Although we still have another month until the kids are back at school, here at Hippo CMMS we thought we’d get back into the swing of things with our latest blog series- Back To Basics: The Ultimate CMMS Guide.
Read on for Part 1, an introduction to CMMS systems.
Setting the Scene
You’re first in the office on a Monday and a machinist walks up to you with some dire news: “One of the conveyor belts is broken, and I can’t find the part we need to fix it.” While he heads over to see if he can figure out what to do to get product moving again, you now are in charge of finding a solution and getting things up and running.
You quickly scribble some things down to start a work order, and then you immediately head over to the filing cabinet. You flip through folder after folder, looking for documentation on the manufacturer of the belt. It’s been years, though, and it’s nowhere to be found.
After an hour of digging (and an hour of your entire operation shutting down) you finally find the paperwork. You call the supplier, find out what part you need, and… well, turns out that although this is a known-issue and a part that frequently requires replacement, you don’t have it in your inventory.
After another few calls, the vendor tells you they can get you the part first thing tomorrow morning. Unfortunately, that means you’re now completely shut down for 24 hours – all because your business wasn’t properly prepared for an emergency repair.
What is CMMS: The Basics
If this situation sounds familiar, it’s a safe bet you’re still using paper and pen or Excel to organize your maintenance team. Read our post here to learn more about how automated work order management tools are better than manual methods.
A CMMS software is a set of applications used to organize every aspect of your company’s maintenance operations; but that doesn’t quite do it justice. In essence, it’s a set of tools that lets you spend less time scurrying around, and more time getting things fixed.
Many facility managers may tell you that a facility management software‘s main purpose is to create and manage work orders electronically, however that’s only the tip of the ice berg when it comes to maintenance management. In addition to work order software, CMMS tracks and manages all aspects of your maintenance department in real-time, including:
It also gives you unparalleled insight into your maintenance program through in-depth maintenance reporting. You’ll be able to analyze all aspects of your maintenance department from the average time to complete work orders to the performance of individual workers.
CMMS systems are made up of a lot more than just work order management. Tune in next week when we cover various CMMS features and their functions.
Week 1 Homework: Click on the links above to learn more about important CMMS features. Tune in next week for Part 2!
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