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.
Smart Maintenance Scheduling Reduces Downtime
Maintenance managers know smart maintenance scheduling reduces downtime. Properly maintained assets perform more efficiently, use less energy, and fail less often—while also extending their usable life. CMMS software automates PM schedules that contribute to the upkeep of assets. Naturally, that makes it simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Regular PM schedules also ensure equipment is properly calibrated and lubricated when it needs to be. But that’s not all. CMMS software also helps by… Automating schedules: Work order management features can automate schedules for both employees and contract workers. Reducing confusion: Maintenance data recorded with every work order eliminates lost information between shifts, reducing confusion and errors. Balancing workloads: Employee performance tracking helps you determine which employees are most efficient at which tasks, enabling you to balance the workload. Creating benchmarks: By tracking repair times, you can create benchmarks for your organization. This proactive approach to smart maintenance scheduling helps sidestep serious problems that arise as a result of neglect, as well as delays more expensive maintenance. It also can cut down the time to respond to emergency repairs. CMMS Features: Smart Maintenance Scheduling Reduces Downtime MPulse CMMS software makes maintenance scheduling easy by collecting information and turning it into actionable data. These features include… Dashboards are highly configurable “command center consoles” that your most important data front and center, where you don’t have to dig for it. In addition to charts and graphs, you can link videos, photos, documents, and websites to Dashboards as well. Asset Status Board provides a single-screen view of the health of your entire production line, facilities footprint, or fleet of vehicles. Square boxes (“cells”) are color-coded according to criteria you’ve defined. Work requests can be processed directly from the ASB. Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) keeps tabs on the actual state of your critical assets by recording the output of any meters and gauges on that asset. When an asset’s condition changes, MPulse lets you know immediately, so you can react before breakdowns happen. 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. It also works with Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) devices—collecting data faster and easier than ever before. Smart maintenance scheduling reduces downtime by spotting issues before they occur. Want to know more? See our previous post on advanced maintenance scheduling. Or, contact us. We’re here for you.
Why You Don’t Want Free Maintenance Software
You know it’s time for a change. And free software from the Internet seems like an easy way to test things out. Many maintenance managers start their search for CMMS software by typing “free maintenance software” in a Google search box. But free maintenance software has hidden costs that can mean paying a higher price. Why Don’t I Want Free Maintenance Software? Trying pared-down software with limited functionality wastes time and energy—two things typically in short supply for maintenance managers. It’s hard to get a realistic perspective on the true capabilities of maintenance software with free maintenance software. As any maintenance manager knows, there’s a difference between cost and value. “Free” sounds like a great deal, until you consider… Limited tools and functionality Absence of security features to protect data Restricted user access Lack of scalability No training or support Inability to sync with other business systems You can’t get a full picture of what maintenance software can do for your organization if you’re limited to whatever is offered for free. So, after all that effort, you’re missing out on finding the right maintenance software for you. But I Just Want to Try It Out We get it. But there’s a better way—free software demos. When you test drive a car, you don’t just randomly take any car you found on the Internet out on the road. You don’t want to waste time test driving minivans when you really need a 4-wheel drive with a 6.0L, 8-cylinder engine. Your time is valuable, and it’s important that you spend it wisely. When you do your research on CMMS software, you’ll soon see the benefits of scalable CMMS software with an easy-to-use interface and advanced tools. And a little time spent finding the right software means you’re saving a lot of time (and money) in the future. That’s why MPulse offers free demos and great customer service to make sure your software purchase means your needs. So, you’re on the right path from the very beginning. [related-content] We know how to make your CMMS implementation a success—and we’re happy to share our experience with you. Contact us to learn more.
Nine Ways CMMS Cuts Operational Costs
The maintenance department doesn’t always get credit for how they save money. But the powerful combination of CMMS software and your maintenance team can cut operational costs, making your organization more efficient and productive. How CMMS Cuts Operational Costs Here are nine ways CMMS cuts operational costs. Preventive Maintenance CMMS software generates a schedule of preventive maintenance (PM) tasks. Therefore, it’s simpler to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. Properly maintained assets perform more efficiently, use less energy, and fail less often—thereby, extending their usable life. When you use CMMS software to schedule and track PMs, you’ll reduce emergency maintenance issues and unexpected production stoppages. This also cuts overtime costs for emergency repairs and reduces production losses. You can also schedule maintenance for off hours by tracking equipment use time. Labor Management Work order management features in CMMS software can automate schedules for both employees and contract workers. Therefore, you get the highest priority work done, while making sure lower priority work doesn’t slip through the cracks. This information also eliminates lost information between shifts, reducing confusion and errors. CMMS software helps you accurately estimate labor hours for PM tasks, making sure your staffing levels match the workload, and decreasing overtime costs. This type of labor cost analysis also can determine when it’s more efficient to add more staff members instead of paying your current employees more overtime. Employee performance tracking helps you determine which employees are most efficient at which tasks, enabling managers to balance the workload. By tracking repair times, you can create benchmarks for your organization as well. Inventory & Parts Management CMMS software’s ability to manage your parts inventory prevents under-stocking and over-stocking and streamlines reordering. CMMS software can determine your current inventory levels and automatically generate purchase orders based on need, reducing purchasing overhead. You can take your inventory management to the next level and track parts to stock based on availability. For example, if a part has a three-week lead time, you can adjust stocking levels to make sure it is available when your staff needs it. Operations CMMS data helps organizations make effective replace-or-repair decisions. Maintenance software can track not only the age of the equipment, but the miles, hours, life-to-date repair dollars, and many other metrics. Therefore, it’s easier to when it becomes cheaper to replace an asset instead of repairing it. In manufacturing industries, CMMS software helps reduce scrap and rework by keeping equipment operating efficiently. That helps reduce emergency production breakdowns, and avoid catastrophic material losses. [related-content] Learn More Contact us to learn more about how CMMS software can cut operational costs for your organization.
Preventive Maintenance vs. Predictive Maintenance: What’s the Difference?
When maintenance teams adopt proactive approaches to maintenance, two of the most common are preventive maintenance and predictive maintenance. But, what’s the difference? What is Preventive Maintenance? Preventive maintenance is triggered by time, meter, or event. This type of maintenance is based on average or expected life statistics (usually determined by the equipment manufacturer or vendor). The most common example is changing the oil in a car every X,000 miles or every X months. Preventive maintenance is one of the first steps to reduce run-to-failure maintenance in favor of a more proactive maintenance plan. Additionally, CMMS excels at helping maintenance shops schedule preventive maintenance tasks, preventing failure and prolonging asset life cycles. What is Predictive Maintenance? Predictive maintenance means different things to different people. Usually, maintenance professionals define it as gathering data on the actual condition of equipment to determine when maintenance is needed—sometimes called condition-based maintenance (CBM). CBM allows you to track meters and gauges on assets, and to trigger work orders at specific points. You can gather the data manually or automatically, and your CMMS software stores the data and alerts maintenance staff to take action. For example, condition-monitoring 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. Then CMMS software sends alerts before breakdowns occur. CBM monitors an asset’s real-time condition. So, there’s a predictive element to it. But more advanced predictive maintenance analyzes 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. Long-Term Goals The long-term goal of predictive maintenance prevents both reactive maintenance and unplanned breakdowns, while at the same time reducing the costs of unnecessary preventive maintenance. MPulse CMMS software can capture, store, and organize data for reports and predictive analytical tools. 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. Have questions? We have answers. Contact us to see how we can help you improve your maintenance operations.