Businesses large and small can benefit from the use of computerised maintenance management system (CMMS) software, especially if they are able to choose one which reflects their organisational goals and tackle their challenges well. Facilities management can be made more efficient and more cost effective with help from a good package of CMMS software, but how do you know if your organisation needs one?

Do you need CMMS Software?

When deciding if you need to use a CMMS software package, you should be asking yourself:

• Are you able to easily access information on when your equipment, assets and systems were serviced and who carried out the procedure?
• Can you currently track work orders and do you have a system in place to verify that the work was done correctly?
• Are you able to manage and control your inventories of spare parts easily?
• Do you have service staff out in the field, and if so are you tracking their compliance with health and safety and ensuring they are using the right equipment for the job?
• Have you got a system in place to store and manage all your equipment manuals, warranty information and servicing schedules?

If your answers to these questions are vague or missing altogether, then your business could certainly benefit from the capabilities of CMMS.

What can CMMS do for you?

A good CMMS such as QFM CMMS will be able to automate almost everything that is currently done manually by your facilities management staff. Most systems are highly flexible, which will allow you to tailor the programme to suit your unique business needs, and will provide a wealth of advantages over manual maintenance tracking systems.

A typical CMMS software package will include:

• Work order generation and management
• Tracking of work orders and storage of historical records
• Tracking of maintenance schedules
• Storage of manuals, warranties and technical documentation
• Real time reports of current activities
• Cost reports relating to current and past activities
• Mobile and PDA interfaces for field staff
• Inventory management

Depending on the system you choose, you should be able to do many of these activities quicker and more easily than before, saving your business time and money in the long run.