Introduction
A CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) is software that helps manage information and processes related to the maintenance of machinery, equipment, vehicles, and other physical assets. A CMMS system facilitates the planning, scheduling, execution, and monitoring of maintenance tasks, as well as optimising equipment utilisation and availability.
A CMMS system can bring many benefits to various industries and sectors where physical infrastructure is key, such as manufacturing, energy, construction, transport, or services. In this article, we will present the basic functions and advantages of a CMMS system, as well as indicate which companies can benefit from it.
How does a CMMS system work?
The foundation of a CMMS system is its database, which contains information about the assets that need to be maintained, as well as the equipment, materials, and other resources required for this purpose. The database supports various system functions that enable the following capabilities:
- Resource and employee management: tracking available employees and their qualifications, assigning specific tasks and creating teams, organising shifts, and managing pay rates.
- Asset registry: storing, accessing, and sharing asset information, such as: manufacturer, model, serial number, equipment class and type, associated costs and codes, location and position, performance and downtime statistics, documentation, videos and images related to repairs, safety procedures and warranties, availability of meters, sensors, and Internet of Things (IoT) instrumentation.
- Work order management: usually considered the core function of a CMMS system, work order management includes information such as: work order number, description and priority, order type (repair, replacement, scheduled), cause and resolution codes, assigned personnel, and materials used. Work order management also includes capabilities for: automating work order generation, reserving materials and equipment, planning and assigning employees, teams, and shifts, reviewing status and tracking downtime, recording planned and actual costs, and attaching documentation, repair, and safety media.
- Preventive maintenance: automating work order initiation based on time, usage, or trigger events. Using preventive maintenance to organise and combine assets across multiple work orders. Sequencing and scheduling preventive work orders.
- Materials and inventory management: inventorying, distributing, and reclaiming maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) equipment and materials in storage areas, distribution centres, and facilities. Managing suppliers, tracking inventory costs, and automating replenishment.
- Reporting, analysis, and auditing: generating reports from various maintenance categories, such as asset availability, material consumption, labour and material costs, supplier ratings, and more.
What are the benefits of a CMMS system?
A CMMS system can bring many benefits to an organisation that implements it. Here are some of them:
- Increasing productivity: a CMMS system helps increase equipment efficiency and reliability, reduce breakdowns and downtime, improve the quality of products and services, reduce lead times for work orders, and increase customer satisfaction.
- Improving asset management: a CMMS system helps better manage the asset lifecycle, from purchase, through installation, use, maintenance, to disposal. A CMMS system also helps monitor asset condition and value, optimise their utilisation and allocation, and plan equipment replacement or modernisation.
- Cost savings: a CMMS system helps reduce maintenance-related costs, such as: labour, materials, energy, tools, spare parts, storage, transport, equipment rental, outsourcing, insurance, penalties, and compensation. A CMMS system also helps increase savings resulting from preventive maintenance, such as: extending equipment lifespan, reducing the risk of breakdowns, improving safety and compliance, and reducing losses and waste.
- Strengthening safety and compliance: a CMMS system helps ensure the safety of employees, equipment, and the environment by preventing breakdowns, ensuring proper staff training and certification, applying appropriate procedures and standards, documenting and tracking maintenance activities, conducting regular inspections and tests, and eliminating hazards and unsafe conditions. A CMMS system also helps meet legal and regulatory requirements by maintaining up-to-date and accurate documentation, generating reports and evidence, easily sharing information with auditors and supervisory bodies, and preventing violations and sanctions.
Who is a CMMS system for?
A CMMS system is useful for any organisation that owns and maintains physical assets essential to its operations. A CMMS system can be used in various industries and sectors, such as:
- Manufacturing: a CMMS system helps manage production machinery and equipment, ensuring their efficiency and reliability, as well as controlling the quality and quantity of manufactured goods.
- Energy: a CMMS system helps manage power plants, distribution networks, turbines, generators, and other elements of energy infrastructure, ensuring their safety and efficiency, as well as minimising emissions and fuel consumption.
- Construction: a CMMS system helps manage construction sites, installations, equipment, and building materials, ensuring their durability and functionality, as well as taking care of aesthetics and user comfort.
- Transport: a CMMS system helps manage vehicles, vessels, aircraft, and other means of transport, ensuring their efficiency and safety, as well as optimising routes and travel times.
- Services: a CMMS system helps manage facilities and equipment used to provide services, such as: hotels, restaurants, hospitals, schools, offices, shops, and others. A CMMS system helps ensure high service quality and satisfaction, as well as increase customer loyalty and trust.
IPLAS CMMS Panel
The IPLAS CMMS panel was developed using our extensive experience and taking into account user needs. The goal of this tool is to provide users with efficient maintenance management in an intuitive, simple, and effective way.
IPLAS CMMS functionalities include:
-
Failure Reporting: Users can easily report failures using a simple form that allows them to specify the location, type of problem, and attach a description and photos.
-
Ticket Handling: The system allows for monitoring ticket status, offering a simple interface to add failure categories, descriptions, parts used, and assign human resources.
-
Ticket History: Provides an archive of all tickets along with their resolution and documentation, enabling easy access to the history of interventions.
-
Preventive Work Planning: This feature enables planning and scheduling preventive work, automatically generating work orders, and creating lists of preventive activities, making it easy to add new machinery and infrastructure to the system.
-
Failure Analysis: Enables easy monitoring and analysis of the frequency of failures on individual machines or in specific production areas.
-
Access Control: The system offers the ability to customise access permissions for different users, depending on their role in the organisation.
-
Interface Personalisation: Users can create individual dashboards using the most important and useful data. The interface allows for easy dragging and dropping of modules, resizing, and changing their layout, ensuring optimal visibility and accessibility of key information.
Summary
A CMMS system is software that helps manage information and processes related to the maintenance of physical assets. A CMMS system facilitates the planning, scheduling, execution, and monitoring of maintenance tasks, as well as optimising equipment utilisation and availability.
A CMMS system can bring many benefits to an organisation, such as: increasing productivity, improving asset management, cost savings, and strengthening safety and compliance.
A CMMS system can be used in various industries and sectors where physical infrastructure is key, such as: manufacturing, energy, construction, transport, or services. A CMMS system is useful for any organisation that owns and maintains physical assets essential to its operations.
