Improving Maintenance Sustainability using CMMS

Experienced Facility Managers understand the importance of a computerized maintenance system to keep assets functioning as designed.  Not only does a CMMS cut overall operational costs, but it improves facility utility consumption, provides a healthy work environment, and ensures that assets remain at top functionality for as long as possible.  However, in order to keep getting the most out of your CMMS, it is important to keep track of asset sustainability by reviewing system use and maintenance performance trends.

The Importance of your CMMS to Sustainability

If you want to get the most value from your CMMS, you should treat it like an asset – in essence make sure it is properly implemented and maintained.  Let’s assume you had a perfect equipment list, perfect work instructions, a perfect PM schedule, and a perfect work force.  Why do you need to maintain your CMMS?  Even in this “perfect” scenario, equipment condition changes, the needs of the facility change, the demands of your tenants change, and all assets are consuming their “useful life”.

In order to prevent asset degradation, you must review the performance of your team as well as the performance of your equipment and make appropriate adjustments to keep everything on track.  When reviewing Work Order documentation, it is easy to spot missing information or readings that don’t make sense.  It is much harder to understand work quality and what your staff did to correct the deficiencies they found.

Employee Work Performance Measurement

When you evaluate employee performance, work consistency is just as important as work completion.  If your workforce is doing a great job most of the time, you will still experience asset degradation on the days when work is not as good as usual.

Having a built-in measurement tool within your CMMS is the best way to monitor work completion and measure the quality/consistency of work performance.  Work inspections will tie directly back to work performed, and trends can be easily identified over time.  You will also have the ability to measure consistency for individual employees, which helps you understand the level of supervision and training needed for each staff member.

New and Continuous Training

Of course, system and trade based training is a component of sustainability, but how do you determine the best training material and methods for your staff?  This is one aspect that is usually neglected when it comes to facility management. Even though CMMS makes it possible for a facility to be efficiently run and managed with a limited number of staff, they still need to be trained to keep the facility running efficiently. New employees should be trained on the proper use of the CMMS software while experienced employees should go through continuous education as trends in the industry change.

Use of Add-on functionality

Most CMMS vendors create an allowance for add-on functionality in order to expand the use of the software. The reason why it is necessary to take advantage of these is that it enables the CMMS software to grow with the specific needs of the facility.

Regular CMMS Upgrades

Whenever CMMS software goes through an upgrade, it usually includes more efficient tools for better management. In order to get the most of the software, it is important to make use of recent versions. The sustainability of CMMS can be greatly improved if these vital tips are implemented. Improved sustainability means a more efficiently run facility, which in turn will lead to greater cost effectiveness.