Published: May 12, 2017  Updated: May 06, 2025

Maximizing Your CMMS: Key Data to Track

Implementing a computerized maintenance management system marks a significant step for any organization aiming for organized upkeep. However, the true value of a CMMS come with key pieces of data track. This article explores fundamental data categories that every CMMS should contain, providing examples across diverse industries and identifying areas for deeper exploration.

List of Assets: The Foundation of Your CMMS

At a starting point, an effective CMMS relies on a comprehensive inventory of assets. This list encompasses more than just machinery; it includes equipment, tools, physical locations, and even cost centers. The guiding principle for inclusion centers on whether a work order can be generated against an item. Each listed asset benefits immensely from a concise description, particularly in environments with multiple identical items, such as numerous pumps in a water treatment facility or a fleet of identical delivery vans. Pinpointing the asset's location within the facility or across a service area prevents confusion and ensures technicians address the correct equipment.

Examples Across Industries

• Manufacturing: Production machinery (lathes, milling machines), material handling equipment (forklifts, conveyors), facility infrastructure (HVAC units, electrical panels), and specific workstations.
• Healthcare: Patient care equipment (ventilators, MRI scanners), building systems (plumbing, elevators), diagnostic tools (laboratory analyzers), and even individual hospital beds.
• Transportation: Vehicles (trucks, trains, airplanes), maintenance tools (specialized wrenches, diagnostic computers), infrastructure elements (bridges, signaling systems), and service depots.

Many advanced CMMS solutions permit the attachment of visual aids like photographs or critical documents, such as safety protocols, directly to the asset record. This capability provides technicians with immediate access to essential details, saving valuable time during maintenance tasks. The concept of an asset register connects directly to asset lifecycle management, a broader topic concerning the entire lifespan of an asset from acquisition to disposal.

< h2 class="blog1">Preventive Maintenance: Proactive Care for Longevity

Preventive maintenance (PM) constitutes a vital function within a CMMS. These are routinely scheduled maintenance tasks performed on assets to mitigate the risk of unexpected failures and reduce downtime. A classic example involves the regular replacement of wear-prone components, such as changing filters in an HVAC system every six months or lubricating bearings on a conveyor belt quarterly. Detailing the specific tools required for each PM task proves invaluable. This foresight allows maintenance personnel to gather necessary equipment before commencing work, leading to more efficient execution. Pre-kitting tools, a related practice, further accelerates the process.

Industry-Specific PM Examples

• Manufacturing: Lubricating machinery components, inspecting safety guards, calibrating sensors, and replacing filters on a schedule.
• Healthcare: Calibrating medical devices, inspecting patient lifts, testing emergency power systems, and performing routine checks on sterilization equipment.
• Transportation: Inspecting vehicle brakes, changing engine oil, rotating tires, and conducting regular maintenance on signaling equipment.

The scheduling and execution of PM tasks directly relate to the concept of reliability-centered maintenance (RCM), a methodology focused on identifying the maintenance requirements of physical assets in their operating context.

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Reactive Maintenance: Addressing the Unforeseen

Despite the best PM efforts, reactive maintenance, the need to address unexpected equipment breakdowns, remains an inevitable part of operations. A well-implemented CMMS plays a crucial role in managing these situations efficiently. When a failure occurs, the CMMS facilitates the creation and dispatch of work orders to the appropriate technicians. The integration of mobile applications, such as MAPCON Mobile, significantly accelerates this process by allowing technicians to receive, update, and close work orders remotely. This near-real-time communication reduces delays and minimizes downtime.

Illustrative Reactive Maintenance Scenarios

• Manufacturing: Repairing a broken hydraulic line on a production press, fixing a malfunctioning sensor on an assembly robot, or addressing an electrical fault in a control panel.
• Healthcare: Repairing a malfunctioning infusion pump, fixing a broken examination table, or addressing a plumbing leak in a patient room.
• Transportation: Repairing a flat tire on a delivery truck, fixing a faulty switch on a railway signal, or addressing an engine malfunction on an aircraft.

The efficient handling of reactive maintenance tasks contributes directly to a company's mean time to repair (MTTR), a critical metric for assessing maintenance effectiveness.

History: Learning from the Past for Future Efficiency

The historical record of maintenance activities performed on each asset offers substantial value for business intelligence analysis. By tracking the cost of repairs over time, organizations can make informed decisions about equipment replacement versus continued maintenance. For instance, a consistent pattern of expensive repairs on an aging machine might indicate that investing in a new asset proves more economical in the long run.

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This historical data serves as a valuable resource for future repairs. Technicians can review past work orders to understand the nature of previous issues, the solutions implemented, and the parts utilized. This access to historical knowledge can significantly reduce diagnostic time and improve the accuracy of repairs. Noting which employee completed a specific repair also allows for the identification of expertise within the maintenance team, enabling the assignment of similar tasks to individuals with proven experience.

The Power of Historical Data

• Manufacturing: Analyzing trends in motor failures to identify common causes or vendors with less reliable equipment.
• Healthcare: Tracking the frequency of repairs on specific medical devices to inform purchasing decisions and identify potential training needs for staff.
• Transportation: Reviewing the history of axle repairs on a fleet of trucks to pinpoint potential design flaws or maintenance procedure inadequacies.

Analyzing maintenance history connects to the broader field of predictive analytics in maintenance, where historical data and sensor information are used to forecast potential equipment failures.

In conclusion, a CMMS acts as a central nervous system for maintenance operations, and the quality of its output directly correlates with the quality of its input. Thoughtful consideration of the essential data points discussed, alongside the specific needs of all relevant departments, ensures that the CMMS becomes a powerful tool for achieving operational excellence.

The strategic inclusion of asset details, PM schedules, reactive maintenance records, and historical data lays the groundwork for informed decision-making and a proactive approach to asset management. Consider how these data points contribute to a holistic understanding of your organization's operational health, offering insights that extend far beyond simple record-keeping.

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