What Is CMMS? – Overview and Uses

CMMS is the abbreviation for computerized maintenance management systems or software. It’s a centralized digital platform that streamlines the management of various maintenance tasks and operations. It consolidates all the maintenance management information in one place and supports cost-effective managerial decision-making. 

Most of the modern solutions like CloudApper CMMS are cloud-based. CloudApper CMMS can be used via both web and mobile-based applications. Cloud-based applications offer more flexibility and provide full functionality at a reasonable cost as it does not require any upfront investment. With a connection to the internet, users can access the platform via smartphone or any mobile device from anywhere and anytime. 

What is CMMS used for?

Next, you might be wondering what CMMS is used for. Maintenance professionals use CMMS software to plan, manage, and improve building, plant, or facility maintenance, and to streamline operations. By properly utilizing CMMS software, organizations can extend the lifespan of their assets and equipment, reduce overall costs, and increase asset reliability and productivity. 

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A CMMS software helps manage equipment and inventory and stores all assets history and maintenance-related activities in one centralized location. A robust analytical dashboard helps maintenance professionals in future planning and make better-informed decisions. 

Many maintenance professionals used to or still rely on “pen and paper” or spreadsheets to manage maintenance information. Although useful in its time, this antiquated approach has many disadvantages. Spreadsheets or paper-based systems are laborious, prone to errors, and do not have the capability to streamline maintenance operations as a CMMS does. To make procedures more efficient, simple, and faster, these professionals are now turning towards CMMS software as their main maintenance tool. 

Almost every industry is now utilizing CMMS. You will find the following industries using a computerized maintenance management tool of some sort:

• Manufacturing
• Oil and gas production
• Construction
• Power generation
• Transportation
• Healthcare institutions
• Fleet
• Automotive
• Facilities management

Typically, maintenance departments use CMMS as their main maintenance tool. But others can also opt for facility management software if they have specialized requirements. 

How does a CMMS work?

CloudApper CMMS is easy to learn, flexible and enables organizations to configure the platform to fit their exact requirements. On one end, facility or maintenance managers can use the web-based application to view and access asset repair histories and send work requests to technicians. On the other end, technicians can receive work orders from almost anywhere via smartphone, PC, laptop, or other smart devices. Technicians can also update maintenance records and log critical information for managers to see.

Top CMMS platforms enhance collaboration and enable seamless connectivity between teams. With the wide range of functionalities that CloudApper CMMS offers, organizations can automate their entire maintenance operations. 

Here are a few features and functionalities to help you better understand how CMMS works:

Work Order Management

This feature is typically the most crucial and main feature of CMMS. The work order management feature helps you keep track of your work orders. All the work order history is stored in a searchable database. It includes information such as:

• Work order name and ID
• Description and priority
• Status of the request
• Personnel assigned
• Date of creation and by whom
• Associated documentation or attached images

This feature automates work order generation, helps staff schedule and assign technicians, provides work status, and tracks downtime.

Preventative maintenance

We have all heard of preventive maintenance. But what is it, and how does it work on CMMS? Preventative maintenance is any maintenance performed to prevent machine or equipment failure. These maintenance tasks are planned in advance, and therefore, offer cost savings opportunities. This is simply done by scheduling maintenance before equipment breaks down. 

How do maintenance managers know which equipment needs maintenance? That is the work of the analytics dashboard. Through robust visualization of information, managers can see the overall performance and maintenance activities, asset and repair histories, and so on.

Asset management

Preventative maintenance isn’t the only way to protect your assets. The “Assets” feature within the CloudApper CMMS will provide you with valuable information. For example, users can see basic data like purchase date, warranty information, image and specification of assets, service history, and expected lifetime. Expected lifetime and service history are particularly very useful as it shows every maintenance task performed on an asset. You can use this data to predict when an issue may arise and when to plan for maintenance. 

Reporting, Analysis, and Auditing

These are the functionalities that help managers and employees to make better-informed decisions. Users can generate reports across maintenance categories such as asset availability, labor, and material costs, parts or material usage, vendor assessments, and more. This information can be used to analyze performance trends, asset availability, maintenance, and repair optimization, and other information to support business decisions and gather and organize information for audits. 

Mobilize Your Maintenance Operations with CloudApper CMMS

CloudApper CMMS software is a dynamic cloud-based, intuitive, and easy-to-use solution available at an affordable price. This robust maintenance management tool helps companies to operate more efficiently and provides management with real-time visibility into the status of their maintenance plans and assets. 

Why Choose CloudApper CMMS?

• Efficiency – Consolidate maintenance management operations to improve efficiency.
• Asset Utilization – Ensure timely maintenance of equipment and assets to increase longevity and usefulness.
• Accountability – Enhance overall employee productivity by assigning and monitoring their activities.
• Flexibility – 100% customizable to fit your business needs without programming or coding.
• Maximize ROI – Reduce dependency on IT infrastructure and minimize asset downtime and waste to ensure maximum productivity and return on investment (ROI).

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