There’s a reason why companies are putting money and resources into adding Computerized Maintenance Management Systems or CMMS systems to their enterprise architectures. These types of technology tools help companies in many different ways — simply by promoting regular care and maintenance for equipment and other assets. CMMS systems are just one component of a set of new vendor options that can automate and improve parts of business processes and core operations for a business of any size.

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Improving Operational Efficiency

One way that CMMS systems help companies is by driving efficiency and consistent results.

CMMS systems help provide tracking for needed preventative maintenance. That means pieces of equipment are working better, and delivering good results longer. But that’s not the only way that CMMS systems help with efficiency. Many of them also include elements of work order management that help to track maintenance work processes. They may include elements of inventory and supply-chain control. All of this will help businesses to understand what they’re buying, and how to get the most out of it and make it work over time.

Many of these new modern tools also have digital sign-off features, and/or automated documentation for lockout-tagout events, for example, in Bigfoot’s CMMS Asset Management module. These types of features remove labor-intensive elements of maintenance processes, to save businesses time and money.

Simply put, CMMS save companies significantly as they practice better stewardship of physical resources. Without comprehensive maintenance programs, assets depreciate quickly, and machinery that’s over-wornand falling apart can be more than just a money drain – poorly conditioned equipment can impair productivity and even cause workplace safety issues.

Despite any capital overlay, CMMS systems are often the cheapest and most cost-effective way for businesses to keep on top of maintenance – because without these automations, everything has to be done by hand, usually by highly paid managers, sometimes in very inefficient ways, with duplication of resources.

Increasing Customer Satisfaction

Those who are new to CMMS systems might wonder how they help with customer satisfaction. The short answer is that when assets and equipment are kept in better and more serviceable condition, the resulting products and services have a higher level of quality, and that drives customer satisfaction.

For a more specific example, take a look at this guide to hospitalities maintenance from Hippo CMMS. By improving the flow of maintenance requests, decreasing response times for individual work order tickets, and minimizing downtime, the CMMS tools that a hospitality company uses are actually making that company more effective in serving customers, giving it a better reputation, and allowing workers to provide better accommodations for guests.

In general, by approaching a maintenance system through a set of metrics and achievable outcomes, CMMS systems are making everyone happier — helping maintenance teams do their jobs better, supporting customers in a better way, and helping leadership to make the best decisions in charting the future course of a business.

Boosting Financial Performance

It’s also evident that using some of these automated methods for ongoing maintenance can decrease costs.

This happens in many different ways. Preventative maintenance can save an expensive piece of equipment from malfunction or the need for replacement over a given set of years. Predictive maintenance can decrease labor costs. Changes to certain processes can decrease the cost of core operations. The bottom line is that when companies invest more in their core assets, and maintain the machines that they use, they save money in various ways. Planners might look at a bathtub curve or other long-term result for a set of maintenance tasks, and do things in ways that save more money, both in terms of sourcing, and in terms of utilizing assets in the field.

Companies have a lot of different CMMS systems at their disposal. In these days of cloud-delivered software-as-a-service, many vendors are lining up to offer comprehensive CMMS solutions for client companies. All of these products have slightly different and unique features and functionality. Company buyers can look at a selection platform to compare these software products side by side, and make informed choices.

As a component of what helps companies move confidently into the 21st century, CMMS is a core part of enterprise architecture in a world where data drives business. It’s part of that overall concept of business intelligence creating better outcomes for a company, and other software products assisting human decision-makers in what they do each day. Look for the best CMMS software systems for a company’s size, number of workflow processes, and level of established market share in a particular industry, as well as the company’s budget for software adoption. It’s also important to look at the learning curve and practical logistics for training teams on new software, along with any challenges of implementation that may cause problems for a business.

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