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How to choose an industrial maintenance software: the guide

How to choose an industrial maintenance software: the guide

Thursday 17 march 2022

CMMS is a must-have for production sites today. What are the pre-project considerations? What benefits can be expected from such a software tool? How to elaborate its specifications? What are the last steps before you decide? To know how to choose an industrial maintenance software, we propose you a guide in several steps.

Finding your industrial maintenance software is not something you can improvise... 

Choosing a CMMS software for industry: the preliminary steps

Before defining your objectives and writing your specifications, we recommend that you analyze the needs of your industrial companies. Also consider the likely level of support from the teams for the project and the changes involved.

Define your industrial maintenance management needs

CMMS is part of a global IT environment in the company. The maintenance manager works in consultation with the IT department. He chooses software that fits into the company's IT strategy. For example, is it a single-user tool installed on the server or a multi-site and multi-user solution managed on the Cloud in SaaS mode?

What features do you want to have? Find out which ones represent a step forward for your maintenance team and for other users. Don't just copy and paste what you do in Excel. Never omit the ergonomics of the tool in your thinking.

Get the teams involved in the implementation of an industrial CMMS

We recommend communicating with users before writing the specifications for your future industrial CMMS software. Computer-aided maintenance management implies that technicians in particular use it on a daily basis. Without their support for the project, the investment in a computerized management solution is useless.

Think about change management upstream of the industrial CMMS project

For the same reasons, such a project requires thinking about change management within the company. Many departments are concerned. Maintenance, new works, methods office, management control, production management, accounting, all intervene in the process of a computerized CMMS. Are you opting for a CMMS tool that pilots analytical costs with an interface between purchases and accounting? The active participation of financial staff is essential.

How to choose an industrial maintenance software: the benefits generally expected

Before writing the specifications for your future industrial CMMS software, think about the objectives you are pursuing. Here are the main advantages put forward by companies that have taken the plunge.

Better management of the planning of maintenance interventions

Industrial companies often have multiple manufacturing, storage and shipping facilities. Technicians specialize either by sector in the plant or by field such as fluids, cold management, automation, building, etc. With a CMMS tool, the manager can more easily supervise the scheduling of interventions, on-call duty, absences and vacations of his teams.

A reduction in the time spent on industrial maintenance by the teams

Thanks to a better adequacy between internal resources and external contributors and the needs in curative and preventive maintenance, the work is rationalized. In addition, you can track the time spent by the maintenance team and gain in readability. You benefit from historical data for all equipment in order to optimize future interventions. All this contributes to reducing maintenance time.

A better knowledge of industrial maintenance costs

With CMMS software for the industrial sector, you define your activity management indicators. All the data is available in the tool, intervention time and cost, spare parts, duration of machine stoppages or breakdowns, fluid consumption, etc. For management control, CMMS is an essential source of information for measuring maintenance performance.

A solution for a better follow-up of purchases and stocks of spare parts

If you are wondering how to choose an industrial maintenance software, ask yourself about the management of purchases and stocks of parts, consumables, oils and lubricants. The role of maintenance is to guarantee the proper functioning of equipment without unexpected shutdowns. A precise follow-up of the stocks as well as the contracts of external contributors is necessary.

Historical information for all equipment for decision making

To make investment decisions, such as replacing an obsolete machine, the CMMS provides precise information and figures. The use of indicators makes it possible to know, for example, if the average maintenance cost is becoming prohibitive in view of the performance of the plant's various equipment.

Choosing an industrial maintenance software: knowing how to build the specifications

After these preliminary considerations, it is time to write the specifications for your future CMMS. Here are our tips for successfully carrying out such a project in your industrial company.

Implementing a CMMS for industry: defining the company's objectives

This is the first step. Why do you want to install a CMMS in your industrial sites? Who are the users? What results do you hope to get from it? Look for a tool that includes the features you really need.

Technical criteria of a maintenance software for industry

Describe your needs in terms of technical environment. Analyze the interfaces with other tools such as an ERP that manages industrial production and accounting. What type of hosting are you looking for? Do you want a CMMS installed on your own servers or in the Cloud? Do you prefer a solution in SaaS (Software as a Service) mode or to buy licenses?

Functionalities and ergonomics of the CMMS software for industry

In this part of the specifications, describe the features you want to use. Explain the desired ergonomics, on mobile, tablet, PC, etc. Do you want a tactile solution or one that is accessible for certain operations while disconnected from the network? What is the offer in terms of management indicators, intervention reports and dashboards? How to set up access rights and user profiles?

The financial aspects of CMMS specifications for the industrial sector

If you are wondering how to choose an industrial maintenance software, do not omit the financial part of the CMMS project.

Whatever CMMS application is chosen, the following criteria influence the cost of the software:

  • number of licenses, multi-company, multi-site 
  • specific developments added to the standard CMMS offer 
  • number of days of services provided by the CMMS supplier to install the tool 
  • cost of key-user and end-user training 
  • cost of annual maintenance (except in the case of SaaS solution, all-inclusive formula) 

The other steps to choose a CMMS software in the industry

After sending the specifications, you will have to select an offer. Reducing the number of software products to be examined, finding out about the service providers and analyzing their support services are the last steps before making a decision.

Pre-select software solutions for a demo of their CMMS tools

When you receive the answers from CMMS suppliers for industry, it's time to make a first selection by making a short list of companies to meet. Organize a demonstration of the selected software. Use a grid to analyze each offer.

Obtain customer references from CMMS software publishers

Do not neglect this step. The supplier of a CMMS solution for industry must offer you references from companies that use their tool. Ask for information and, if possible, meet the maintenance manager of one or more of these customer companies. There's nothing like talking about concrete things!

Analyze the peripheral elements of the CMMS software: durability, service, assistance, etc.

Finally, check the durability of the company you are about to contract with. Get a description of the support system as well as the support method to implement the CMMS solution.

At Yuman.io, we help companies in the industrial sector to manage their computerized maintenance. If you want to know more about our tools, here are some other articles:

Industrial Maintenance Costing
Role of Industrial Maintenance Software

 

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