CMMS Software Selection Mistakes (Part 2)

If your organization is looking for a CMMS/ maintenance software solution you need to be aware of common mistakes that can happen during the selection process. This post is a continuation of the previous post CMMS Software / Maintenance Software Selection Mistakes that explored a few of these pitfalls. In this second part we discuss a few more pitfalls that one should watch out for.

 More CMMS software selection pitfalls!

1. Having unclear objectives of what you want to accomplish or having overly ambitious objectives: The maintenance software is a tool that can help you accomplish specific objectives. It is not a magic bullet to fix maintenance program problems. Once you understand this, define clearly achievable goals which are measurable e.g. complete most outstanding work orders in 2 days (average days to complete), reduce work order backlog by 10%, reduce equipment downtime by 10%, reduce unplanned/ breakdown maintenance by 20% and so on. Make sure that everyone agrees on these objectives. Prune out items that require too much effort and commitment from maintenance technicians – either they will not get done or the technicians will fill up the system with useless information to meet targets resulting in the classic garbage in, results in garbage out. You may want to see the post Key Maintenance Management Statistics For Maintenance Planners for information on useful maintenance management statistics that can be collected to help you define realistic goals.
2. Giving too much importance to maintenance software reviews: While CMMS software reviews can be useful one must understand who did the reviews and the target audience for these reviews.
3. Not trying the software before you buy: Avoid making decisions based on a pretty demo or slick presentation from sales staff. Each organization is slightly different. What will work really well for one may not work as well for another. So you really need to have your people try an actual working copy of the software before you make a decision. Most maintenance software companies offer trials of their software that you can download and evaluate. This will help you identify potential issues at your site based on your use of the software.
4. Focusing too much on a budget to select the software: You may have been given a fixed amount within which you can buy CMMS software e.g. $1,000. Avoid using this number to throw out solutions that cost say $1,500 or even $2,000. The additional features or better work flow of the more expensive product may pay for itself in a short time. For example we have an example case study called CMMS justification, benefits & return on investment (ROI) that shows a payback of nine months for most editions of FastMaint CMMS software. Utilize something like this case study to see if you can justify a higher purchase cost if you find something better but just out of your budget.

In conclusion:

Have a look at our recently updated CMMS Software guide for more information on criteria to use when selecting maintenance software for your organization. It covers 15 different questions to ask to help you identify the right maintenance software for your organization. With hundreds of products available identifying the right one for your organization can be a challenge!

Additional Resources:

1. “Ten Pitfalls To Avoid When Selecting A CMMS/EAM” from Industrial Maintenance & Plant Operations magazine has some useful tips for looking for an enterprise level CMMS program.
2. “50 questions to help your CMMS search” from the Plant Maintenance Resource Center.
3. “Computerised Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS)” also from the Plant Maintenance Resource Center for an overview of CMMS systems, use & implementation.