Knowledge Base

Top 10 Reasons Facilities Management Software Implementations Fail

1. The importance of implementation planning is underestimated causing implementation tasks to be uncontrolled and unfocused
2. Software requirements are stated in AMBIGUOUS terms and software vendors present their solutions with a can-do attitude
3. Software is selected based on a "perception," not based on a factual evaluation against your needs
4. Implementation is focused too much on software; not enough on project objectives and new management practices
5. Project team members get sidetracked and project loses momentum
6. Level of effort is underestimated and employees are asked to implement the system in their spare time
7. Minor technical system difficulties stall the entire project
8. Implementation efforts are primarily focused on processes with little emphasis on reporting and information needs
9. Project gets near completion, then sputters along with no final go-live and cutover
10. Project is thought to be completed once software is installed and operational

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Maintenance Software Defined

Maintenance software is a tool to help manage and administer the maintenance functions at a commercial property or facility. A major function of maintenance software is to help with the successful execution and reporting of work performed by maintenance technicians, vendors and other maintenance staff.

One size does not fit all!

There are many different types of maintenance software applications with varying levels of complexity, each having its place within a particular industry. The selection, sizing, and proper implementation of the software are critical aspects of a software initiative.

Maintenance software goes by many names:

• CMMS– Computerized Maintenance Management System
• EAM – Enterprise Asset Management (Software)
• Facilities Maintenance Software
• Work Order Tracking Software

Maintenance software handles five key aspects of property and facilities management. Each one is described below:

1. Work Management
2. Preventative Maintenance
3. Inventory
4. Purchase Orders
5. Reporting

Work Management

The primary function of maintenance software is work management – the management of scheduled or unscheduled activities performed by the maintenance, engineering, or operations departments.

• In most maintenance software applications, a work order is created for each activity performed by maintenance personnel.
• Labor, vendor and parts costs incurred to complete a work order can be assigned to the work order and allocated to the department or customer for whom the work order was created.
• Some maintenance software applications allow supervisors to actively manage and distribute the maintenance work to technicians, based on their current workload.
• Examples of unscheduled maintenance work requests are:
  “Too hot in the office.”
  “Leaking sink in the restroom.”
  “Lights are out in the conference room.”
  “Need furniture moved in the office.”

Preventative Maintenance

Preventative Maintenance or PM is a pre-determined maintenance procedure to be performed at a regular interval on a specific piece of equipment or other asset. Most maintenance software applications allow users to set up specific preventative maintenance activities that initiate a preventative maintenance assignment each time the predetermined interval is reached. Examples of preventative maintenance activities are:

• Quarterly filter changes on air conditioning units
• Semi-annual elevator inspection
• Annual fire-safety inspection
• Monthly carpet shampoo

Inventory

Maintenance software enables accurate recording of spare parts (light bulbs, air conditioning filters, etc.) used in the maintenance process. By providing accurate information on parts usage, quantity and location, organizations can make better purchasing decisions. Most maintenance software applications allow for a standard cost to be assigned to each spare part. When a part is used to complete a specific maintenance work order, the cost of the part is assigned to the work order.

Purchase Orders

Many maintenance software applications have a purchasing module available with which users can create, track, and report purchases for materials and services. When a part or service is required to complete a particular work order, the purchase order price is automatically applied to the appropriate work order. By tying this function to the parts inventory function, the maintenance software can be used to automatically initiate purchases when item quantities reach some predefined reorder level.

Reporting

Maintenance software is a central storage repository for operations information and maintenance history. With the information contained in maintenance software, building and facilities managers can get reports of all maintenance activity. The reports can include:

• Summary of total costs for maintenance
• Summary of itemized costs for maintenance (Labor, Parts, etc.)
• Budget planning and equipment replacement reports
• Summary of work performed for specific tenants/customers
• Billable work performed for specific tenants/customers
• Work history and failure analysis for specific equipment items