Published: June 04, 2014  Updated: March 18, 2025

6 Key CMMS Software Features For the Maintenance Manager

If you occupy the position of a maintenance manager, you have a demanding role. Sometimes the duties and responsibilities extend beyond typical work hours. Whether responsible for a single facility, multiple buildings, or a complex machine shop, the sheer volume of tasks and information to track can feel overwhelming. Traditional methods, like paper records, spreadsheets, and file cabinets, often fall short, leading to inefficiencies and potential errors. Let's look at six key features of a computerized maintenance management (CMMS) that will benefit your department and operations.

We frequently discuss the broad advantages of CMMS for organizations, highlighting its capacity to improve efficiency and reduce costs. However, the direct impact on the maintenance manager's daily workflow deserves closer attention. A well-implemented CMMS can significantly enhance a manager's ability to perform their duties effectively.

Empowering Maintenance Managers with CMMS

Organization forms the bedrock of successful maintenance management. A quality CMMS excels in this area by providing a centralized repository for all asset-related information. This includes detailed records of every asset under a manager’s responsibility, such as spare parts, machinery, and facility areas.

Comprehensive Asset Tracking

The CMMS allows for meticulous tracking of asset details, including location, cost, equipment readings, depreciation records, and manufacturer information. By consolidating this information, managers can quickly access critical details. Already, you see the efficiency of this as opposed to searching through disparate files. This centralized approach gives you easy access to all relevant records.

Furthermore, a CMMS helps move you from a reactive mindset to proactive maintenance planning. By storing equipment, inventory, and preventive maintenance lists as well as helping you with maintenance schedules, managers can anticipate maintenance needs and schedule tasks accordingly. The goals: Reduce unplanned downtime and reduce overall costs

Improved Reliability and Reporting

Reliability means you have better production operations. Assets last longer and with better-quality products. Maintenance managers rely on the aforementioned preventive maintenance and subsequent CMMS reports to share with management and accounting.

What about these reports? They can include data on maintenance costs, equipment uptime, and preventive maintenance schedules. They include inventory quantities and usage. They can show work order progress and backlogged work. You can run on-time compliance percentage and attainment reports for better labor usage.

By presenting data in a clear and concise manner, managers can effectively communicate their needs and secure necessary resources. The reports allow stakeholders to see the direct correlation between maintenance actions and the overall health of the company's assets.

Vendor Information

Yes! You can use the CMMS for more than maintenance. Invest in the Vendor/Purchasing modules. Here, you can set up a list of your vendors and input all the contact information and shipping and invoice details. You can process purchase requests and formalize purchase orders.

Discover how streamlined maintenance processes can elevate production. Learn more.

Efficient Work Order Management

A CMMS also formalizes work orders. You input type, priority, location, the details of the job, add checklists, attach documents, and assign the appropriate worker/crew/craft/shift. Look for a CMMS that offers a scheduling calendar, one with drag-and-drop. Place the work orders on the calendar and the system dispatches them to the appropriate parties. With a calendar, you have an oversight of jobs for the week, the month, or a customized date range.

The system keeps track of open, completed, and backlogged work orders. Call up one of those maintenance reports and see the history of work orders, again in any time period you want. This level of accountability helps to prevent errors and ensures that technicians complete assigned tasks. If an incident occurs, the system provides a record of who was responsible and what steps were taken, facilitating investigations and preventing future occurrences. The system tracks the time spent on each task and who performed it.

Time Savings and Increased Efficiency

A CMMS can significantly reduce the time spent on administrative tasks, allowing maintenance managers to focus on more strategic activities. Since the system organizes assets, inventory, preventive maintenance, work orders, and purchasing, supervisors spend less time with minutia and can focus more on the important work.

Reduced Administrative Burden

Imagine no longer needing to search through file folders for warranty cards or vendor contact information. The CMMS provides instant access to this information, saving time and reducing frustration. The system integrates information into a single interface, eliminating the need to use multiple programs.

Demonstrating Financial Value

Ultimately, a CMMS helps to save the company money, which directly benefits the maintenance manager. By demonstrating the financial value of maintenance activities, managers can enhance their standing within the organization.

The Operational and Financial Impact of a Quality

A well-implemented CMMS can improve equipment uptime, reduce maintenance costs, and extend the lifespan of assets. These benefits translate into significant cost savings for the company, making the maintenance manager a valuable asset. The system allows managers to prove the return on investment of maintenance activities.

A properly used CMMS brings better organization and efficiency to your maintenance department. Maintenance managers can transform their roles from reactive problem-solvers to proactive strategists. In time, they'll have positive results to tout to management.

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