Knowing Your Stakeholder: Finance Department
Maintenance professionals usually have the Finance department on speed dial. These two departments work together on everything from purchase orders to capital investments. Similarly, a good relationship with Finance is helpful when it’s time to purchase CMMS software. Finance is the department responsible for the budget, typically headed by a Controller or CFO. As a result, their goal is to ensure the financial integrity of your organization. Including Finance early in your process can prevent show-stopping holdups down the line. What Finance Needs from You We recommend connecting with your Finance department early on in the process. You also want to make sure you have a thorough understanding of what they’ll need from you. That can include… Management approval Budget details Vendor information Internal financial codes or accounts Purchase order information Other paperwork as requested However, there’s another area where Finance can help. They can provide details that will help you justify the CMMS software in the first place. How Finance Can Help You Your finance department has a lot of experience and data that can help maintenance managers. Additionally, they’re very familiar with return on investment (ROI). That will also come up in your conversations with senior management. ROI measures the gain or loss generated on an investment relative to the amount of money invested. ROI is expressed as a percentage to compare the efficiency of the investment. The formula is: ROI = (Net Profit / Cost of Investment) x 100 Now, let’s see how Finance would calculate the ROI of a CMMS software purchase. Based on research by Gartner, 98% of organizations say a single hour of downtime costs over $100,000. Let’s very conservatively estimate that your organization experiences 20 hours/year of preventable downtime due to unexpected asset breakdowns. If you invest $35,000 in CMMS software, implementation services, and training, and you reduce that downtime by just 5%—one single hour—then, you’ve already paid for your CMMS software. Even better, when you calculate the ROI: ($100,000 / 35,000) x 100 = 285.7% That looks pretty impressive to your decision makers, particularly when you point out the savings compounds year after year after year. Calculating ROI While the numbers will vary, you can see how saving that kind of money is going to look good. Therefore, you should get your finance department’s help with financial data on… Labor costs Parts and inventory management Equipment downtime and emergency repairs Equipment life cycle and replacement forecasting Manufacturing scrap and rework Additionally, ROI is part of the bigger picture—data-driven management. That simply means making management decisions backed by reliable data. Technological advances continue to make more and more detailed, relevant data available to maintenance managers. And, with that increased capability comes increased opportunity to improve organizational performance. It’s also a great way to justify your expenditures on new technology and tools. As a result, data-driven management makes it easy for upper management to see the value and efficiency of your CMMS software project when they can see the data—and the dollars—right in front of their eyes. Have questions? Answers are just a phone call away. Contact us. Get a Free Demo!
Six Things Your Plant Maintenance Software Needs
The ability to reduce maintenance expenses, minimize downtime, extend equipment life, and boost productivity sounds like a dream come true for manufacturing organizations. Plant maintenance software helps manufacturers with reliable scheduling, tracking, and reporting tools for equipment and facilities maintenance. Together, these features can reduce risk and improve safety. But, how can plant maintenance software help your organization? You need six key components. Asset Management Asset management in plant maintenance software tracks your assets over their entire life cycle to maximize value. You can keep tabs on all asset types, including equipment, buildings, grounds, rooms, and vehicles. The software also helps you document each asset’s purchase date, purchase price, startup date, and warranty expiration date. Plus, you create a historical record with every work order by calculating the labor costs and linking the cost of the parts and inventory used for the job. Plant management software can help your team gather the right data, as well as enable your organization to get the most out of its investments. You’ll also know which assets most directly impact production capacity, and which ones would take a significant investment to replace. With asset management features, you can purchase, operate, maintain, upgrade, or dispose of assets in the most cost-effective manner. Work Order Management Work order features enable plant maintenance managers and technicians to create, update, and manage service requests. That helps improve response times and completion rates, as well as provides your team with better access to historical data and other important details. You also eliminate lost information between shifts, reducing confusion and errors. So, you get the highest priority work done, while making sure lower priority work doesn’t slip through the cracks. Your plant maintenance software should easily receive work orders from an unlimited number of requesters, allow manual addition of requests, or automate tasks via preventive maintenance schedules. Also, look for features that automate the approval and assignment of work order requests, as well as automated confirmations for requesters, managers, and technicians. Data Collection and Reporting Plant maintenance software should enable you to create, update, and report on maintenance data. Reporting functions can help you keep a close eye on the key indicators you choose. These reports give you the ability to accurately assess how your department is functioning and where you might make changes to improve. It can help reduce operational costs by using detailed tracking tools for financial and business metrics. Having hard numbers not only helps you run your plant, but it also allows you to measure and use a whole host of key performance indicators. You’ll have easy access to the numbers you need to make important decisions. Additionally, the software should quickly produce status reports and documents that give details or summaries of your team’s maintenance work. With solid data and easy-to-read reports, your organization can make good decisions based on hard evidence, which will improve its ability to compete effectively and efficiently. Parts & Supplies Inventory Management Parts and supplies inventory management helps your facility save time and money by improving tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. That 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. Look for software that includes stocking levels, reorder points, storage locations, and supplier information. You want the ability to track various units of measure for a single inventory item. For example, you might purchase oil by the barrel but use it by the quart. With parts and supplies inventory management features, you can control your cost of maintenance. You also get your fastest return on investment (ROI) for plant maintenance software by implementing inventory management because, for most organizations, a large portion of capital sits in the stockroom. Asset Status Board One feature that many plants find invaluable is an asset status board. With this feature you can see the status of your entire asset inventory on one screen. It’s an easy way to monitor the health of your assets and get rapid access to business-critical information. That enables your team to respond faster when assets need attention or repair. MPulse Asset Status Board will quickly show you the status of your entire asset inventory, on one screen. A cell can represent a single production asset or grouping of assets. The color of the cells changes as asset status changes. Click into any cell to view maintenance requests or current work orders for that cell. Work requests can be processed directly from the Asset Status Board. Preventive Management Preventive maintenance features 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. Schedule maintenance intervals based on time, operating hours, or part condition—triggering a work order just before the point when system inefficiencies or failures begin to occur. Preventive maintenance features also ensure equipment is properly calibrated and lubricated when it needs to be. When a maintenance team establishes and regularly performs PM tasks that contribute to the upkeep of assets, an organization can sidestep serious problems that arise as a result of neglect, as well as delay more expensive maintenance. 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. MPulse work order features can help you juggle an ever-increasing workload and a seemingly unending stream of plant maintenance information data. Contact us to learn more.
Knowing Your Stakeholder: Senior Managers
Senior managers, like your boss and their bosses, are some of the first stakeholders to consider when it’s time for new CMMS software. Their support can speed up the approval process. However, their refusal can bring it to a screeching halt. Remember, your expectations and management’s expectations may not align. They’ll be looking for different information and outcomes, so you’ll also need to take that into consideration early on in the process. Count on your company’s senior managers to care how CMMS will affect the organization’s numbers—especially the ones important to them. You need to show them how new software will impact performance in a positive direction. Help Them Hit Their Numbers Senior managers are responsible for coordinating resources (assets and personnel) toward the achievement of quantifiable goals. If your senior managers are doing their jobs well, they’ll primarily be concerned with “hitting their numbers.” Depending on their level or their title, those numbers could include any of the following: Units produced Savings generated Revenue generated Net gain in productivity Quality (measured in various ways) Cycle time Luckily for you, CMMS software offers benefits in all of these areas. What you need to do is show them how. Start by Asking But, how can you satisfy their specific demands—without having to earn an MBA—before you search for software? Simply ask. Sometimes just making the effort to find out what’s most important to them will be enough. Additionally, you’ll likely come away from the discussion with a much clearer idea of the reports they’ll want from a maintenance software solution. A few good questions to start with: What key business metrics do you watch most closely? What top three things would you want to achieve with a new CMMS? How would you like to improve company performance? Does the product need to include certain reports? Once you have an idea about what your senior managers need, consider how your new maintenance software can help them. Prep Your Pitch When it’s time for your pitch, be prepared to answer questions, like… How much will it cost? Provide some estimates and options from vendors that provide a ballpark figure. Don’t forget to also include training and support options. Your answer to this question will set up your ability to show the financial benefits. What are the benefits? Focus on the benefits to senior management. Outline how CMMS software can provide quantifiable advantages to solve organizational issues. Directly address their needs, per your earlier conversation with them. Who will be in charge? Explain who will take the lead on this project, and any other stakeholders required. Be up front about the input you’ll need from internal departments—from accounting to IT to legal. Have a plan in place to consult with each one. How long will it take? Start with a basic schedule. Outline the benefits of using implementation services, where CMMS experts guide your organization through the process. The time savings often pay off, resulting in a faster and more thorough implementation with fewer disruptions. Are there other options? There are always options, including simply not doing anything at all. Explain why those other options aren’t better or come with significant drawbacks. Relate the disadvantages of those other options back to the problems they need to solve. How will it affect other stakeholders? Identify all the stakeholders who might be impacted by this purchasing decision. Develop a plan for getting everyone on board. Show how you will appraise, document, and address each stakeholder’s needs. What problems will it solve? Point to real-life examples of how a CMMS solves specific problems, both in maintenance and in other business processes. They’ll see what’s really at stake when they can see how CMMS software can provide solutions. How will it affect other business processes? Look at possible benefits, disruptions, and use cases for business units outside maintenance. Also, consider if the CMMS can be easily connected to the other technology your organization uses, like accounting systems. When will it provide results? Outline a realistic timeline for your managers to see results. MPulse estimates that successful CMMS implementations typically return 3 to 5 times the initial investment in less than three years. What are the risks? You’ll always have risks with big projects. These risks include security, data integration, training, support, scalability, personnel turnover, productivity, and more. Show that you understand those risks and how to mitigate them. The key to software success is managing the change that new technology brings. Remember that senior managers are people, too. Consider how helping them achieve their goals will make them look good. As a result, you’ll offer motivation for them to nurture and support your CMMS implementation efforts. Have questions? Need help finding answers? One phone call or email to MPulse can get you started. Contact us. Get a Free Custom Quote
How Your Maintenance Team Can Get the Most Out of Your Part Inventory Management Software
Like many maintenance professionals, you’ve decided it’s time to start or expand your part inventory management system. However, you want to get the most out of your investment. So, what should you do to get started? Meet yourself where you’re at. Just Getting Started Maybe your organization doesn’t do any part inventory management for maintenance. Your techs simply order the parts they need when they need them. Maybe they also buy an extra one, which usually sits on the shelf, forgotten and unused. Hey, you aren’t alone. Lots of organizations have worked that way for decades. If this scenario sounds familiar, it’s time to start with the basics. For example, use parts inventory management software to create simple records of inventory items that let you track and report on consumption of those items. That’s it! You’ve just started an internal inventory control management system. Congratulations! Make It Even Easier As easy as that sounds, maintenance parts inventory software can make it even faster with barcodes and scanners. Scan the part. Scan the asset. That’s how long it takes to link inventory to a new or existing work order record. This system also lets you enter inventory items as they arrive and automatically track who is performing work. Even with these simple workflows, your organization will save time and eliminate errors by reducing tedious data entry. Additionally, your team will be able to identify needed parts faster. You’ll also save money by reducing inventory shrinkage and bloat. Take Inventory Management to the Next Level Maybe you already have a system of inventory control management in place. However, you can improve your return on investment by taking your inventory control management to the next level. Parts inventory management best practices outline advanced inventory control features to track stocking levels, reorder points, storage locations, and supplier information. You also can track various units of measure for a single inventory item. For example, you might purchase oil by the barrel, but use it by the quart. Now you are playing in the big leagues. Your inventory management software is helping 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. With advanced inventory control features, you’ve moved your organization from being reactive (ordering parts as needed) to proactive—where your inventory and parts data help you forecast, manage, and monitor inventory. Inventory Shopping Cart If you want to make inventory management a snap, the MPulse Inventory Shopping Cart allows you to check parts and supplies into and out of inventory using an online shopping cart. Quickly link items and their unit costs to work orders and assets using this intuitive shopping cart system, helping your team track and report on consumption of those items. MPulse Inventory Shopping Cart serves as your virtual stockroom manager by allowing your team to easily scan parts in and out of stockrooms with a mobile device or barcode scanner. Faster inventory check-in/out with the MPulse Inventory Shopping Cart can make your operation more efficient, saving money and time for both your employees and your organization. You’ll always have an accurate count of all the parts coming and going, and you can quickly link them to the associated work orders and assets. MPulse Inventory Shopping Cart can make your operation more efficient, saving money and time for both your employees and your organization. You’ll benefit from… Faster inventory check-in/out Accurate counts of all parts and inventory Ability to quickly link parts to the associated work orders and assets Documented records of inventory items Tracking and reporting capabilities Data-Driven Decision Making Whatever system you use, you now have easy access to the information you need to make important decisions. As a result, your organization can save time and money by improving tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. When an emergency arises, easy access to part inventory data gives you critical information for making cost-efficient decisions. Additionally, parts inventory management reports give you the high-level picture you need. You can accurately assess how your department is functioning and where you might make changes to improve. With solid data and easy-to-read reports, you can make good decisions based on hard evidence. As a result, you can manage your maintenance department effectively and efficiently. Sometimes maintenance professionals worry about the effort involved in implementing an inventory control management system. However, the gain far outweighs the pain. CMMS software is the best tool you have for gathering, analyzing, and reporting data about your maintenance operations. Let the power of parts maintenance inventory software do the hard work, and you’ll see the rewards. Contact us to learn more or get a free trial!
Do You Need Repair Part Inventory?
Long-time maintenance professionals know the challenges involved in parts and inventory management. Commonly, technicians simply ordered their own parts as needed. Maybe they even bought an extra one, which usually sat on the shelf, forgotten and unused. However, that system leaves a lot to be desired. Particularly when you need to improve uptime for both operations and facilities under challenging business conditions. Maintenance teams of all sizes are investing in systems for managing repair parts. The benefits of repair part inventory for maintenance tasks will pay off in multiple ways. Part Lead Times Lead times become problematic when a key part for a vital asset isn’t available when needed. Many organizations realized the importance of part inventory management for maintenance when they started experiencing recent supply chain issues. Suddenly, limited supplies made it hard to get basic necessities, not to mention vital parts. Repair part inventory with CMMS software helps maintenance departments control stock based on need and availability. As a result, you’ll find right parts on the shelf. However, you also 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 you need it. Inventory control tools also can enable coworkers to reserve certain parts. That ensures the right parts are available for a particular job. You can also track issue quantities for situations where you only have one part on hand when the job takes two. Capital Expenditures A lot of capital sits in your stockroom. Yet an efficient parts inventory management system is consistently one of the most overlooked parts of maintenance management. What many don’t realize, however, is you can get your fastest return on investment (ROI) by implementing inventory control management software. Maintenance parts and inventory software can help 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. You also can identify where parts or materials are stored, making it quicker and easier for staff members to find them and preventing duplicate orders because someone didn’t look in the right place. That also helps you track inventory loss or shrinkage, as well as identify slow-moving parts that might be surplus and need to be returned to the vendor. Documentation and Record Keeping Using parts inventory management best practices, you can identify where parts or materials are stored. That makes it quicker and easier for staff members to find them and prevents duplicate orders because someone didn’t look in the right place. You also can use barcodes to make it easy to scan parts in or out. Maintenance inventory software can track shipments, vendor performance and warranty information. That helps you control capital outlays on unused or underused parts and materials. Additionally, you can automate cyclical inventory counts, reducing the man hours needed and ensuring the parts or materials in the system are actually sitting on the shelf or in the parts bin. Cost Savings Your organization can save time and money by improving tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. Part inventory management for maintenance repairs can help quickly identify what you need for which piece of equipment. When an emergency arises, this information also provides critical data for making cost-efficient decisions. With maintenance inventory software, you’ll know stocking levels, reorder points, storage locations, and supplier information with just a click. You can also track various units of measure for a single inventory item. For example, you might purchase oil by the barrel, but use it by the quart. Part and inventory management for maintenance is a hot topic for maintenance management. CMMS is the best tool you have for gathering, analyzing, and reporting data about your maintenance parts for inventory management. Contact us to learn more. [related-content] Get a Free Custom Quote
Knowing Your Stakeholder: Procurement
Your procurement department holds the key to the paperwork that will make your maintenance software a reality. They want you to “follow the process” when purchasing CMMS software. While your stakeholders in the procurement process won’t use your maintenance software, they offer instrumental guidance in how to purchase it. You need to understand the processes and lead times required by procurement early in the stakeholder management process. Company standards dictate procurement and contract management for software, usually with processes set by the accounts payable section of your accounting department. The procurement process includes the preparation and processing of a demand as well as the end receipt and approval of payment. The rules also define spending limits. Let’s talk about the relationship between procurement and maintenance managers. How Do I Follow the Process? A common concern for procurement managers in the software buying process is whether or not you know the administrative steps to follow. Familiarizing yourself with how the purchasing process works will avoid delays and bureaucratic roadblocks. You want to take “red tape” and turn it into “processed paperwork.” Start by identifying the right person or persons to talk to. Ask direct questions like… What are the key things you need to understand? Which forms do you need to fill out? What “gotchas” do you need to avoid when filling out the forms? How does procurement issue a purchase order from your company to the software vendor? What’s the lead-time from purchasing decision to issued order? Take notes and make sure you understand the details of the process. And if they took the time to explain it to you, take the time to follow the steps. What Else Can I Do to Help with Procurement? It doesn’t hurt to get to know the people in this department early in your search for software. An established relationship and a proactive approach may save you weeks when it’s time to actually make the purchase. Get on procurement’s bad side, and you may wait a year before seeing your purchase order. It’s highly likely that your maintenance team already has a relationship with your procurement people. Maintenance and procurement go hand in hand, given the costs of maintaining equipment and purchasing parts and inventory. Sometimes procurement also runs the request for proposal (RFP) or request for bid (RFB) process, which is another area where your two departments might work closely together. Like all stakeholders in the CMMS buying process, a thorough understanding of your procurement department’s needs will make it easier to turn your maintenance software dreams into reality. Have questions? Need help understanding the stakeholders involved? Contact us. We’re here to help. Contact Us Today!
Signs Your Company Is Ready for Predictive Maintenance
We’ve discussed why you might not need a predictive maintenance program, and how to do it right if you do. But, how do you know if your company is ready for a predictive maintenance strategy? Start by looking for these signs your company is ready for predictive maintenance. Sign #1: An Effective Preventive Maintenance Program If your company already uses effective preventive maintenance, then you might be ready for a step up to a predictive maintenance solution. An effective preventive maintenance program is the first step in maintenance management. 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. Additionally, it can delay more expensive maintenance. Preventive maintenance software will generate an automatic schedule of PM tasks. As a result, it’s simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. These schedules and inspections also 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. An effective preventive maintenance program gives you the foundation you’ll need for predictive maintenance tools. Sign #2: Good Inventory and Parts Management Much like preventive maintenance, inventory management is another key element of advanced maintenance management. The biggest benefit of parts and supplies inventory management is controlling your cost of maintenance. You also can get your fastest return on investment (ROI) by implementing inventory management. That’s because for most organizations, a large portion of capital sits in the stockroom. Parts and supplies inventory management helps your organization save time and money by improving tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. With effective inventory control and parts management, 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. Most importantly, when an emergency arises, this information provides critical data for making cost-efficient decisions. Inventory management is a hot topic in maintenance management, and it can be tricky to implement. If your company is already streamlining its inventory management processes, you’ll be prepared for the next steps involved with a predictive maintenance program. Sign #3: Advanced CMMS Features If you’ve moved beyond the basics and started implementing advanced features in your CMMS software, you can likely upgrade to the features needed for predictive maintenance solutions. In addition to preventive maintenance and work order management features included in CMMS software, advanced features might include things like advanced reporting, purchase requisitions, cost center tracking, data integration, and condition-based maintenance. Predictive maintenance technology also requires some advanced software features. If your organization is already working with similar tools, you’ll be ready for the technology involved. Sign #4: Use of IoT Devices The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way maintenance professionals collect asset information and exchange data with other systems. If you’re using, or are planning to use, IoT devices, you’re likely moving towards a predictive maintenance strategy. Predictive maintenance software supports data collection from IoT devices by analyzing real-time readings so maintenance teams can react faster. The combination of the IoT and CMMS software helps maintenance technicians spot issues and prevent more serious breakdowns and repairs. Data from the IoT helps with… Improved scheduling and less unplanned overtime Accurate tracking of spare parts and inventory More accessible information on asset conditions Clearly defined benchmarks As things all around us are outfitted with sensors to communicate what’s happening within and around them, this valuable data has the potential to shape your maintenance team’s productivity and efficiency. Predictive maintenance software is the next step on this journey. Sign #5: Training Plan We’ve talked about the importance of training in maintenance. And, it’s true for predictive maintenance tools as well. Most predictive maintenance software use technology like infrared thermography, vibration analysis, or lubrication analysis. To be successful, a comprehensive predictive maintenance program must include monitoring and diagnostic techniques. You’ll need to evaluate the resources you’ll need, assign roles and responsibilities, and provide education and training. Investing in predictive maintenance tools without training your people to use it is penny-wise and pound-foolish. Some stakeholders may need more direction than others, so plan accordingly. If you need help, start by calling our industrial technology experts at (800) 944-1796 (USA and Canada) or +1 (541) 302-6677 (outside of USA and Canada). We’re happy to share our secrets to success. Planning your strategy for implementing predictive maintenance software can feel overwhelming, but MPulse is here to help. Contact us. We’ve worked with our customers, both large and small, to integrate predictive maintenance technology in their maintenance operations. We’ll get you where you need to be at a pace that works for you. Get a Free Custom Quote
How to Do Predictive Maintenance — The Right Way
Not all organizations are ready for predictive maintenance software. However, some companies are. If you’re one of them, then here’s how to do it the right way. Step 1: Get Your Stakeholders on the Same Page The first step requires digging deep on the meaning of predictive maintenance before you get started. It will prevent a lot of confusion down the road, because people will define it differently. Some people define predictive maintenance as the analysis of how long an asset will last using one or many types of measurement. A classic example is electrical transmission grids. Engineers analyze detailed information about equipment failure rates, so they can program software to predict when similar assets will fail in the future. Others describe predictive maintenance as gathering data on the actual condition of equipment to determine when maintenance is needed. You might also hear it called condition-based maintenance (CBM). CBM tools and CMMS software can analyze how the asset is working—maybe by measuring operating temperature or oil viscosity, etc. This data helps spot signs of potential problems, and then CMMS software sends alerts before breakdowns occur. CBM allows you to track meters and gauges on assets, and to trigger work orders at specific points. Because CBM monitors an asset’s real-time condition, there’s a predictive element to it (hence, the confusion). Step 2: Identify Your Goals Define your long-term goals for predictive maintenance solutions. Decide where they can translate into significant operational improvements for your organization. Some examples include… Less downtime Fewer repairs and lower repair costs Longer asset life A more comprehensive view of asset health for better maintenance planning The opportunity to use staff more effectively and efficiently by focusing them on the assets that really need attention Pick one or two long-term goals, and then write down your questions about how predictive maintenance tools can help you get there. Also, determine the obstacles you’re facing. These questions can be general or specific, and they’ll serve as the basis for the next step. Step 3: Create a Pilot Program Select 1-5 assets to form a pilot predictive maintenance program. These assets should be key elements of your operations—ones that will have an impact on uptime, operations, and production. These assets should have conditions that can be monitored for performance, and any changes should be observable in the data to prevent failure. Build predictive maintenance strategy around these assets first, investing in the right hardware and software to monitor the elements that you want to watch. Determine what sensors you’ll need to determine any changes to the condition of that asset, such as… Oil viscosity Vibration Radiography Motor circuit analysis Thermography Ultrasound Laser interferometry Electrical condition monitoring Electromagnetic measurement Work closely with your CMMS vendor to integrate the data with your software to evaluate current conditions of critical assets and when failure may occur. Repeat these processes to improve your predictive maintenance program as you collect more data. Step 3: Train Your Team Training your team is so important, we’re including it as a separate step. Investing in predictive maintenance tools without training your people to use it is penny-wise and pound-foolish. Different users will need to learn different things about the process. Management will need more information about data and reporting functions, whereas technicians need to focus on how predictive maintenance solutions can help with repairs. Some stakeholders may need more direction than others, so plan accordingly. Training directly impacts your success—and your bottom line. It’s the real secret to predictive maintenance success. Step 4: Start Asset Monitoring Things are getting exciting now. Your sensors are working and sending data to the cloud. Your predictive maintenance software is analyzing this data and creating reports and insights. Now you should be able to… Monitor multiple meters (e.g., revolutions, psi, hours) on a single asset Specify multiple conditions, triggers, and responses Automatically generate work orders based on specified triggers Use data analysis tools to identify potential problems Set up automatic notifications Produce status reports and documents Take time here to evaluate how things are going. Make changes as necessary. While you may be tempted to start expanding your predictive maintenance strategy rapidly, the long-term benefits of making improvements early will pay off later. Step 5: Expand Your Predictive Maintenance Strategy Now, you’re at the point where your predictive maintenance tools are running pretty smoothly. Start expanding it to other key assets by choosing another 1-5 and repeating the process. If you’ve done your due diligence, you’ll be able to expand more quickly now. Establishing a predictive maintenance solution can feel overwhelming. But there’s no better source of valuable information than real-world experience. Also, take advantage of other people’s experience to make your own journey a little smoother. You can start by calling our predictive maintenance technology experts at (800) 944-1796 (USA and Canada) or +1 (541) 302-6677 (outside of USA and Canada). We’re happy to share our secrets to success. Planning your strategy for implementing predictive maintenance software can feel overwhelming, but MPulse is here to help. Contact us. We’ve worked with our customers, both large and small, to integrate predictive maintenance management technology in their maintenance operations. We’ll get you where you need to be at a pace that works for you.
Why Your Company Doesn’t Need Predictive Maintenance
We’ve all been in situations where technology exceeds our needs. Do you need a refrigerator that tells you when it’s low on milk? It’s a cool feature, but it’s providing a solution to something that may not be a real problem. And the cost of that cool feature may be more than it’s worth to you. In a similar vein, organizations need to determine when technology will pay off—and when it’s simply not what they really need. That’s often the case with predictive maintenance. Don’t get us wrong. Predictive maintenance sounds cool. Want to know when your industrial machinery starts to break down and fix it before it actually fails? Sign us up. 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. Cost of Predictive Maintenance One of the biggest problems with predictive maintenance—and the top obstacle to implementing it—is the cost. Predictive maintenance requires a combination of gauges, meters, or other measurement techniques like infrared thermography, vibration analysis, or lubrication analysis. Plus, you need to store the data in CMMS software. And, it requires some technical knowledge to use it correctly, so factor in consultants and training costs. Like any business investment, you need to calculate the return on investment (ROI) to determine if the cost will pay off in the long run. Note that predictive maintenance is gaining more attention as organizations want sensors on key assets and use the power of the Internet of Things (IoT) to collect the data to feed into their CMMS software. CMMS combined with IoT is an excellent way to help maintenance teams to foresee asset failure and proactively perform maintenance. But you don’t need predictive maintenance to benefit from IoT data. Related: What Maintenance Teams Need to Know about the Internet of Things (IoT) Time Required to Set Up Predictive Maintenance Money isn’t the only thing that might not pencil out in favor of predictive maintenance. If there’s one thing that’s in short supply around the maintenance department, it’s time. Implementing predictive maintenance requires time to research solutions, convince management, overcome concerns and obstacles, buy equipment, set it up, test it, train employees, and much more. Again, if you don’t have that time, predictive maintenance isn’t for you. Start with Preventive Maintenance It turns out “predictive” means different things to different people. A lot of customers say “predictive maintenance,” when they really mean preventive or condition-based maintenance. Preventive maintenance (PM) software is usually the right choice for small and medium-sized companies. It’s routine, scheduled maintenance performed to lessen the possibility of equipment or asset failure. Preventive maintenance 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. Don’t Fall for Buzzwords It’s important not to get caught up with industry buzzwords. Instead, focus on the tried and true ways to manage maintenance. You can make the biggest difference with maintenance scheduling software and preventive maintenance strategies that can help… Reduce emergency downtime Monitor parts inventory Track warranty claims Decrease product quality issues Improve operations planning Promote safety Lengthen asset life cycles Reduce maintenance costs Predictive maintenance isn’t for everyone. And software for preventive maintenance or facility maintenance is the best place to start. Have questions? Talk to people who understand the challenges of maintenance. Contact us.
Knowing Your Stakeholder: IT Department
When you implement CMMS software, your IT department will provide technical support at some point. Even hosted/cloud solutions require access through your organization’s network. That’s IT’s domain. So, it’s important that you understand your IT department’s needs—and their concerns—to streamline the CMMS buying and implementation process. Strategy #1: Loop IT in Early We recommend involving your IT stakeholders in the buying process early, even before you start researching vendors. That starts with a simple conversation. You need to solve a problem. You’re looking for solutions. IT has some of the answers. Consider this first conversation a “fact finding” mission. You want to understand IT’s concerns and the parameters they have to work with. Ask questions like… How will IT be involved in the project as a stakeholder? How will CMMS affect the IT department in terms of the management of the software? Is it likely to affect the IT team’s daily workload positively or negatively? How might this software threaten someone’s job, work performance, or domain of responsibility? Is it possible that the IT team might have emotional reasons to oppose a change? What could they be? Strategy #2: Outline Technical Specifications As stakeholders in this project, IT will have questions for you too. They probably don’t care about how much software costs, or even how much it will improve company performance. They’re much more likely to ask questions like… How will it impact my IT infrastructure and to what extent? Will I be required to provide technical and usability support? As a result, IT will have technical specifications that you need to know. Remember, they need your new CMMS software to work within their IT system, which includes platforms, networks, firewalls, other software, and much more. The biggest issue for the IT department will be hosting. You don’t need to understand all the details, but a document outlining the hosting requirements from your IT team will go a long way when it’s time to talk to vendors about their CMMS solutions. Strategy #3: Find the Right Hosting Option With the information you’ve gathered from #1 and #2, you can now look at your options. Start with hosting. When you’re researching CMMS, you’ll find vendors typically offer two different deployment options: cloud-based or on-premise software. 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. Your IT team will have valid reasons for going with an on-premise or a cloud-based solution. Knowing what they need will help you stay on the right course towards getting your software. Strategy #4: Determine the Benefits to IT CMMS software offers benefits to the IT team too, so it’s important to explain these to them once you start narrowing down your software choices. The vendor can help you with this process. For example, common CMMS benefits for the IT department include… Improved web-based and app-based user interfaces that mimic popular personal-use applications can minimize the learning curve on hardware and software. That means fewer support calls to the IT team when you need help. Modern CMMS software makes tasks like adding a new user or expanding reporting capabilities easy, so you need less support from your IT team to keep up in a fast-changing environment. If your IT team prefers cloud-based CMMS, these applications are located elsewhere. So, maintenance operations no longer need to enlist IT support to set up and maintain technology infrastructure. Also, many organizations have discovered they spend less on hardware in the office with cloud-based software, particularly on PCs and internal servers. Your vendor may offer support options that remove some of the burden from IT teams. These options may include automated updates, security features, real-time data backups, etc. Inventory management software features can help your IT department with improved tracking, stocking, ordering, and inventory processes. If your IT department supports your team with any of these functions now, CMMS will make their jobs a lot easier too. Strategy #5: Share Concerns with Vendors Don’t hesitate to voice your IT team’s needs to sales reps when shopping for software. Most will be glad to arm you with all the information you need to fend off any IT concerns. They’ll likely also be happy to speak directly with your IT manager, if that’s a better approach. To win over your stakeholders in the IT department, you’ll need to reassure them that the CMMS solution you’ll choose is designed to integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure and won’t place undue demands on their network. They also need to know that your vendor has excellent user support, current technology, and rock-solid security features. Maximizing your CMMS investment means ensuring you’re getting software that’s going to work for the long term. That’s why it’s important to engage with stakeholders throughout the process. Have questions? We’re here to help. Contact us. Get a Free Custom Quote [related-content]