Dave Bertolini discusses some key considerations for your CMMS selection. dbertolini@peopleandprocesses.com

1. The Big Question Answered
By Dave Bertolini, People and Processes, Inc.

2. As a routine provider of i-Presentations and Maintenance Tips
for Reliability Web, I have been repeatedly asked the same
question;
“What’s the best CMMS?”
In an attempt to save my fingers from hundreds of individual
email responses let me answer that for you now.

3. The one you will identify by conducting a needs assessment at
your facility, understanding your operating environment, your
equipment, and your people.
Take the time to include and survey all functional areas to
determine additional CMMS needs. Determine who will
provide these answers. Be cautious to not develop an
unrealistic list of wants. Remember the MM is Maintenance
Management do not let it become a computer system
initiative.

4. The right CMMS is, the one you will fully implement and have
integrated into everyone’s daily activities.
 Ensure everyone in all areas are aware of the time and
resources required to fully and properly implement your
CMMS.
 Develop a plan to implemented all functionality of the
system. It makes no sense to buy it only to underutilize it.
 Use the information gathered during your needs assessment
as the framework for your implementation plan to ensure all
needs are included.

5. The right CMMS is, the one you develop your Standard
Operating Procedures (SOP)document that details the
implementation decisions you made, how you will utilize the
system at your site, and ultimately train your personnel with.
A structured document detailing the implementation is a
requirement for success during and following your CMMS
implementation to ensure maximum system utilization.

6. The right CMMS is, the one you train your personnel in the
utilization of the system and the resident data within it
utilizing your Standard Operating Procedures document.
Train by defined roles and responsibilities to ensure personnel
understand their interface with the system and are capable of
accomplishing their tasks while entering valid and meaningful
information. Equally important is the understanding how to
extract and utilize information.

7. The right CMMS is, the one you will develop an auditing
process to ensure valid historical data collection is occurring.
The auditing process will validate that standardized data
collection is occurring and identify any areas of weakness or
shortcomings to address. A collection of inaccurate or
unstructured non-standardized data yields information of
little value.

8. The right CMMS is, the one you will rely on for all maintenance,
production, and management decisions and actions.
All the work that has been accomplished to select, implement,
and optimize your CMMS was to create an effective
informational infrastructure so you can make sound decisions
based on valid information.

9. There really is no one “best system”, the real answer is almost
any system will work if:
 Implemented properly
 Trained on correctly
 Utilized by all
 Audited routinely to ensure standardized data collection.
People and Processes, more than a name, it’s a way of getting
work done through people and established processes.

10. www.peopleandprocesses.com
www.RAMScenter.com
800-930-4276