Is Your CMMS Software Up to Date?
Outdated CMMS software can cause technical glitches that you don’t have time for. That’s why making sure your CMMS software is up to date is worth the effort. Software is continuously updated with new features and fixes, which can make your team more productive and efficient. Ignore updates for too long, and you can run into problems. Why Keep Your CMMS Software Up to Date Keeping your CMMS software up to date can help things run more smoothly. Here’s how… Whether it’s a larger staff, better internal efficiency, or better integration, your CMMS software should allow for growth in the areas you need it most. Software updates ensure you’re ready to make changes when you need to. Most CMMS software can help reduce operational costs by using detailed tracking tools for financial and business metrics. Some even offer cost center budgeting tools. Make sure you have the latest and greatest version. Time is money, so you’ll save with updated, user-friendly CMMS that makes it easier to learn and work with the software. And, you might find your employees in a better mood. Modern CMMS software provides rich mobile functionality on most devices. This means better accessibility for your team, which can save time and money. Security controls change constantly. Keep your CMMS updated to ensure the right people—and only the right people—have access to the right information. Updates can include enhanced features that improve communication with your service requesters, such as automated emails as your team completes repairs. Preventative maintenance (PM) scheduling keeps your assets working and prevents expensive downtime. Software updates will make scheduling easier and help you avoid costly failures. Make it Easy with Automated Updates The easiest way to keep your CMMS updated is making it automatic. A subscription to the MPulse Maintenance and Support Program (MSP) gives you the latest tools, free training, and software updates to keep your MPulse Software optimized, and your organization on track to reach its CMMS goals. The MPulse MSP is an annual subscription service that provides continued support, training, and updates. As a program subscriber, you’ll have exclusive access to… Timely, automated software updates New software versions as they’re released Free assistance with software installation Maintenance professionals need the right tool for the job. And in today’s maintenance environment, the right tool is CMMS maintenance software. Contact us to learn more.
Be Smart About CMMS Data Migration
Data migration may sound simple, but it’s often one of the biggest hang-ups when upgrading or installing new CMMS software. Your maintenance data is your most important asset, so now is the time to get it right. Migration Checklist Use this checklist to make your data migration a success. ▢ Understand What Your Organization Needs: You’re not the only one who needs information from your maintenance data. As a result, you’ll need to understand your organization’s needs. Communicate with key stakeholders, from IT to Finance to Compliance departments. ▢ Export Current Data: Older software was not designed to get data out easily. However, more current programs can export data in various file types, typically a CSV file. Often you can do this task yourself or enlist the help of a power user or an internal IT specialist. But if that’s not the case, hire some help. ▢ Decide What to Keep: If you’ve decided to migrate to new software, it’s usually because key needs aren’t being met by your current system. Now is the time to make decisions about what you really need to keep. Or, another alternative is to simply start fresh. Your legacy data and old work orders can remain where they are for historical reference, and you simply add assets, parts, and preventive maintenance schedules to the new system. ▢ Map Out the Fields: Data fields aren’t necessarily the same from one system to another. So you need to map field names, sizes, and types from one system to the other. We recommend using your vendor’s services to help with this process. They know their software best. Use them. ▢ Clean Up Your Old Data: Don’t underestimate the time it takes for data clean up. You may do this step before mapping fields, but sometimes customers need to see what the data looks like in the new system before they find issues. Look closely to find outdated information, incorrectly formatted data, or missing data. Clean data pays off in accurate reporting later. ▢ Import and Test: Once your data is complete and clean, your CMMS software vendor will import it into your software. Next, run some tests to make sure the right data is in the right place before “go live” day. Verify if all field names are correct; the correct data is in the correct fields; assets lists are complete; parts and inventory lists are complete; scheduled tasks have transferred correctly; and key historical data is available. Here again, your vendor can help. MPulse Can Help with Data Migration Be smart about your CMMS data migration. MPulse can help. Make the most of our experience and knowledgeable staff. We’re not just a software vendor. We’re your partner in CMMS success. Have questions? Call us. We’re here for you. [related-content]
How To Build A Culture of Collaboration
The maintenance department is in the unique position of interacting with most, if not all, other departments. As a result, it pays to develop a culture of collaboration. It makes your team’s job easier, which also makes your job easier. What’s a Culture of Collaboration? Building a culture of collaboration means your employees communicate and work together across functional and departmental lines. It’s not just management speak, however. High-performing organizations often find a collaborative company culture plays a huge role in everything from employee retention to productivity. Creating a culture of collaboration also enables your organization to benefit from your team’s knowledge. Maintenance techs are often a great resource to identify ways to do things better or make things safer. That’s because their hands-on experience with your assets gives them insight into what’s working well—and what’s not. What Can I Do to Encourage Collaboration? Contrary to popular belief, improving collaboration doesn’t have to take a lot of time. You can develop better working relationships by just spending a few minutes each day making sure people feel heard and valued. Here are six ways to encourage collaboration… Invest in technology that makes collaboration easy. Use your CMMS software to improve communication. For instance, automated updates and notifications make sure everyone is on the same page. Prioritize teamwork. Your workplace culture starts at the top, so managers should lead by example with sincere efforts. Asking for employee feedback and ideas should be your first step. Build relationships between team members. Employees who have strong working relationships with coworkers are more likely to take on new challenges. For example, team building and off-site meetings are two great places to start. Make time for face-to-face communication when possible. Talk to people in person when possible, and encourage your team to do the same. Sometimes contextual messages get lost in digital communication. Schedule casual check-ins. Take the time to casually chat with all team members to get informal feedback and information. Celebrate achievements. Often the maintenance department doesn’t get a lot of credit for their contributions. As a result, make sure everyone knows how your team impacts the whole organization. Maintenance teams aren’t short of ideas on ways to improve things, particularly as it often directly affects their workload. Above all, make the most of their knowledge. What are you doing to create a culture of collaboration? Leave a comment or contact us, because we all can learn from each other. [related-content]
Is Your Hosting Secure? Seven Questions to Ask
Is your hosting secure? Maintenance operations deal with sensitive information, and you want to make sure it’s safe. But, you don’t have to be a software security expert. Here’s what you should know. Cloud vs. On-Premise Cloud-based CMMS software (sometimes called web-based CMMS software) is hosted by the vendor and accessible via any device with an Internet connection. On-premise software (sometimes called client-server software) requires you to host the software on your own server and use your own network and hardware. It’s also called locally hosted software. While your IT team typically takes on the responsibility of security for on-premise software, it’s still handy to know some of the key security issues that can arise. Questions to Ask Where is our data stored? It’s important to know where your data is stored, whether it’s on-premise or cloud-based. This is vital information should things go wrong. It’s also important should there be a physical problem—such as a fire or emergency that affects the server. How do you prevent hacking or unauthorized access? Most maintenance operations deal with sensitive information. Your hosting company or IT department should be able to offer simple explanations on how they prevent hacking or unauthorized access. How often do you back up the data? Data backups can range from instantaneous to set schedules (hours, days, and even weeks). Ask how often your data gets backed up. No one wants to reenter days or weeks’ worth of data if things go wrong. What are the steps involved if we need a data restore? Bad things happen, and sometimes you need your data restored. Find out how that works beforehand, so you know what to do. What’s the uptime? Hosting uptime refers to the amount of time the server is up and running. Most cloud-based hosting companies have systems in place that offer a high uptime, sometimes even 100%, so your data is always accessible. How flexible are your services? Things change, so ask how you’d add new users or more storage space when the time comes. It’s also good to understand what you need to do if you want to upgrade your hosting or if you need advanced features later on. Who do I call with questions or problems? Maintenance professionals know it’s vital to have the right contact information when things go wrong. Ask about customer service and support. These seven questions will help you make sure your CMMS software is up and available when you need it. Because, let’s be honest, you’ve got enough on your plate. Contact us to learn more about secure hosting options. [related-content]
How an Account Manager Can Help Your Team
Maintenance managers know expert advice can save a lot of time and money, two things in short supply. That’s why MPulse created the Dedicated Account Manager service. It helps us continue to meet your long-term needs. What’s a Dedicated Account Manager? A Dedicated Account Manager is your personal MPulse consultant. Their detailed knowledge about your organization combined with their MPulse expertise ensures your ongoing success. Antonio’s team saw the benefits of the program right away. His medium-sized building maintenance team needed to make the most of their time and their budget. Their MPulse Dedicated Account Manager helped with both. “They understand our business,” he said. “As a result, they know exactly how to help when things change around here. That includes simple things like revising work order fields and data, as well as complicated things like new requests for functionality.” Participating customers like Antonio have reoccurring, scheduled phone meetings with their MPulse Account Manager. Antonio shares any challenges in his shop, while also learning about new ways MPulse can support his team. “For instance, the recent MPulse upgrade included a new feature that we needed,” Antonio said. “They helped us configure this tool, so it was live in a very short period of time. It would have taken a lot longer if we had tried to do it ourselves. It also would have taken my team away from their work. With budgets the way they are, I need them to focus on maintenance tasks—not software.” What Does the Service Include? MPulse Dedicated Account Manager services include… Custom contact and case creation Dedicated support email Direct number (during business hours) A Service Level Agreement (SLA) for managed response times 4-hour response upon submission of open ticket 24-hour resolution or plan for resolution upon ticket submission Regular status meetings to monitor ongoing priorities Resolution of post‐implementation issues such as problems, changes, enhancements, and questions Consulting and help with specifications for new functionality requests Communication between your team and MPulse engineers when requests, issues, or questions arise Notification of software enhancements or repair [related-content] “Our MPulse Dedicated Account Manager has made a huge difference for our operations,” Antonio said. “Our shop is running better than ever. Having a resource like that is worth far more than money.” Contact us today to find out how we can help you achieve maintenance success!
What Kind of CMMS Training Should You Choose?
Training is the secret to CMMS success. But, which training is right for you? Above all, it depends on your organization’s goals, schedule, and budget. As a result, MPulse offers three types of CMMS training courses: on-site, instructor-led, and recorded. On-site With on-site training, an experienced trainer visits your location. It’s designed to cover specifics to get your users up and running. As a result, on-site training minimizes disruptions and helps you achieve a faster return on investment. For example, MPulse’s Assured Implementation Program (AIP) gets you through planning, data migration, installation, training, and “go-live” day. Pros Individual attention to meet your unique needs Stakeholders receive hands-on instruction Simulates real scenarios using your own data Ensures your key players are up and running Minimal disruptions Cons Not suitable for every budget Key users need to be available on training days Instructor-Led Instructor-led training includes live, interactive online sessions designed to help users get quickly up to speed. It also provides basic instruction on skills necessary to successfully navigate, configure, and use your software. For example, MPulse’s Fundamentals online training includes a course orientation and six recorded training sessions. It also incorporates a live recap where you and your team can ask questions. Pros Live, virtual classroom environment Focused instruction away from day-to-day operational demands Highly interactive Real-world scenario discussions Small class size No travel costs Great value Cons Key users need to be available on training days Recorded Recording training uses a one-to-many setup that allows you to train teams small and large, regardless of location. It’s also the most flexible and affordable option. Pros Easier to accommodate large groups and different scheduling needs. Limited time commitment Very affordable No travel Cons Need to contact software support to ask specific questions Like MPulse’s software packages, we also bundle our training and implementation options. As a result, we can serve a wide range of experience levels, asset inventories, and operational models. [related-content] Whether you’ve got an experienced team spread across numerous locations or a small maintenance operation with a few employees, MPulse has a program for you. As a result, you can get the training you need at a price that meets your budget. Contact us for more information. We’re here for you.
Mastering the Planned Maintenance Percentage Formula
The planned maintenance percentage (PMP) is a key indicator that compares the number of planned maintenance tasks (i.e., scheduled maintenance) to all maintenance tasks. Any maintenance task that is scheduled or planned before asset failure is considered planned maintenance. PMP is expressed as the percentage of planned maintenance hours out of the total maintenance hours during a specific period. [Planned Maintenance Hours / Total Maintenance Hours] x 100 = PMP Together, CMMS software and PMP will give you the picture you need to accurately assess how your department is functioning. How Does Knowing My Planned Maintenance Percentage Help? Maintenance managers use PMP to measure progress towards becoming a proactive organization rather than a reactive one. You can benefit from knowing your PMP by using it to… Identify ways to reduce reactive maintenance Track the success of preventive or predictive maintenance strategies The goal is to keep assets running and unplanned maintenance to a minimum by finding areas where changes can be made to reduce inefficiencies and equipment failure. That can lead to other benefits for the entire organization, such as… Reducing asset downtime Improving productivity Maintaining compliance with organizational policies and industry regulations Optimizing personnel costs Controlling the cost of maintenance What’s the Right PMP for My Organization? Your PMP will look different than another organization’s PMP. It also will vary by industry. First, use your CMMS software to gather data on planned versus unplanned maintenance tasks. You can see where you are now. Then, after you make changes, compare your new PMP to your old one. For example, MPulse customer Tony’s department averages about 1200 hours of billable maintenance activity per month. Last month, Tony’s team spent about 700 hours on planned maintenance, giving a PMP of just over 58%. His long-term goal is 70-75% planned maintenance, which is a best practice for his industry. “But where it’s really helpful is when we compare last month to the same month a year ago,” he explained. “Our PMP for this same time period was closer to 30% last year. So, we know the changes we’ve made are starting to pay off.” Data-Driven Decision Management PMP is one step towards data-driven management, which simply means making management decisions backed by reliable data. With good data to work from, your organization can make good decisions, which will improve its ability to compete effectively and efficiently. Instead of constantly putting out fires, modern maintenance operations can use CMMS data and PMP to forecast, manage, and monitor maintenance activities. Learn more about PMP and how it can help you. Contact us. We’re just a phone call away.
Streamline Your Work Order Management System
Work order management is the heart of your maintenance operations. As a result, streamlining the work order workflow is one of the best ways to improve your team’s productivity and efficiency. Here’s some advice from MPulse customers on easy ways to evaluate—and improve—your work order management system. Service Requesting and Work Order Management All work orders start with service requests. CMMS makes service requesting easier, saving you time. You can receive requests from internal staff or external customers, enter requests manually, or automate work orders via your preventive maintenance program. Streamlining this process pays off in efficiency. For example, use your CMMS software to approve, assign, schedule, and manage maintenance requests for your staff members or vendors. You can also automate the approval and assignment of work order requests. Best of all, save time (and hassle) with automated confirmations, which you can customize and send to requesters, managers, and technicians. Customization of Work Orders The data you gather on work orders should match what your organization wants to know. For example, if your organization uses special codes or tracks internal data, you need the appropriate tabs and fields in your CMMS database to collect that information. Customizing work orders in CMMS makes it easy for the people who create and complete them, as well as the people who need data from those work orders. Best of all, you can track the data you need. And, just as importantly, then you can run your own custom reports on the information you and your managers need to know. Parts & Inventory Inventory management 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. Moreover, 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 and helps your organization save time and money by improving tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. Resources and Historical Data You can access valuable information resources from your CMMS software. Your team can add links to maintenance manuals, internal documents, vendor websites, videos, photos and much more. All the information is stored with the record, so it’s easily accessible the next time around. Reporting Reporting provides details about how your department is functioning and where you might make changes to improve. With solid data and easy-to-read reports, your organization can make good decisions based on hard evidence. Work order management is the heart of MPulse Software’s CMMS solutions. We help you get the highest priority work done, while making sure lower priority work doesn’t slip through the cracks. Find out how. Contact us.
Maintenance in a COVID-19 World
COVID-19 has put maintenance in the spotlight. Suddenly, our job is at the top of everyone’s mind. Organizations are newly focused on everything from cleanliness and safety to supplies and documentation. That means tools like CMMS software are more important than ever before. Our customers are using MPulse to tackle these new challenges in a COVID-19 world. Here’s how. Documentation Maintenance departments strive to meet the growing demands of government and industry standards and regulatory bodies—OSHA, FDA guidelines, ISO certification, etc. Every industry has its mountain of rules to climb. With COVID-19, those mountains are growing. These days you absolutely must have a CMMS solution to track the details of your increasingly complex maintenance operation. Now it’s vital to document completed tasks and inspections to prevent legal action, as well as support changing requirements for insurance companies. Preventing just one lawsuit more than makes up for the price of CMMS software. Accessibility More than one business had its paper records become inaccessible during the pandemic as facilities closed. That’s why MPulse customers turned to their CMMS software to Back up all data to a secure, off-site location Set up secure methods to access data off-site as necessary Maintain a list of equipment and assets Record information about manufacturers, warranties, and insurance policies Keep track of contact information for employees, vendors, emergency response personnel, etc. Support employees on shift during an event Access to this information is vital when you’re suddenly faced with a pressing need to assess what’s needed to reopen buildings and structures. Additionally, identifying which work orders are related to reopening in your CMMS software will help you quickly create the documentation you need when time is of the essence. Inventory & Supplies COVID-19 disrupted supply chains on a huge number of products. Suddenly, everyday cleaning items are difficult to obtain, and shipping is delayed. CMMS software prevents these problems by… Quickly identifying what you need for which piece of equipment, providing critical data when an emergency arises Showing where parts or materials are stored, making it quicker and easier for staff members to find them and preventing duplicate ordering because someone didn’t look in the right place Enabling techs to reserve certain parts, ensuring the parts are available Tracking issue quantities to prevent situations where there’s one part on hand when the job takes two Controlling stock based on need and availability to avoid both under-stocking and over-stocking Tracking slow-moving parts that might be surplus and returned to the vendor Streamlining reordering by determining current inventory levels and automatically generating purchase orders based on need Setting reorder points that calculate your average daily usage rate by the part’s lead time in days Tracking shipments, vendor performance, and warranty information. Automating cyclical inventory counts and monitoring your inventory turn levels Tracking inventory loss or shrinkage. Using barcodes to make it easy to scan parts in or out Maintenance teams are busier than ever in a COVID-19 world. Contact us to find out how MPulse CMMS software can help you during a pandemic—and every day.
What is Reliability Centered Maintenance?
Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM): Defining Maintenance for Optimal Asset Performance Reliability Centered Maintenance (RCM) defines maintenance as the means to maintain an asset’s functions in a defined operating context. In other words, RCM outlines the safe minimum levels of maintenance. Therefore, you can focus company resources on equipment that would cause the most disruption if it failed. An integral part of this process is implementing routine maintenance, which helps ensure assets are consistently operating within their defined parameters. Evaluation Criteria for Reliability Centered Maintenance RCM uses the technical standard SAE JA1011, Evaluation Criteria for RCM Processes. To implement RCM effectively, you need to answer these seven questions in order: What is the item supposed to do and its associated performance standards? In what ways can it fail to provide the required functions? What are the events that cause each failure? What happens when each failure occurs? In what way does each failure matter? What systematic task can be performed proactively to prevent, or to diminish to a satisfactory degree, the consequences of the failure? What must be done if a suitable preventive task cannot be found? Consequently, start with the stakeholders who understand their physical assets and how they work. The first questions above identify the operating context of the machinery. These stakeholders then write a Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analysis (FMECA). (Click here for examples of FMECA.) Routine maintenance becomes critical at this stage, as it includes performing systematic tasks identified in the FMECA to address potential failure modes before they occur. This ensures the continued reliability and performance of your assets while minimizing downtime. Developing a Routine Maintenance Program The second part of RCM determines the appropriate maintenance tasks for the identified failure modes in the FMECA. From here, you create a routine maintenance program composed of cost-effective tasks that preserve important functions. These tasks should be scheduled regularly to ensure assets operate efficiently and failures are mitigated. Lastly, your RCM program should be reviewed constantly and adjusted to improve cost-effectiveness, decrease asset downtime, and provide insight into organizational risk. Routine maintenance plays a central role in this review process, offering a foundation for proactive and predictive adjustments. RCM and CMMS Software CMMS software is a vital component of the RCM process, particularly in managing routine maintenance tasks. As CMMS gathers data with every work order, it becomes easier to see what’s working, and what needs more attention. Reporting can help you quickly produce status reports and documents giving details or summaries of your team’s maintenance work, like: Who’s doing what and how long it takes them to do it How much that asset really costs, and when it’s more cost effective to replace it Which parts are overstocked or understocked, and which parts need longer lead times What’s the inventory turn rate How much the department is spending and on what Which assets are pulling their weight, and which ones aren’t How much a breakdown really costs What routine maintenance tasks can prevent breakdowns before they happen In other words, we call that data-driven decision-making. This type of maintenance management helps organizations compete in increasingly complicated and competitive markets. By emphasizing routine maintenance throughout the RCM process, you create a proactive framework for asset management that maximizes performance and reliability. Contact us to see how to get started.