Tapping the Power of a CMMS
Part 1: Justify Budgets with a CMMS
Part 2: CMMS: Manage Work Orders and Materials
Part 3: Provide Technicians with CMMS Training
Part 4: Customizing a CMMS for Maintenance
Justify Budgets with a CMMS
By Dan Hounsell, Editor
September 2008
It is the bane of every manager’s existence: The computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is in place and operating, but not enough reliable data flows into and out of its database.
A CMMS database is the lifeblood of maintenance and engineering departments. Its data indicates the general condition of facilities and systems, reveals small problems that could become major headaches, and forms the basis of every decision a manager must make, from staffing and training needs to inventory levels and big-ticket purchases.
But if managers do not have the right kind of data or enough of it, they must make decisions without all the facts. The wrong decision could be costly.
The process of maximizing the use of a CMMS seems daunting, but it often is well worth the effort because of the potential benefits.
“We’ve been able to justify budgets, positions, purchasing choices, project choices, and many other decisions, especially those that were finance-based,” says Frank Lucas, assistant director of work management with the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) facilities management department.
To maximize an organization’s CMMS use, managers will need to revisit the system’s features and functions, review and upgrade training for users, and reinforce the need for a steady stream of reliable maintenance and repair data.
