Combining mobile devices with preventive maintenance makes for a powerful tool to get the job done. Mobile preventive maintenance software allows you to access critical information easily without calling back to the office or getting “plugged in.” Improved security features also mean you can safely control access
7 Ways CMMS Can Save You Money
CMMS software is an investment for your organization, and like any investment, you want to see a return on your money. You know CMMS software can help streamline your company’s maintenance operations, but how much can you really save? Successful CMMS implementations typically return 3 to 5 times the initial investment in less than three years. The average gross savings on maintenance expenditures range from 10% to 40%. Those numbers are impressive, but where do they come from? In most cases, these categories constitute the bulk of the savings. Decrease Labor Costs Labor is a big part of any organization’s budget. Personnel management starts with appropriate staffing levels. CMMS software helps you accurately estimate labor hours for preventive maintenance (PM) tasks, making sure your staffing levels match the workload, and decreasing overtime costs. This type of labor cost analysis can determine when it’s more efficient to add more staff members instead of paying your current employees more overtime. Computerized maintenance management software also helps you get the highest-priority work done while making sure lower-priority work doesn’t slip through the cracks. Work order management features in CMMS software can automate schedules for both employees and contract workers. This information also eliminates lost information between shifts, reducing confusion and errors. Employee performance tracking helps you determine which employees are most efficient at which tasks, enabling managers to balance the workload. By tracking repair times, you can create benchmarks for your organization as well. Streamline Inventory Management The number one reason for delayed repairs is unavailable parts. CMMS software’s ability to manage your parts inventory prevents under-stocking and overstocking and streamlines reordering. It can also help automate cyclical inventory counts. CMMS software can determine your current inventory levels and automatically generate purchase orders based on need, reducing purchasing overhead. You also can track parts to stock based on availability. For example, if a part has a three-week lead time, you can adjust stocking levels to make sure it is available when your staff needs it. Reduce Equipment Downtime When your organization’s equipment hasn’t been maintained properly, you’re going to experience more breakdowns. That translates into lost dollars and intense pressure on the maintenance team to get production running again. When you use computerized maintenance management software to schedule and track PMs, you’ll reduce emergency maintenance issues and unexpected production stoppages. This, in turn, cuts overtime costs for emergency repairs and reduces production losses. You can also schedule maintenance for off hours by tracking equipment use time. Optimize Equipment Life Cycle CMMS software generates a schedule of preventive maintenance tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Properly maintained assets perform more efficiently, use less energy, and fail less often—extending their usable life. CMMS data also helps organizations make effective replace-or-repair decisions. Maintenance software can track not only the age of the equipment, but the miles, hours, life-to-date repair dollars, and many other metrics—helping you decide when it becomes cheaper to replace an asset instead of repairing it. Prevent Manufacturing Scrap and Rework In manufacturing industries, CMMS software helps reduce scrap and rework by keeping equipment operating efficiently, reducing emergency production breakdowns, and avoiding catastrophic material losses. Maintenance and inspection schedules generated from CMMS reports help spot issues before they occur. Regular servicing also ensures equipment is properly calibrated and lubricated. Strengthen Workplace Safety CMMS software documents work procedures to establish accountability. That includes tracking employee health and safety information, recording completed tasks to keep equipment safe and reliable, and ensuring all safety inspections and tests are done properly and on schedule. CMMS encourages safety by integrating all compliance codes and maintenance manuals to on-site equipment records. By using CMMS software to track health and safety data, you can also identify and resolve potential risks before outside auditors do. Easier Compliance Compliance in the maintenance department requires documentation, specifically for creating procedures and recording maintenance activities. Your CMMS data provides both the big picture and the little details, so your maintenance tasks are both visible and verifiable. The data recorded for assets, employees, inventory, schedules, and work orders provides the basis for your compliance documentation. And best of all, you can access the information in minutes, instead of spending hours or even days sorting through a paper filing system. With solid data and easy-to-read reports, your organization can support compliance requirements based on hard evidence, which will improve your ability to respond to inspections and audits. You’ll also be able to identify issues long before your organization receives a visit. Like most successful investments, CMMS benefits compound over time. As your data becomes more comprehensive, your organization becomes more efficient and the return on investment climbs. Computerized maintenance management software helps you capture key data and turn it into reliable information to help make cost-effective choices about asset management.
CMMS & Compliance: Getting Started
Compliance in the maintenance department requires documentation, specifically for creating procedures and recording maintenance activities. Luckily, CMMS software excels at compliance documentation. Your CMMS data provides both the big picture and the little details, so your maintenance tasks are both visible and verifiable. How to Support Compliance in Your CMMS How can you prepare for inspections and audits from regulatory agencies? Start with proactive compliance procedures supported by consistent documentation. CMMS software provides the right tools to document important compliance information, as well as features to make reporting on that data quick and easy when inspections or audits occur. #1: Work Orders You can use CMMS to link all the elements of repair and maintenance work in one place. Work orders are the backbone of your operations, and CMMS makes scheduling, tracking, and documenting maintenance tasks easy. You’re essentially recording work history with every work order. This information improves response times and completion rates with better access to historical data and other important details, like documenting preventive maintenance tasks on key assets. The data recorded for assets, employees, inventory, schedules, and work orders provides the basis for your compliance documentation. #2: Preventive Maintenance Preventive maintenance (PM) is routine, scheduled maintenance performed to lessen the possibility of equipment or asset failure. CMMS will generate a schedule of PM tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. These schedules and inspections help spot issues before they occur. Maintenance intervals can be scheduled based on time, operating hours, or part condition—triggering a work order just before the point when system inefficiencies or failures begin to occur. The use of preventive maintenance software also ensures equipment is properly calibrated and lubricated when it needs to be, and it’s documented for compliance too. Properly maintained assets also perform more efficiently, use less energy, and fail less often—extending their usable life. #3: Safety Inspections and Checklists CMMS software also documents work procedures to establish accountability. You can use CMMS to build inspections and checklists into your workflows. That includes tracking employee health and safety information, documenting efforts to keep equipment safe and reliable, and ensuring all safety inspections and tests are done properly and on schedule. CMMS encourages safety by integrating all compliance codes and maintenance manuals to on-site equipment records. You can use CMMS software to track health and safety data and resolve potential risks before outside auditors do. However, these safety measures aren’t just about protecting your organization in an audit or inspection. It’s in everyone’s best interest to be proactive about your employees’ health and safety. #4: Monitoring and Alerts One of the most powerful CMMS features is the ability to monitor assets and set up alerts that improve response times. That starts with a configurable dashboard that reduces the need to search for frequently used data by placing it in a single location. You can put your most important data front and center, where you don’t have to dig for it. CMMS helps you see the most important information at a glance, so you understand where you need to take action. More advanced features like MPulse Asset Status Board provides a single-screen view of the health of your entire production line, facilities footprint, or fleet of vehicles. You’ll quickly see the status of your entire asset inventory, on one screen. Square boxes (“cells”) can be color-coded according to criteria you’ve defined. You can choose whatever colors you’d like to indicate current status—healthy, underperforming, or critical failure. #5: Reporting To make sense of all that great CMMS data, reports help you see how your department is functioning and where you might make changes to improve. And best of all, you can access the information in minutes, instead of spending hours or even days sorting through a paper filing system. Having hard numbers also allows you to measure and use a whole host of key performance indicators, and decide when it’s time to repair or replace malfunctioning equipment. You can quickly produce status reports and documents giving details or summaries of your team’s maintenance work. With solid data and easy-to-read reports, your organization can support compliance requirements based on hard evidence, which will improve your ability to respond to inspections and audits. You’ll also be able to identify issues long before your organization receives a visit. Documenting compliance information in a CMMS can save you money and reduce the time it takes to record crucial data. As a result, you know you can respond to inspections and audits with the information required. Contact us today to learn more about how MPulse Software can assist with compliance.