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How is the CMMS for SMEs adapted to the uses of small companies?

How is the CMMS for SMEs adapted to the uses of small companies?

Wednesday 23 march 2022

Not all management software is suitable for all companies. Integrated software packages, such as ERP for example, are a costly solution, difficult to implement and often ineffective in an SME (but are they really for large companies?). Deploying a CMMS for a small business means choosing efficiency, pragmatism, return on investment and ease of use. All the values of human-sized structures in fact.

Thus, small and medium-sized structures are strongly represented among the companies that use CMMS. Here is an overview.

What are the specificities of maintenance management in an SME?

The management of maintenance in an SME is crucial. The company's productivity is directly linked to the availability of equipment. Conversely, poor management leads to recurrent breakdowns and loss of profitability.

Random maintenance management generates prohibitive costs for SMEs

A good maintenance management improves the quality of service by avoiding breakdowns and production stops. It gives a good image to customers. On the contrary, corrective maintenance of equipment generates significant costs. Unplanned interventions are more expensive than scheduled maintenance operations. Spare parts are more expensive when purchased on an emergency basis. In short: when your cash flow is tight, as is the case for most small and medium-sized businesses, it is in your best interest to optimize your maintenance management in order to control your budget.

Maintenance management teams are not dedicated solely to maintenance!

Another specificity of small and medium-sized companies: maintenance management is carried out by multi-skilled technical departments. It is often the technicians who directly manage orders and spare parts stocks, while the team leaders manage the planning of interventions and quotations. The increasing complexity of machines makes it more and more difficult to maintain the production tool. But outsourcing maintenance is not always an economically viable solution for an SME. Internal technical service providers therefore need to rely on agile and efficient CMMS solutions to facilitate their daily work.

Why use a CMMS? Two competitive advantages of CMMS for SMEs

Industry 4.0 solutions are now available to SMEs. Good news for these companies, the new tools are much easier to deploy. New generation CMMS solutions promote project mode operation with maintenance technicians. These easy-to-use software packages do not require deployment by a dedicated IT team.

Competitive advantage n°1: a CMMS solution that is easy to access for users

The first advantage of a CMMS for SMEs is its ease of use. No need to be an IT expert to use the tool! Tablets and smartphones, used daily by maintenance technicians, are the new tool of choice for assisted maintenance. Connected to the maintenance management interface via a mobile application, the technicians manage their intervention schedule and report field data very easily. The CMMS also makes it easy to visualize information using dynamic and automated reports and to use the software data without being a DATA specialist.

 Competitive advantage n°2: the low investment cost of a CMMS software for SMEs

Unlike the budget required for the deployment of ERP software (up to 30,000 euros), the start-up costs of a CMMS are reduced. CMMS offers for small and medium-sized companies include the user license and all related service fees in an "all-inclusive" monthly subscription. The impact on the company's cash flow at the start of the project is considerably reduced. There are no hidden costs which gives a good visibility on the amortization of the software.

Which CMMS functionalities are the most suitable for SMEs?

Say goodbye to fixed IT solutions based on specifications! It's time for agile tools that are perfectly adapted to the needs of smaller organizations.

CMMS for SMEs: traditional software or SaaS solution?

For small and medium-sized organizations that do not have an IT department, CMMS solutions hosted in the cloud are ideal. No need to host maintenance information on the company's intranet. This frees up bandwidth and resources. Most importantly, it eliminates the need to manage data security internally. The other advantage of a CMMS cloud compared to an on site CMMS is that there is no need to renew the computer park. Users can access the software via any device.

The essential features of a CMMS for SMEs

The functional scope of a CMMS software adapts to the company's needs. It is imperative to choose only the modules that will be useful to your business. Inventory management, planning, real-time monitoring of interventions: some are essential. Other functionalities will be less adapted to the activity of a VSE or a SME. It is therefore essential to do some preliminary work with the software solution publisher or a CMMS expert to customize and configure each module.

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