A well-configured and utilized computerized maintenance management system in your organization will no doubt lead to improved maintenance effectiveness. So you how do you ensure successful implementation in the first place? Poor preparation and implementation planning may cause rejection from the users and result in inaccurate data and unreliable reporting.

Here are 7 essential steps for successful implementation of CMMS.

  1. Analyze Needs and Set Goals

Start by analyzing your needs and defining strategic goals as this would make sure that various project decisions bring real value to the organization. Develop short and long term goals of what you want the CMMS to accomplish, some of which may include inventory control, maintenance labor and material cost tracking, and planning and scheduling maintenance activities. At the same time, it is also critical to determine how you can interface the CMMS system with your existing enterprise resource systems or accounting system.

  1. Define and Manage the Scope of the Project

Define the project scope before you purchase a solution as it can potentially influence the selection process. Start by reviewing the existing systems, maintenance contracts, data sources and processes. Identify all the areas that can benefit from automation and check if you can improve the workflows. Try to streamline your processes based on the industry’s best practices. It would also be a good idea to check if your vendor has maintenance expertise and if the best practices have been effectively incorporated into the software.

  1. Capture Essential Data

You cannot expect CMMS to achieve its goals if you don’t have complete or accurate asset data. Look at the data you already have, the data that is missing and determine how you are going to capture that data. You must make a project plan and secure a budget to get all the data into the system before it goes live. Ensure that the preventive maintenance software has a user-friendly data migration tool which can import a wide range of data pertaining to assets, resources, locations, and contracts from Excel in a quick and structured way. You may also need to import data, layouts, and geometry from CAD/BIM. In case of obsolete or missing data, take the help of mobile apps as they can significantly reduce the time needed for entering data and improve accuracy.

  1. Seamless Integration of CMMS Software

Integration holds the key to getting the most value from facility maintenance software. Your vendor must ensure smooth integration with various external systems such as financial and ERP software, IoT sensor networks, etc. This type of integration allows the data to flow through different platforms, thus making the entire experience seamless for all users. Moreover, you can even gain insight into the full asset life cycle and benefit from reliable, end-to-end performance reporting.

  1. Configure Software Based on Needs

The flexible self-service CMMS model is becoming the norm instead of the previously popular heavily customized vendor-dependent delivery models. Most maintenance professionals these days choose standard software solutions that have embedded the best practices and are configurable by the end user. If the software is too rigid, the customers will stay away from it and start using outdated processes and tools. Remember that configurable templates and process flows are integral for successful CMMS implementation.

  1. User Adoption and Change Management

Don’t be surprised to see some resistance to CMMS implementation. Regardless of how good your new solution is, change will be challenging for some and if you can’t get people to accept it, CMMS won’t deliver the expected value. Keep communication channels open and keep the employees abreast of the project’s progress at all stages before deploying it. Also, try to show all stakeholders how they will benefit from the new software.

  1. Train Users

You must train the users before the software goes live. Under-trained staff is one of the main reasons for failed CMMS implementation. Provide flexible learning opportunities on an ongoing basis. Numerous CMMS vendors provide training in many forms that range from onsite to online. Vendor training will allow more accuracy via their ability to answer questions and provide examples in real time.

The best asset management software may comprise numerous amazing features that will help you achieve great success, but at the end of the day, it is the people handling the software who can really bring out the true value and potential of the system.

If you are interested in deploying an industry-leading CMMS software that has great features, a user-friendly framework and competitive pricing, request a live demo of our NEXGEN Asset Management Software today!