Eight Benefits of Having Your Facility Audited by a CMMS Expert
Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) systems have revolutionized the day to day operations of companies spanning a wide range of industries. CMMSs are sophisticated and robust facilities management software systems that track work orders, quickly generate accurate reports, and instantly determine which of a business’ assets require preventive maintenance. On the latter, inventories and work orders were previously recorded manually by pencil and paper with little, if any attention directed toward preventative maintenance; as these usually occurred on an as needed basis when equipment breakdowns were detected. Today’s competitive economic climate has motivated increasing numbers of companies to turn to CMMS software systems. Used routinely, the CMMS benefits include extended equipment lifespans, improved organization, better time management and labor utilization and ultimately, reduced costs and increased profits.
The above being said, companies who’ve made the decision to explore CMMS software soon discover that marketplace offers several software and services options to consider. Since CMMS providers are committed to ensuring that their products are efficient and easy to use as well as capable of responding to a company’s growth, it is essential that the systems are set up promptly and appropriately. To that end, a preferred option for large organizations with numerous assets that are often spread across several sites is to have a facility audit conducted by a CMMS expert. The auditing process involves having an expert come on site to take a complete inventory of a company’s major equipment and assets. Simply put, an initial facility audit refers to collecting all equipment data to be populated into the CMMS database. Once completed, the system can accurately monitor all physical aspects of a company.
Here are eight reasons why a facility audit for setting up CMMS is beneficial.
1. Quick Turnaround with CMMS Implementation
It is not surprising that companies attracted to an automated management system are those who assets and equipment inventories have become too large to manage manually. CMMS system databases contain thousands of data points representing an organization’s assets and equipment. With the assistance of a CMMS expert, a CMMS system can be fully integrated and operational in a fraction of the time. In doing so, this frees up staff and resources to direct their energies to the business of doing business.
2. Expertise in Preventive Maintenance and with CMMS
There is always a learning curve when any new process is introduced to a company’s operation. This is also true of CMMSs. For that reason, vendors offer support to assist users during the learning phase. With an onsite audit, a CMMS expert can provide personal and face to face assistance in developing Work Order Flow, Preventative Maintenance (PM) Schedules, Safety Audits and general use of the system. Having an onsite expert to guide new CMMS users will ensure that the system will be used appropriately.
3. Obtain an up-to-date and Complete Asset List
As facilities grow and evolve, maintaining a list of capital assets and equipment becomes difficult. With an on-site audit, companies will obtain a complete, up-to-date asset list inclusive of the equipment, parts lists, warranty information and service contractors.
4. Up-to-date Equipment Information
Successful companies are dynamic. They grow and change in response to industry trends. As companies evolve, equipment is retired, and new equipment is brought in. Throughout this process, details are often lost in the shuffle (i.e., model/serial numbers, assets IDs, electrical connections, asset location, etc.) An onsite audit will ensure that all pertinent information is up to date and entered into the CMMS system database.
5. Identify Assets that May not Have PM (Preventative Maintenance) Schedules
A CMMS’s major function is to facilitate efficient and cost-effective facility maintenance with facility management software. If a PM schedule is not established appropriately, the system will not be performing as it should. A CMMS expert can assist a company’s maintenance manager to identify which assets have PM schedules and which do not. Establishing PM schedules for all necessary assets can save in repair costs and increase equipment lifespan over time.
6. Expertise on Current Preventative Maintenance (PM) Practices
Industry standards for PM practices are constantly changing and evolving. A CMMS expert is knowledgeable in this area and can assist in identifying PM practices that are out of date. The expert can also suggest new standards. With the expert’s assistance, companies will be informed about which PM services can be done in-house as opposed to being contracted out. Having this knowledge will save time and money.
7. Central Repository for Facilities and Maintenance Documents
Keeping track of and storing facility documents, manuals, and floor plans can be an onerous and cumbersome task. In the past, companies stored these in filing cabinets. With the assistance of a CMMS expert, all pertinent documents can be stored in a central repository within the CMMS system.
8. Up-to-date Photos of Critical Assets and Equipment
The saying, a picture is worth a thousand words stands true when it comes to taking photos of a company’s equipment and ID tags. Not only will photos capture the current state of equipment, but it can also assist new employees to identify exactly which piece of equipment needs service. Having a photo provides a visual image of assets and replaces the need to look up and cross check model numbers and serial codes. A CMMS expert will facilitate the task of gathering and storing images within the database.
Facility audits by a CMMS expert is an option provided by many vendors. While an audit conducted on site comes with an added cost, the benefits of having one done may outweigh its cost. Companies exploring this option should carefully consider the complexity of its organization as well as the time and resources they have available to enter the data on its own.
Hippo CMMS strives to be a leader in simple maintenance management. This is achieved by developing user-friendly, cost effective software and the best support to our customers. If you would like to explore our industry leading software further, you can try it free for 30 days!
