Computerized maintenance management software is changing the game for companies of all sizes. Maintenance managers have been hindered by problems such as how long it takes to get repairs to equipment completed and the rest of the business is often impacted by the unavailability of the equipment, as well as a lot of other consequences. Over the last few years, more companies have been exploring the benefits of using preventative maintenance to tackle the problems associated with failed equipment.
These companies have been leveraging many benefits from utilising preventative maintenance programs, including:
1. ROI
Whatever the industry, whenever a company makes an investment in software or anything else, achieving Return on Investment is really important for any profitable business. The initial outlay when a business decides to buy software is one cost that will need to be justified but there are also plenty of additional costs such as training staff to use the software, subscription, and maintenance. ROI can often be difficult to calculate accurately, but an interesting study conducted by Jones Lang LaSalle revealed that preventative maintenance achieved an ROI of 545%. This factored in the cost of replacing equipment, the impact preventative maintenance has on expected life and the impact on energy consumption, amongst other considerations.
2. Increased Uptime
When critical equipment is broken, or out of use whilst being maintained, this can be highly disruptive to the operations of a business. By implementing a CMMS program, equipment maintenance can be scheduled so that it has a lower impact on operations compared to if there was an unexpected major malfunction during peak usage. Preventative maintenance ensures that there are shorter periods of disruption, resulting in increased uptime overall.
3. Better Inventory Planning
One of the biggest problems around equipment maintenance is that it can often take weeks for parts to be sourced and delivered. However, with preventative maintenance, maintenance managers will have a clear idea of what parts will require replacing and can order them in advance to ensure they can be replaced at the most appropriate time. So, there is no waiting for the parts to get delivered, or the disruption to the business that would be caused whilst waiting for the parts to arrive.
4. Improve Resource Management
Companies are better able to manage the resources that are dedicated to equipment maintenance. Because work is scheduled out ahead of any major works required, the required resources can be planned in. It also means that the resources are not over-scheduled in times where no maintenance is required, as this can be costly to the business. Also, where there are similar types of equipment, one maintenance technician can deliver the work on all of the equipment, instead of requiring additional resources.
5. Stay within Annual Budget
Due to the more scheduled approach, there are much less unexpected maintenance costs that will appear during the budget year. Also, the cost savings that are possible through reduced labor costs, fewer operational disruptions and the reduction of unexpected major malfunctions will help budget owners to reach their targets. When there is an unexpected major malfunction, many companies will pay a team of technicians overtime until the issue is fixed because of the impact of downtime. With a preventative maintenance plan, paying overtime and the inflated costs associated with this should no longer be required.
These are just five of the main benefits that utilizing CMMS is delivering for businesses but when implemented well, there are even more opportunities for cost savings and increasing operational efficiencies. Therefore so many businesses are switching over to this innovative approach to equipment maintenance.
