Knowing what to look at before purchasing a maintenance management system software will help you make the right purchase. Most maintenance managers get confused when they buy CMMS software because they exist in different types and forms. Before the final stage of the purchasing process, it’s essential to fully understand what you want your business to get from a CMMS application, what is CMMS administrator, and if the software will match your organization’s needs.
A CMMS software can help your organization track, measure, plan, and optimize maintenance and management assets. That may include managing inventory levels, stock, work order management process, and preventive maintenance tasks.
Here are some things you need to consider before purchasing this software.
- Vendor’s Experience
If you’re buying CMMS software from a third party vendor, your initial contact stages should be to understand your requirements. That may be helpful but may also have disadvantages. For example, you may find that you’re engaged with an intermediary who doesn’t fully understand the system’s technical aspects.
Therefore, it’s vital to find out about their experience to know if they’ll provide you with what will fit your CMMS project. If they’ve worked in a similar industry like yours before, they’ll be more likely to understand the type of CMS you require for your business.
- Proposed Costs
Knowing the costs of buying a CMMS system will help you not be scammed and budget effectively. Costs may differ depending on licensing and implementation, adding new users, ongoing support, and future updates.
To help your business avoid getting stuck with unexpected additional costs, your vendor needs to be transparent with pricing right from the beginning. He needs to be clear on the setup costs and the refund policy. Good vendors will also allow you to negotiate on the price or offer you discounts based on your requirements.
- Software’s Use
You can apply CMMS software in various ways depending on your requirements. For example, if you purchase a cloud-based system, you’ll access data flexibly and easily regardless of your location.
On the other hand, an on-premise system is more expensive and has limited access and additional security advantages. If your company has teams in different locations, it may be right to invest in an easily updated system through mobile devices.
However, if your systems only require on-site updates, then a mobile application isn’t a priority. Scaling your system is also a factor you should consider because as your company grows, the software needs to keep up with it.
- Implementation Time
Timelines are essential for every CMMS project. Unplanned downtime of essential business assets can lead to considerable expenditure losses. To avoid incurring such losses, you need to clearly understand how long the system will be set up and fully implemented. The seller also needs to know your projects’ deadlines to effect any changes that may be required during the setup.
- User-Friendliness
If your organization has many employees who need to use the CMMS software, it needs to be user-friendly. It won’t make sense to buy a system that’s difficult to use. Though the data imported and extracted by a CMMS can be complicated, using and inputting the system shouldn’t be. Instead, it should be easy enough for anyone in the team to access and use.
- Available Training And Technical Support
As a business owner, you need to avoid purchasing a CMMS system before training your workers to use it. If you do that, they may encounter usability issues such as a poor UX design, errors, and constant bugs. Therefore, it’s essential to have a training support program for your staff members to know how to handle the software. If any technical support is needed, hire professionals to train your employees on how to handle it.
The Bottom Line
CMMS software performs a lot of duties. Though it’s vital to purchase one that meets your needs, ensure it’s easy to use and mobile-friendly to enable your staff to handle it.
