A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) software provides comprehensive oversight of what matters most for maintenance teams. The best CMMS software includes features like managing work orders and parts inventory, automating predictive maintenance activities, enabling proactive maintenance strategies, documenting maintenance activities for compliance, and much more.
Investing in the best CMMS software for your organization can not only keep your operations running smoothly but also help you optimize your efficiency and productivity. However, it’s important to keep in mind that choosing the ideal software for your team is not just about the features and benefits – it’s about finding a solution and a vendor that works for you and your team.
Choosing the right CMMS can be a difficult process. An estimated 80% of CMMS implementations fail to meet expectations due to lack of training and support after the sale. A trusted CMMS partner that provides the post-sale support you need can help you avoid common pitfalls and reap the full benefits of a robust CMMS solution.
Here’s how to choose the best CMMS for your business needs.
Evaluate Which CMMS is Best for Your Team
Whether you are looking for a CMMS software for a small operation or a large enterprise, it is important to choose a CMMS solution that is flexible and scalable to your needs.
For large, multi-site operations, your maintenance team may be in search of a sophisticated and configurable system that can handle a high level of complexity and that can integrate seamlessly with a complex infrastructure of existing systems, from ERP software to SCADA systems. You may also need broad multi-language capabilities and localization features.
Meanwhile, smaller teams may require a simpler solution with a priority on software that is easy to use and quick to get off the ground. And if your company plans to expand, you want a CMMS that can accommodate the growth.
Ultimately, the best CMMS for you is one that can be configured to fit your unique requirements now – and grow with you into the future.
Articulate Your CMMS Goals and Priorities
When assessing the best CMMS software for your maintenance operations, you first need to articulate your maintenance goals and priorities to determine whether a CMMS is right for your team. For example, consider the following questions:
- What are the short and long-term goals for your maintenance team?
- What is your biggest challenge or hurdle keeping you from achieving these goals?
- What KPIs matter most to your team?
- What maintenance strategy are you currently using, and how do you hope to evolve your maintenance strategy in the future?
- What’s working well and what’s not working well in your current maintenance strategy?
- If you have a CMMS already, why isn’t it the best CMMS for your team?
- What training and implementation resources will you need?
- Do you also need professional services from your CMMS vendor? If yes, what kind of services?
4 Key Features to Look For in a CMMS
In Industry 4.0, the purpose of a CMMS is to help drive your business forward, bringing your maintenance team to new levels of efficiency and productivity while reducing unexpected costs and downtime. While there are many critical features that support these objectives, there are four must-haves for the CMMS implementation:
Best CMMS Feature No. 1: Configurability
There’s no one way to manage your maintenance operations. Every industry, company, and maintenance team has individualized needs. The best CMMS software is flexible to meet your unique requirements and scale with you over time.
Best CMMS Feature No. 2: Training and Professional Services
As mentioned previously, not having the right training and support is the #1 reason that CMMS implementations fail. Choosing a robust and flexible CMMS to your exact business requirements is ultimately meaningless if the implementation can’t get off the ground and the solution is not used to its potential.
Find a partner that will provide the support you need both before and after the sale with training, implementation support, and long term professional services to keep your maintenance operations moving in the right direction.
Best CMMS Feature No. 3: Ease of Use
For any maintenance software, ease of use is key, especially for a software meant to make your job easier. Navigation should be simple and intuitive, requiring minimal keystrokes. It should be easy to both enter data into the system and extract meaningful insights from that data.
Best CMMS Feature No. 4: Mobile CMMS / Work Order Software App
Maintenance operations are now driven by real-time, actionable insights. The only way to capitalize on this is with a solution that brings these insights to your team’s fingertips no matter where they are located. The best CMMS software has strong mobile CMMS capabilities, including a best-in-class work order software app.
How to Choose the Best CMMS Software
- Is it configurable and scalable enough to meet your business requirements now and in the future?
- Does it provide the four must-have capabilities described above?
- Does the vendor provide the support that you need to be successful in the long run?
To learn more, see 10 Considerations Before Selecting a CMMS.