August 08, 2016

Why All State Fairs Should Use a CMMS

It’s that time of year again – time for the state fair! As you walk around and gaze at the livestock while eating your corndog and cotton candy, think about how huge of an operation a state fair is. From ride maintenance to vendor setup, everything has to run just perfectly. If it doesn’t, the results could be catastrophic. Not a single year goes by without a story hitting the airwaves of someone being injured on a ride while at the state fair.

Since maintenance and planning are crucial to the success of any state fair, the implementation of a good Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is absolutely critical. A CMMS allows state fair maintenance techs to make sure they have the parts they need, set up preventive maintenance tasks, maintain the fairgrounds, and a host of other things.

One huge benefit of having a CMMS in place is that techs will know exactly what parts they have on hand and what parts they need to order prior to set up. No one wants to realize at the last minute that a critical part of the Ferris wheel is missing! Being able to plan and purchase needed parts prior to opening day can be a great time and money saver. Since necessary parts can be ordered ahead of time, there will be no need to pay a rush delivery fee.

Preventive maintenance is also an extremely important part of avoiding disasters during the fair. The rides go through a lot of wear-and-tear, so it is important that they are maintained properly. A CMMS will allow techs to schedule preventive maintenance checks on the rides on a regular basis, helping to ensure that potential issues are addressed immediately.

Preventive maintenance isn’t always enough though. That’s why it’s also important to have the ability to create and dispatch work orders immediately. A mobile CMMS app can be especially helpful with this because it allows users to create the work orders on-the-fly. And, workers can even attach a picture to the work order for added clarity.

Vendors can also benefit from the fairgrounds using a CMMS. Having the proper supplies and utilities is crucial to any state fair vendor, and a CMMS can definitely help keep track of these assets. It would be a disaster for a vendor to get to their assigned spot and discover that the electrical wiring they need isn’t working – or worse – it isn’t even there! In addition, no one enjoys going to the fair and seeing overgrown shrubbery, cracked sidewalks, and run-down buildings. A CMMS is a great tool for maintaining the fairgrounds and keeping them looking their best, all year round. Vendors benefit from this as well because fairgoers will not want to approach a vendor if their stand isn’t up to par, or if it is hidden by overgrown grass or trees. Keeping vendors happy and returning year after year is definitely a very important, not only to generate money for the fair but also to keep patrons returning.

One often overlooked feature of most CMMS’ is their reporting ability. Managers can use their systems to run a myriad of reports which show things such as maintenance costs, work orders dispatched, PM’s completed, and many other things. These reports help keep maintenance managers on top of everything, and allows for analysis as well.

Just imagine how much of a disaster it could be if a state fair didn’t use a CMMS!