When planning to implement a CMMS, there may be some concerns you or your organization may have:
How do we update our CMMS information in real-time?
What ways can my technicians respond to work orders most efficiently?
Is there a way my team can learn to navigate through CMMS Software without tons of training?
With the rapid change to technology in organizations, facility maintenance management has adopted new devices to improve how teams stay connected. This is most noticeable with the use of mobile devices, which so far, has been some of the most influential hardware in the 21st century. Now more than ever, numerous industries equip their staff with tablets, laptops and smartphones which give each user simple-to-use and on-the-go access to company information. It also gives maintenance management the ability to look up and report data in real-time. If you are reading this, chances are people in your industry use some form of mobile technology as a means to communicate workflow and update company information.
Mobile devices have become a source of interest among users of facility management and CMMS; here are 3 benefits of using a mobile CMMS app.
1. Real-Time Access to Data
With CMMS software, a question many users ask themselves is, “How do we integrate a CMMS that allows our staff to access and update work orders while on the go?” If your company has maintenance staff who work throughout the facility in remote locations, supervisors that are constantly on the go, and technicians who travel to do service calls, then having them use stationary desktop computers becomes less practical for updating property management maintenance software. This is where mobile devices, most notably smartphones and tablets, allow teams to react and respond more quickly to work orders as well as CMMS reporting to be more accurate.
According to Market Researcher Taylor Short, mobile devices are an easy way for organizations to access web-based CMMS data. Taylor also explains the importance of real-time data; to track labor cost, inventory and manage work orders more accurately.
“Technicians often work in the field. The use of mobile devices has become prevalent in this market, providing personnel with the capability to immediately update records and make data available across the organization.”
– Taylor Short, Software Advice
If you are looking to track reporting on maintenance costs, mobile tools allow staff to be able to update work orders on the spot as soon as it is completed. This allows information to be updated more quickly.
Technicians now can update the status of work orders directly from a smartphone or tablet and have it be displayed in real time. With this, supervisors can now monitor work order progress in their CMMS more effectively, no longer needing to track down their team and find out what is being worked on.
2. Work Order Efficiency
Work orders can now be submitted from any web-enabled mobile device as well as receive notifications of when preventive maintenance is due for completion. Maintenance management involves work orders and preventative maintenance that is often time-sensitive. More importantly, organizations know the value in efficiency with reporting maintenance information, responding to demand work orders and completing preventative maintenance on time. Web-enabled CMMS software allows work orders to be sent to-and-from mobile devices immediately after they are submitted. Technicians now receive emails notifying them of when preventive maintenance is scheduled to be done or what new repairs are requested. This cuts down on response time and overdue maintenance; work orders can be completed more quickly as well as supervisors can detect when preventative maintenance is due in advance.
Maintenance Software Specialist of MPulse Software, Steve Brous, wrote about how CMMS technology has seen its greatest efficiency by users in having mobile device capability. He says,
“Organizations using mobile devices in maintenance operations are reporting some impressive efficiency gains. 43 percent of respondents reported a significant increase in efficiency, with another 28 percent reporting a moderate increase. That’s encouraging, because increased efficiency is what CMMS users want most of all, and mobile devices are helping them get there.”
– Steve Brous, MPulse Software
In a nutshell, CMMS software works more efficiently when users have access through their mobile devices.
Many web-enabled mobile devices now use basic touch-screen controls which have become the norm among handheld devices. This reduces the workload on training – with most people already owning a smartphone, navigation of new CMMS software becomes much more streamlined. With CMMS on mobile devices, technicians can navigate through work orders with simple dropdown lists and menu screens. A simple touch on their screen allows them to view all work order details and update its status.
Before using CMMS,, often times managers used Excel sheets and folders to track their work orders, PM’s and maintenance costs. However, the challenge with this system was keeping information organized and up-to-date. Aspects such as labor cost and inventory levels change constantly throughout the day, so keeping accurate values becomes difficult if there are too many spreadsheets and folders to track. With CMMS, work order status is directly connected to inventory and labor tracking information. This means that as work orders are completed, changes to other categories are updated as well. On mobile devices, now your CMMS can be updated in real-time as technicians use their tablet or smartphone to update work order status. With CMMS always available on hand, all work order statuses and maintenance costs for the day are submitted before technicians even return to the office at the end of the workday.
Ultimately, mobile devices are quickly becoming a standard platform for updating data in real-time, staff responding to work orders more efficiently, and the freedom to navigate CMMS with more simple controls. Our daily use of smartphones, tablets and other handhelds in our personal lives make using mobile devices a natural and successful fit for using CMMS in our facilities.
CONCLUSION:
Ultimately, mobile devices are quickly becoming a standard platform for updating data in real-time, staff responding to work orders more efficiently, and the freedom to navigate CMMS with more simple controls. Our daily use of smartphones, tablets and other handhelds in our personal lives make using mobile devices a natural and successful fit for using building maintenance software in our facilities.
Work Cited:
Steve Brous, Maintenance Maven, The Official MPulse Software Blog – https://www.mpulsesoftware.com/Mobile-CMMS-Technology-is-Now-a-Must-Have-Blog
Taylor Short, Market Research Associate, Software Advice –
