computerised maintenance information system

What is Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)?

Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is a software that holds information about maintenance operations and makes use of the data to provide status reports or summaries of maintenance activities. Sophisticated CMMS can also provide insights for better prioritisation of resources, maintenance efficiency and cost savings.

Common names

There are other popular names used by the industry to refer to the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). They are:

  1. Computerised Maintenance Management Information System (CMMIS)
  2. Facility Management System (or software) for buildings and structures.
  3. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system (or software)

Industries that use it

CMMS is commonly in use by these industries

  1. Manufacturing industries to ensure machines are humming along with scheduled preventive maintenance and that reactive maintenance carried out in a fast and effective manner.
  2. Utilities infrastructures such as power plants and water treatment plants.
  3. Fleets of vehicles and vessels.
  4. Building facilities such as Hospitals, stadiums, tourist attractions and more.

Examples of maintenance in action in an office building:

  1. Responding to an alert from the tenant that one light blub on the ground level is flickering;
  2. A scheduled inspection of the central compressor every three months to ensure that there is no blockage and operating at optimal status;
  3. Arrange for the cleaning of exterior building glass surface every 12 months and more

A CMMS helps to maintain or raise the service level of the building, helping the landlord to maintain or improve the level of comfort and safety to the tenants and users of the facility. A higher level of comfort and safety help the landlord to keep its assets well tenanted and even charge a higher rent.

Some vendors create CMMS products built from the ground up for particular industry sectors (e.g. the maintenance of fleets of vehicles and vessels; shopping malls and power plants).

CMMS can come with the following modules to support maintenance work:

  1. Equipment/Asset data management
  2. Preventive Maintenance
  3. Work order system
  4. Workforce allocation
  5. Scheduling/Planning
  6. Vendor Management
  7. Inventory Control
  8. Budgeting and purchasing
  9. Asset Tracking

Software as a service (SAAS)

Many CMMS packages are web-based and hosted by the vendor selling the CMMS on an external server. Clients only have to pay a monthly fee without having to work about the technical know-how and manpower needed to maintain an IT system. It is key that the CMMS has a mobile application version that allows workers to access information on site. They can also use the mobile application to capture pictures and footages to send back to the supervisor and team.