One of the most important aspects of running any type of maintenance department is keeping up with preventative maintenance. Whether it is checking the oil in the landscaping equipment, lubricating parts on large equipment, or simply changing out air filters at a motel so that the HVAC system runs more efficiently, preventative maintenance needs to be done regularly. However, it’s often overlooked or pushed aside for daily work orders.
Without a reliable system in place, maintenance is often taken care of after it’s too late. That causes problems such as equipment failure, department downtime, more workload for employees, and poor customer service.
How Does CMMS Help with Preventative Maintenance Schedules?
Computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) allows you to do automated work orders, asset tracking and preventative maintenance planning. There are a number of reasons why this is important:
- Planned Maintenance. Predictive maintenance is a far superior option to reactive maintenance because predictive maintenance allows you to minimize those surprises that end up costing more money or causing downtime.
- Extending Life Expectancy. By keeping your large (and small) equipment maintained on a regular schedule, you are extending its lifespan and fulfilling the warranty requirements should there be any issues.
- Better Time Management. By having a set schedule for preventative maintenance, time is managed easier, since you do not have to figure out how to fit in maintenance tasks. With CMMS, you simply set up the time you want preventative maintenance done and the work order is automatically sent to the technician when that time comes. This allows for the regular work orders to be sent out as well, and there are no scheduling conflicts that take up valuable time.
- Automatic Alerts. Once the preventative maintenance schedule is set up, automatic alerts allow you to keep up with your planning and scheduling so nothing is forgotten or overlooked.
- Robust Reports. By being able to access your maintenance procedures and repair history, you can better keep up with what is going on and can access all the details related to a preventative maintenance work order.
All of this combined helps reduce costs and allows more freedom to focus on other important tasks, such as the following:
- Keep track of work orders.
- Locate small issues before they become larger and more expensive problems.
- Track labor costs and time spent on specific jobs.
- Protect your investment by keeping equipment maintained properly, thus extending its life. For example, according to UE Systems, poor lubrication can affect up to 30 percent of a plant’s maintenance costs every year.
- Track whether it is best to make another repair on a piece of equipment or if it is less costly to buy a new one.
How Easy Is Preventative Maintenance?
CMMS software and preventative maintenance go hand in hand. You have the option of setting up preventative maintenance schedules that are specifically tailored to your needs: daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. You can also set up preventative maintenance tasks by meters and mileage, making it easy to keep up with precisely when these tasks need to be completed.
Simply put, CMMS preventative maintenance schedules reduce downtime, save money, and just as importantly, allow you to create a schedule that fits your maintenance department’s needs. Contact Novo Solutions today to learn how to put CMMS Software to work for you!
Author: Kim Hill from Scripted.com
