How To Expand MPulse To Your Accounting Department
Maintenance costs money, and your accounting folks work hard to stay on top of the finances—from purchasing and inventory to payroll and capital expenditures. While MPulse CMMS software holds clear advantages for the maintenance team, your accounting department can also benefit. And, expanding software across departments is probably easier than you think. How Can I Expand MPulse to My Accounting Department? New data integration tools make integrating software across departments possible for a CMMS to share and receive data with other applications. Now you can easily link MPulse with other systems, including ERP and accounting software, and more. Our DataLink Integration Adapter enables your MPulse administrator or local IT team to quickly and easily move data in and out of MPulse using a familiar, intuitive interface. MPulse can easily exchange data with any Excel, .txt, .csv, SQL Server, or XML Web Services data store. You can map and schedule data transfers and from numerous data sources outside the application. You can integrate MPulse with other software in four different ways… 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 The Growing Importance Of Data Integration Between Accounting and Maintenance The maintenance and accounting departments interact constantly. As a result, tight integration between MPulse and your accounting applications and data stores will do more than reduce hassle. You’ll also enjoy these benefits… Fewer errors due to manual data entry Reduced data input redundancy Faster response times to maintenance problems Near real-time monitoring of critical data The ability to grow with your company’s changing technologies With that increased capability comes increased opportunity to improve organizational performance in both departments—while also improving financial planning and reporting structures. Importance of Collaborative Projects Between Maintenance and Accounting Expanding software across departments enables both your maintenance and your accounting teams to benefit from the ability to collaborate. Both departments will 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. Whether your organization is small or large, MPulse can help you integrate software across departments without expensive IT consultants or programming experience. For example, read how this MPulse customer is using our DataLink tool to link MPulse with their financial software: “It just works.” Have questions? We have answers. Contact us.
What’s the “Best Of Breed” System And Do You Need It?
Organizations use multiple types of software for different purposes. But what works for one department might not be the right fit for another. While managers may lean towards finding a solution that works for multiple purposes, integrating best of breed solutions instead can improve productivity for everyone. A “Best of Breed” system is needed. What’s “Best of Breed” Software? Best of breed software refers to the top application for a specific purpose or niche. It performs specialized functions better than an integrated system. However it’s also limited by its specialty area. For example, your finance or accounting department needs software that provides features like billing, invoicing, time keeping, payroll, purchase orders, etc. Other departments, like maintenance, don’t need these functions. Instead, they’ll need their own special software to get their work done. However, financial data and maintenance data are closely linked. As a result, integrating two best of breed systems offers the advantages of both. Why Do I Want a “Best of Breed” System for Maintenance? Using a best of breed system helps you complete maintenance tasks as efficiently as possible. CMMS software contains many features the maintenance team will need—such as links to manuals and vendor websites, work order history, inventory information, asset details, etc. As a result, It will perform maintenance-related functions better than an integrated system. CMMS software can help you make better decisions based on maintenance data and answer business-critical questions. For example, you’ll know exactly how much money each work order or asset type costs your business in maintenance for a specified timeframe, and certain questions can be quickly answered: 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 formulate 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? Why Shouldn’t I Use an ERP? If your organization uses enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, some stakeholders may tell you it can handle your maintenance needs too. ERP software is a system of integrated applications to manage and automate many functions related to accounting, human resources, sales, planning, and inventory. But it often performs poorly as a tool for managing other functions—like maintenance. Many organizations discover that their ERP doesn’t provide easy-to-use tools to get all jobs done—like maintenance management—without excessive system overhead, user antagonism, time, and cost. That’s a big problem for the maintenance department, where the tools you use directly affect your efficiency and productivity. When you aren’t using the right tool, it takes longer to do the job—and sometimes it’s even impossible. What If I Need Departments to Work Together? More and more companies are realizing that syncing best of breed systems offers the added bonuses of better user tools, as well as cheaper and significantly easier implementation. For example, many of our MPulse customers have an ERP in place, and the maintenance team uses MPulse as their best of breed software. A CMMS helps you see accurate, complete data, and this data can be applied directly to purchasing or other important organizational decisions through systems integration. As a result, the executive team gets the data they want, and the maintenance department uses the best tool for their jobs. Everyone’s happy. Data integration offers organizations benefits like… Fewer errors due to manual data entry Reduced data input redundancy Faster response times to maintenance problems Near real-time monitoring of critical data The ability to grow with your organization’s changing technologies. In our modern world, efficiency is everything. Integrating best of breed systems can improve productivity for everyone. Have questions? Contact us. We can help. [related-content]
How To Integrate XML Web Services Into MPulse
The flexibility of web services make it a popular choice for business applications. Using web services for application integration enables software written in various programming languages and running on different platforms to exchange data over computer networks like the Internet. Extensible markup language (XML) is the most common data format associated with web services, but it is not the only data format available. The web services framework does not depend on any particular data format, so it can operate across a range of data formats. As a general purpose document format, XML provides a structured mechanism to encode machine-readable information. In addition, humans can easily read XML documents, making them easy to create and edit. As a result, XML web service integration with software holds multiple benefits. And the good news, you can easily integrate XML web services into MPulse. What Are Web Services? Web services are described as communication between business servers, typically initiated by the interaction of a user through a web site. But the technology that makes up web services doesn’t depend on the Internet or web browsers. Web services exchange data between disparate systems that are not developed by the same parties. These systems can use different programming languages and run on vastly different hardware, but they can exchange data in a system-independent way. So, system-independent data formats are central to the web services framework. And that’s very helpful for any organization that wants to integrate web services with other software applications. Integrating Web Services You can integrate MPulse with XML web services in just a few clicks. MPulse’s DataLink Integration Adapter feature makes this integration easy, enabling users to do things like… Import data to the CMMS software from files, databases, or other applications Export data from the CMMS software to other applications, files, or databases Schedule imports and exports based on times or file changes Save “mapping profiles” to your data sources and targets Software integration enables you or your IT team to quickly and easily move data in and out, depending on your needs. MPulse DataLink Integration Adapter simplifies data sharing, making it easier to achieve. Benefits of Web Service Integration Tight integration between CMMS software and your other business-critical applications and data stores using XML web services will do more than reduce hassle. You’ll also enjoy these benefits… Fewer errors due to manual data entry Reduced data input redundancy Faster response times to maintenance problems Near real-time monitoring of critical data The ability to grow with your company’s changing technologies Above all, data sharing between MPulse CMMS and XML web services goes a long way in keeping your maintenance department running smoothly. For example, Internet of Things (IoT) devices use web service technology to share information—like the automated data collection from sensors to CMMS software. That saves your team a lot of time, while reducing errors and making information available faster. Note that data integration differs from one-time import/exports, which commonly occur during CMMS software implementation. Have questions? We’re here to help. Contact us for more information about integrating XML web services and MPulse CMMS software.
Should You Expand MPulse To Other Departments?
While MPulse 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 think. Until recently, getting all your applications to share data required teams of highly skilled technical consultants and weeks or months of work—sometimes with questionable results. New data integration tools make integrating software across departments possible for a CMMS to share and receive data with other applications. Now you can easily link MPulse with other systems, such as ERP and accounting software, predictive maintenance monitors, building automation systems, and more. How Can I Expand MPulse CMMS Software to Other Departments? MPulse DataLink Integration Adapter can meet virtually any data integration need, because it’s compatible with a wide array of file and data exchange formats. For example, you might want to integrate MPulse with spreadsheets, other databases, ERP systems, accounting systems, PLCs, electronic meters, and more. Our DataLink Integration Adapter enables your MPulse administrator or local IT team to quickly and easily move data in and out of MPulse using a familiar, intuitive interface. MPulse CMMS software can easily exchange data with any Excel, .txt, .csv, SQL Server, or XML Web Services data store. You can map and schedule data transfers and from numerous data sources outside the application. You can integrate MPulse with other software in four different ways… 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 The Growing Importance of Data Integration Between Departments The maintenance department is in the unique position of interacting with most, if not all, other departments. So, tight integration between MPulse CMMS software and other business-critical applications and data stores will do more than reduce hassle. You’ll also enjoy these benefits… Fewer errors due to manual data entry Reduced data input redundancy Faster response times to maintenance problems Near real-time monitoring of critical data The ability to grow with your company’s changing technologies Additionally, 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. Collaborative Project Management Importance Building collaboration helps your employees communicate and work together on projects across functional and departmental lines. Expanding software across departments enables your entire organization to benefit from the ability to collaborate. As a result, all departments can benefit from easy access to data to make decisions, also called data-driven management. 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. Whether your organization is small or large, MPulse CMMS software can help you integrate software across departments without expensive IT consultants or programming experience. Read how this MPulse customer is using our Datalink tool to link MPulse with their financial software: “It just works.” Have questions? We have answers. Contact us.
Three Steps To A Successful CMMS Implementation
After you’ve successfully completed your CMMS purchase, the next step is turning that into a successful CMMS implementation. But, it’s likely you’re feeling some pressure. The same managers you worked with during the buying process will now be asking, “When will I see the benefits of CMMS implementation?” Get tips for a successful CMMS implementation from the people who’ve done it—our MPulse team customers. A Step-By-Step Guide To Achieving A Successful CMMS Implementation Step 1: Prioritize Requirements The three steps to a successful CMMS implementation start with planning and prioritization. Determine what you need from others in your organization for implementation. List each department that must do something to support the CMMS rollout. These departments typically include IT, maintenance, operations, and finance. For each department, write down the information you need them to provide and/or the tasks they need to complete. For example, does IT need to increase network bandwidth? Do users in operations need to complete training? Will maintenance test the system? Prioritize the information needed or task. You’ll need some assignments to get started. You can schedule others for a later phase. Also determine what tasks need to be completed before other tasks can start. For example, system testing should happen before rolling out user training. Step 2: Remind Users and Managers of the Value Keeping stakeholders informed and involved through the initial unveiling phase is one of the most important steps to successful CMMS implementation. That includes reminding departments about the benefits this new CMMS software will provide them. Perhaps operations and production departments/teams were promised better service at reduced cost from the maintenance team. Maybe senior management and finance were promised a good return on investment. IT may have been promised an easy fit with their server and network infrastructure, and responsive vendor support. Use this information to communicate to each team specifically on what you’ll need from them to achieve these goals. Step 3: Set Goals and Timeline After Step 1 and Step 2, you’ll know what you need, who you need it from, and when you need it. In Step 3, you’ll set goals and a timeline. Take each task, and use SMART goal criteria to set implementation goals that are… Specific Measurable Attainable Relevant Time-bound Make goals as specific as possible to set mutual expectations clearly and keep your implementation project on track. When you’re feeling the pressure, remember your much bigger goal—and the reason you started this implementation process in the first place. And ask for help. If you have questions, we have the answers. It just takes a phone call. Want more information about CMMS implementations? Contact us or download our Successful CMMS Implementation Guide.
Education Maintenance Software: What You Need to Know
Education maintenance software does more than just manage maintenance tasks. It also helps school districts protect their community’s investment in education. And as many maintenance professionals know, school maintenance has changed a great deal over time. As budgets tightened, many school districts have adopted a strategy of simply fixing what broke to work within financial restrictions. At the same time, aging infrastructure often complicated maintenance issues. So, as many discovered, reactive maintenance wasn’t the best strategy to make the most of what they had. Education maintenance software helped improve maintenance strategies with… Preventive Maintenance Schedules The software will generate a schedule of PM tasks, making it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Properly maintained assets perform more efficiently, use less energy, and fail less often, therefore extending their usable life. It can also help prevent serious problems that arise because of neglect, as well as delay more expensive maintenance. Work Order Management Education systems need to spend their money and their time wisely. Work order management helps them get the highest priority work done while making sure lower priority work doesn’t slip through the cracks. Education maintenance software helps teams easily receive work orders from requesters, enter requests manually, and automate tasks via their preventive maintenance program. Service Requesting Education maintenance software gives your team the ability to receive, manage, and update service requests from unlimited requesters. Then managers can simply approve, assign, schedule, and manage maintenance requests for staff members or vendors. Plus, automated confirmations can be customized and sent to requesters, managers, and technicians. Documentation Education maintenance software documents all maintenance-related activity, including building assets, employees, maintenance tasks, work order types, trades, departments, and more. That helps your team track costs for everything — from boilers, HVAC systems, alarms, and backflow testing to grounds, painting, carpentry, and building renovations. Reports Reporting comes with the territory for public maintenance operations. Reporting features in education maintenance software can help you capture individual facility costs, average work order time, productivity data, and more—all of which contribute to yearly budget projections and other reports for internal departments and management. [related-content] Maintenance managers know education maintenance is more than taking care of buildings and equipment. It plays a huge role in the well-being of students, teachers, and administrators. Contact us to learn how MPulse can help your organization.
Benefits of Unlimited CMMS User Licenses
Traditionally, software is sold as a per-seat license. You’ve probably been buying software this way since your first computer. Of course, per-seat licensing requires you to buy another software license when you hire a new employee, shift a current employee’s responsibilities, or increase your staff. But that’s not efficient for large companies with a lot of employees who play different, and often changing, roles. What’s a ULA? An unlimited license agreement (ULA) is an arrangement in which a software user pays a single up-front fee to get as many licenses as they want for a specified set of software products over a fixed time frame. It’s a popular option for businesses who know their team is expanding during that time period. Benefits of Unlimited Software License Agreements ULA agreements work best for companies that expect growth through normal business operations. It makes it easier to be a multi-location business and not worry about user caps. For companies expecting to grow during a specific period of time, a ULA offers… significant cost savings more convenience easier management and administration MPulse Infinity Tier MPulse created our Infinity Tier—unlimited CMMS software licenses, so you never have to worry about software licenses again. The MPulse Infinity Tier is available with all our software editions, whether you decide to purchase or go with SaaS, and whether you choose locally installed or hosted. You also can combine MPulse Infinity Tier with our Role-Based Access Control feature to help your organization control access to specific CMMS information based on a user’s role and responsibilities. Unlimited License Agreements vs. Concurrent Licensing For smaller companies, MPulse’s concurrent user licensing is a different approach with the potential to save you money. The number of concurrent user licenses you need is based on the number of users accessing the software at the same time. Let’s say your team has 30 people. You have 18 people on the day shift—10 technicians, three parts room employees, two admin assistants, one foreman, you, and your boss. On the night shift, you have another 10 technicians, one parts room employee, and one foreman. Because not all users will be accessing the system at the same time, you can reduce the number of software licenses you need by more than a third. So you’re not paying extra for users who use the software at different times or only need access occasionally. Want to know if MPulse Infinity Tier or concurrent licensing is the best choice for your organization? Contact us. We’re here to help.
Six Advantages of Role-Based Access Control
All organizations have sensitive information. Therefore, the information your employees see should depend on their role in the organization. This is where Role Based Action Control comes in. What is Role Based Action Control? Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) is a data filtering utility that puts record-level access control in your hands. With RBAC, you can easily adjust settings in your MPulse implementation so the right people—and only the right people—have the right access to the right records. Six Benefits of Role-Based Access Control Systems Role-Based Access Control puts record-level control in your hands. As a result, your personnel will only see the records relevant to their unique workloads. With RBAC, you can experience these six advantages… Reduce errors in data entry Prevent unauthorized users from viewing or editing data Gain tighter control over data access Eliminate the “data clutter” of unnecessary information Comply with legal or ethical requirements Keep your teams running smoothly Role-Based Access Control: Why You Need It Removing information “clutter” can significantly streamline data access for your teams. That means your employees can access the details they need faster—helping them work more effectively. Role Based Access Control Example MPulse customer FORTRUST uses MPulse RBAC so its data center maintenance personnel see only the records relevant to their unique workloads. As facility maintenance professionals, their employees have very specific job duties. With Role-Based Access Control, however, their plumbers only see plumbing work orders. Their electricians only see electrical work orders. Another customer with multiple facilities set up their RBAC based on location. So the maintenance team at their Phoenix facility only sees work orders for that site, while the Denver team only sees the work orders for their location. Why Role-Based Access Control Is Good For Business With MPulse RBAC you can be sure your employees get access to what they need—and only what they need. RBAC best practices also help you easily adjust settings to… Filter data according to departments, work order types, locations, or other fields. Assign roles so people see only their operating unit’s information. Choose which data are global, and which are unique to a group. Define an unlimited number of custom filters. Automatically link data to a user’s area of expertise. Increase productivity because employees can access what they need—and only what they need. As a result, RBAC gives your organization centralized control and enhanced security. And that’s very good for business. Learn more about how Role-Based Access Control can help your organization. Contact us. [related-content]
Integrating Microsoft SQL Server Into MPulse
Sometimes your maintenance team needs data from other departments, which use different software. And, other departments often need your maintenance data in their systems too. One common data source is Microsoft SQL Server, a relational database management system developed by Microsoft. Microsoft SQL Server supports a wide variety of transaction processing, business intelligence and analytics applications in corporate IT environments. Software integration between Microsoft SQL Server and MPulse makes it easier to gather and share data between the different systems. Luckily, using the Microsoft SQL Server with MPulse is easy, with a little help from MPulse DataLink. Connecting Microsoft SQL Server Integration Services and MPulse As a database server, Microsoft SQL Server’s primary function is storing and retrieving data as requested by other software applications. Sometimes those applications run on the same computer, or other times they connect across a network and/or the Internet. Microsoft markets at least a dozen different editions of Microsoft SQL Server aimed at different audiences, and for workloads ranging from small single-machine applications to large Internet-facing applications with many concurrent users. Software integration with your edition of Microsoft SQL Server and your MPulse CMMS software enables you or your IT team to quickly and easily move data in and out, depending on your needs. MPulse connects to a SQL server analysis services database via MPulse’s DataLink Integration Adapter feature. That makes this integration easy, enabling users to do things like… Import data to the CMMS software from files, databases, or other applications Export data from the CMMS software to other applications, files, or databases Schedule imports and exports based on times or file changes Save “mapping profiles” to your data sources and targets Benefits of Integrating with Microsoft SQL Server Tight integration between CMMS software and your other business-critical applications and data stores like Microsoft SQL Server will do more than reduce hassle. You’ll also enjoy these benefits… Fewer errors due to manual data entry Reduced data input redundancy Faster response times to maintenance problems Near real-time monitoring of critical data The ability to grow with your company’s changing technologies Above all, MPulse DataLink Integration tools provide an easy way to connect your MPulse CMMS bi-directionally with Microsoft SQL Server, as well as accounting systems, meters and gauges, or other critical data sources. As a result, data sharing between MPulse CMMS and Microsoft SQL Server goes a long way in keeping your maintenance department running smoothly. Note that data integration is different from one-time import/exports, which commonly occur when the CMMS software is first integrated. Have questions? We’re here to help. Contact us for more information about integrating Microsoft SQL Server and MPulse CMMS software.
Expand Your CMMS To Multiple Locations
Expand your CMMS to multiple locations easily and avoid unique challenges. You want to ensure your maintenance processes, reporting needs, and data are the same at each site. As a result, you need careful planning for a successful implementation across all locations. Start by following our tips for successfully implementing a multi-site CMMS system. 10 Steps to a Successful Multi-Site CMMS Implementation Putting CMMS software in place across multiple locations can seem daunting. Follow these 10 steps to get through planning, data migration, training, and “go-live” day on each site. 1. Define your successful implementation You need to know where you’re going to get there. Take the time to visualize the end result, so you have a goal in mind before you start. Who will use the software and why? What data do you need to collect? What reports do you need? Who will be in charge of what at each location? 2. Define user groups and workflows Develop a detailed list of each user group (i.e., managers, technicians, administrators, support personnel, IT, etc.) and how they’ll use the system. Also, identify different user groups at different locations, if necessary. 3. Determine what data needs to be imported You might have old data that you want to include in a new system. Identify that data now. Note that some people prefer to start fresh. Your legacy data and old work orders remain where they are for historical reference, and you simply add assets, parts, and preventive maintenance schedules to the new system. 4. Review and/or import data collection Clean data pays off in accurate reporting later. Start by taking the extra step of reviewing the data before you import it. Sometimes 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. 5. Design reports and a database layout With CMMS software, every work order builds up a treasure trove of maintenance data in your CMMS database. Your long-term goal should be to turn your maintenance data reports into actionable insight. Know what you need to know. That will help you design the data you collect and the way you report on it. 6. Develop a training plan and curriculum Probably one of the most important—and overlooked—steps is training. However, teaching your staff members to use your new CMMS software pays off with every work order. Data accuracy and speed will improve, and your job will be easier because of it. Look to your CMMS vendor for help, if you need it. 7. Choose the flagship location to serve as the primary site model for implementation Pick one location that will serve as the flagship site. You’ll go through the implementation process here first. Identify problems, and get them worked out now, before you go live with your new CMMS software. 8. Test primary site model and make revisions as necessary 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. If you need to make changes, this is the time to do it. 9. Go live You made it! As your team starts using the software for their work, take the time to make sure everything worked the way you wanted. The work you put in here will pay off when it’s time to duplicate the process at another location. 10. Repeat for each additional location Take your implementation plan from your primary site and repeat for each site. The Essential Guide to a Multi-Site CMMS If you want to standardize your workflow processes and reporting across locations, MPulse Multisite Connector will get you there. You can save time and money at every site (and for the organization as a whole) by using MPulse to… Track work orders, breakdowns, asset health, and other key metrics Streamline stocking, ordering, and other inventory processes Gather and report data Need help? We’re here for you. The MPulse Multi-site Implementation Program (MSIP) is a CMMS implementation program designed to take you from software purchase through successful implementation across two or more site locations, without missing any critical steps along the way. If you want to standardize your workflow processes and reporting across locations, this MPulse implementation program will get you there. MPulse MSIP gets you through planning, data migration, training, and “go-live” day on each site. As a result, your processes, reporting needs, data types, and data imports are the same at each location. Then we provide tailored recommendations and follow-up so you can measure your progress against goals. Designed to accelerate your software implementation and reduce your ramp-up time, MPulse MSIP minimizes disruptions and helps you achieve a faster return on investment. [related-content] Learn more about how an enterprise CMMS can help you manage multiple locations. Contact us.