CMMS Basics and Beyond: How to Get the Most Out of Maintenance Management Software

A P res en ta t i on by Hippo CMMS Sof tw are Exper ts

CMMS Basics & BeyondHOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

AgendaPart 1 Research

Part 2 Purchase and Integration

Part 3 Rollout

Part 4 Post Purchase and System Optimization

I

II

III

IV

Agenda

{ }1Research Needs Assessment & Vendor Search

Needs Assessment

Objective Feature Search

Budget Functionality

Needs Assessment

STEP 1 What are your primary software objectives?

STEP 2 Match the objective with a feature that will

accomplish it.

STEP 3 Determine the functionality that you require.

This is based on 4 factors:

• User Friendliness

• Web Based vs Installed

• Customizability

• Scalability

STEP 4 Craft a preliminary budget

(t) 866.956.2859 (e) [email protected] (w) www.hippocmms.com

Needs Assessment

Pro Tip #1 Just because some of your users have high tech literacy doesn’t mean all of them will. Always push for

extremely user-friendly software!

Pro Tip #2 Read the fine print. Make sure you own your data and can take it with you if you decide to cancel your web-based

subscription. Many vendors allow you to do this, while

some may not.

Pro Tip #3 Don’t “cheap out” on professional services

or training options. These fees are often in addition to

annual license fees. Knowing how to use your system and

setting it up correctly will reduce stress and increase

savings in the long run!


Vendor Search

Q How many vendors should I compare?

A Compare 3 to 4. Too many and you’ll be

overwhelmed. Too few and you’ll miss out.


Vendor Search

Q What is the best approach to finding maintenance

software vendors?

A Use an online software comparison

website such as Software Advice or

Capterra


Vendor Search

Q What should I expect when I go into my software

demos?

A Demos last between 30 min to 1 hour.

Make sure you go in with clear goals and

your needs assessment in mind.


Vendor Search

Q Do you have any advice on pricing expectations?

A Pricing structures vary between vendors.

The factors affecting this are a) No. of users

and requesters, b) No. and size of facilities,

c) size of your maintenance department.


Vendor Search

Pro Tip #4 Keep in mind that users and requesters play two different roles in the system. A requester is one who does not require much

functionality. A simple WO request form to submit through a standard ticketing system will do. They are usually office staff who don’t have direct ties to the maintenance department. A

user is one who needs more software functionality. Their roles often stem from the

maintenance department but can also consist of corporate managers to IT workers to office

administrators.


Vendor Search

Q How long can I expect this process to take?

A The entire process usually takes between

3 to 6 weeks.


{ }2 Purchase and IntegrationDetermine your setup type

Determining Your Setup Type

SELF SETUPRESPONSIBILITY: Solely Business

COST: Free- included in license/ account

activation fee

TIMEFRAME: 3-6 months (depending on

four factors listed in next section)



Pro Tip #5 Start simple and build up. In order to get your account up and running

quickly, we encourage our clients to start small by inputting some data such as asset names and user info first, then slowly add

details to these assets over time. Give yourself data input goals such as plugging in 5 new PM’s a week so you can stay on track. By not overwhelming your workload at the

beginning and adding data in order of importance, you can start tracking info and submitting work orders much more quickly.

Pro Tip #6 Whatever you put into the system, you get out. Although software helps to automate an otherwise manual process, it still relies on people to input accurate data on a frequent basis. If you don’t setup your account properly you

won’t be able to realize all of the benefits that maintenance management software has to offer. It may take time to gather all data needed to be tracked, but it will be well worth it once you begin to use the

system.



Partial Service SetupRESPONSIBILITY: Business and Vendor

COST: $150/hr- $250/hr (depending on

vendor rates and amount of data)

TIMEFRAME: 3 business days to 2 weeks

(starts from time business submits

spreadsheets and is dependent on extent of

customization)



Full Service SetupRESPONSIBILITY: Solely Vendor

COST: $1,500- $20,000+ (depending on

vendor rates and amount of data)

TIMEFRAME: 7 business days to 1 month

(is dependent on size of facility to audit

and extent of customization)


Factors Affecting Setup Type

Setup is faster and easier if you already have a CMMS and can extract and transfer existing maintenance data.

If you allocate resources towards integration, you can hire the vendor to do the work. Or save money and do it yourself!

Self setup takes longer than full service or partial setup. Determine how quickly you need your account up and running.

Setup is quicker with a champion around to spearhead the project.

Existing CMMS & Data Extraction

Integration Budget

ImplementationTimeframe

Dedicated Internal Resource


{ }3 RolloutGet your entire team onboard

9 Tips to Optimize Your Rollout Strategy

• Sign-up for minimum 2 hours training

• Keep it to 1 hour training sessions at a time

• Make topics concise and relevant

• Be aware of different technical skill levels

across users



• Begin each session with a game plan

• Play around with software beforehand

• Create a list of questions to ask



• Permissions allow users to access features/

functions that they need and hide those they

don’t.

• Reduce interface clutter by turning off

functions a user doesn’t need



• Define the flow of your work order process

• Understand user roles and process

inefficiencies

• Correct inefficiencies by reassigning

permissions and tightening up processes



• Web Conference Training

• On-Site Training

• Online Resources

• Ongoing Support



• Conduct a trial with a smaller group of

users

• Test success of system, user permissions,

and email linkage

• After successful testing, rollout to rest of

team



• Identify one or two key users to undergo

training by the vendor

• Have these users pass relevant training

info to the rest of the team



• Vendor manuals may be more complicated

than your team requires

• Create an in house document to outline

one key feature



• Tech-Anxiety stems from the preconceived

notion that new software programs are

difficult to learn

• Choose a user friendly software, stress the

importance of training, and explain the

benefits of a CMMS in relevant terms


{ }4Post Purchase and OptimizationHow to avoid common software pitfalls

Post Purchase Timeline• Assess strengths and

weaknesses• Ensure basic features

work well• Add training sessions• Add user permissions

Medium Term (1-2 months)

• Create maintenance history reports

• Understand reporting benefits

• Get training sessions to cover reporting tools

Long Term (3+ months)

• Continuous training and system learning

• Be in the know with your vendor

• Signup for vendor newsletter and email lists

Short Term (3 weeks- 1 month)


6 System Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

Pitfall #1 You’ve lost your software champion

Pitfall #2 Your database is full of outdated information

• Re-appoint a new software champion

• Receive training from vendor

• Look for proactive vendor support

• Take advantage of free support resources

• Submit 3 up-to-date contacts

• Recognize the responsibility of inputting

quality data

• Clean out clutter internally or hire your

vendor

• Institute a control policy to keep it clean

moving forward:

• Appoint a data removal person

• Create transparent communication

process

• Enforce closing out work order a

mandatory step



Pro Tip #7 If you would prefer to complete this task internally, you can use your software to add automation to the process. Run a report to

determine equipment that should be retired by using filters based on inactive assets. Many systems

will then let you mass delete data in batches for quick and easy data cleaning!



Pitfall #3 Your software is not user friendly

Pitfall #4 Your workflow processes are inefficient

• Ditch your confusing system and get a

new one

• If you opt to keep your current system:

• Invest in more training

• Rely on your software champion for

info

• Streamline your user permissions

for each user

• Map out workflow process from beginning

to end using a flow chart

• Find process gaps and determine ways to

fix them

• Find better ways to perform functions

• Run reports to easily allocate work hours

to tasks



Pitfall #5 Your system has too many bells and whistles

Pitfall #6 Your software is missing a crucial feature

• Your don’t have to use all features a

system has to offer

• Stick to basic features and slowly add

more advanced ones if needed

• Speak with your vendor regarding work-

arounds

• Speak with your vendor regarding

software customization

• Don’t forget to inquire if the vendor

will share some of the cost


Wrap Up1

Research Purchase and Integration

4

3

5

Rollout

Post PurchaseCommon Software Pitfalls

2

THANK YOUTo download the entire CMMS Guide, CLICK HERE


http://www.hippocmms.com/how-to-find-the-right-maintenance-management-software

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CMMS Basics and Beyond: How to Get the Most Out of Maintenance Management Software