CMMS Benefits
Measuring up the Benefits of CMMS Software
CMMS Benefits and ROI from Computerised Maintenance Management Software may be difficult to calculate and the transition from a manual plant maintenance or asset management system to the use of computerised facilities maintenance or computerized maintenance management software may call for a substantial investment.
The true benefits and ROI on a CMMS implementation will be very much dependent on the suitability of the selected CMMS software package, the effectiveness of its implementation and the commitment of all personnel who are involved in the implementation to the new system.
"When you can measure what you
are speaking about and express it in numbers, you know something about
it; but when you cannot measure it, when you cannot express it in numbers,
your knowledge is of a meagre and unsatisfactory kind."
[Lord
Kelvin 1884]
CMMS Benefits that can be Achieved
Overall, a reduction in the departmental maintenance budget of between 5% and 15% can be reasonably expected. Most vendors sell their packages using some or all of the following benefits.
If all breakdown statistics are collected for the first few months then the areas where preventative maintenance is required will become self-evident. Failure trends will also be self-evident and corrective actions can be identified. If your computerized maintenance management software has a suitable report generator this will make the generation of effective maintenance statistics a speedy, simple task.
ISO9000 Accreditation
What is ISO9000? Basically, it is an internationally recognised certification that is used to demonstrate that a company is able to consistently operate within high quality standards. It can be simply defined as, "saying what you do", "doing what you say" and proving that you have done it. Properly implemented (and operated) computerized maintenance management software can ensure that maintenance departments conform to this standard.
CMMS and Conformance with Health and Safety Standards
Many plant maintenance procedures and safety checks are mandatory. The issue of the correct procedures at the correct time interval becomes an easy task.
Compliance with Industry Regulatory Standards
Some industries such as food processing, pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals require that your asset management systems comply with the national or international standards, which regulate their industry. Several CMMS and FMS software packages list specific industry compliances as a feature. If you require such compliance then you should select an application that does so for your industry.
In conclusion, whatever the claims made by the supplier, one of the main benefits to be gained from maintenance management software is that it helps and encourages the user to focus on good maintenance and preventive maintenance practice. As previously stated, procedures become formalised and organised through having to conform to the requirements of the new system. The two lists below illustrate a few of the common differences in an organised versus a disorganised maintenance department.
Badly Managed Maintenance Problems
- Maintenance is heavily dependent on skilled and specialised trades persons
- No records are kept and much of the equipment history is inside people's heads
- It is impossible to estimate maintenance costs
- High levels of maintenance related overtime are being worked
- Maintenance is perceived by management as a necessary evil
- The greater amount of maintenance man-hours is spent on unplanned work as
- opposed to preventive maintenance or planned maintenance inspections.
Benefits of Well Managed Maintenance
- Management recognise maintenance as an integrated, essential part of production
- Maintenance focus is on making equipment available through increased reliability
- There is an emphasis on analysis of the reasons for down time
- There is a commitment to planned work
- There is an emphasis on training
- Continuous improvement programs are in place
- Operators are involved in the maintenance of their equipment.
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