How to Use a CMMS to Improve Property Operations

Improve Property Operations Using a Clear-Cut CMMS Structure

OK, what makes up a remarkable maintenance solution?

We’ve talked about maintenance solutions for a long time.

Over the years, we’ve identified key aspects of a solution that every property leader needs to know about.

In order to ensure that you improve your property operation, you must maximize your use of each area – which we’ll get to shortly.

Here they are:

• Work Orders
• Equipment, Material, and Vendor Management
• Preventive Maintenance

You don’t want to miss out on any of these because that could lead to some serious flaws in your operation.

You might already be missing out, and now you know why.

But, if you become keen on improving your maintenance operation using these essential aspects, you’ll see promising results.

Must-Know Benefits of Your Solution

Let’s break down these key aspects to illustrate their value.

Before we jump in, you might even want to take a moment here to pause and think about your current operation.

What aspects is your property operation lacking?

Work Order Software for Corrective Maintenance

As we mentioned above, when you run a property stuff breaks, which makes having work order software in place nonnegotiable.

What’s a maintenance solution without one? Useless.

You’ll want to get all the details and produce work orders for completing scheduled requests on time.

Work orders are a primary function of your CMMS.

Your ability to manage them will come in handy.

Trust us.

To ensure everything in your operation runs smoothly, works orders must be natural.

Detail is excellent, but so is 'simple.'

Here’s how you can accomplish this:

• Digitally create, track, edit, and automatically communicate these work orders for the best results.

The need to remember everything is reduced when you automate these continuous activities.

Whew.

Consider how convenient it’ll be for your engineers the next time more than one piece of equipment simultaneously stops working.

Ensure Your Property Is Always 'On'

Everything in your property is associated with equipment, material, and vendors.

Do you currently manage equipment, the material related to each, and all your vendors in legacy software or spreadsheet?

We can’t imagine the stress associated.

Tracking equipment information, the associated labor, and vendor information lead to maximum efficiency when done correctly.

But first, you must have an adequate structure in place.

Have ‘Equipment’ information in your software solution detailing:

• Associated Facilities
• Equipment Specifications
• Associated Materials
• Vendor Details
• Warranty Information

Be sure the information is organized and useful.

This also applies to your ‘Materials’ and ‘Vendors.’

In a solution that keeps uptime a constant, everything will be digitally connected.

Here’s what we mean:

• When you need information about one of your vendors, the vendor’s record will give you details of all associated equipment and materials.

Opening the record with the related material will highlight that specific vendor and the equipment.

See how this works now?

When all details are covered like this, you never have to worry about the integrity of your data again.

All of the information is centralized in one location.

You’ll be a highly-effective property leader, the type we write about here.

Equipment, materials, and vendors are the core of your property operations.

It’s time you secure your operation.

You must focus on continuous improvement.

Safeguarding the integrity of your maintenance data will simplify your efforts in no time.

Preventive Maintenance Can Keep Equipment in Tip-Top Shape

Nowadays, preventive maintenance is a must.

CMMS software without preventive maintenance is void.

Preventive maintenance is your solution for ‘preventing’ equipment from breaking in the future.

It’s a proactive measure to ensure your property runs smoothly and looks good – all the time!

Preventive maintenance can help you quickly improve your property operation.

Do you see how all of these critical aspects make up a valuable solution?

Where you have data integrity paired with preventive maintenance, you have improved, proactive maintenance.

At the core of your property’s operation is your ability to be proactive continuously.

There are no days off.

Your solution can’t call in sick – your performance depends on it.

You have many responsibilities and lots of equipment running throughout your property.

• HVAC
• Plumbing
• Electrical
• Furniture
• Exit Signs
• Emergency Lights
• Floodlights
• Sprinkler Heads
• Fire Extinguishers
• Smoke Detectors
• Fire Alarms

The list goes on, and all of these will eventually need repair or break.

With that said, you need to be proactive.

1. Identify the activities that need to be completed for each piece of equipment throughout your property
2. Define the tasks involved with each of your preventive maintenance activities
3. Schedule and oversee your activities using your solution’s preventive maintenance calendar

Your preventive maintenance will more than pull its weight in your effort to improve property operations.

Over to You

Was this a lot to take in today?

Just imagine your future if you didn’t take the time to read this article. Who knows what would’ve happened then, right?

A CMMS can help you improve your operation, but don’t forget; you need the right solution – one that includes the five aspects we’ve mentioned here today.

So, are you ready to use a maintenance solution like we’ve laid out in this article to improve your property operations?

Editor's note: This post was originally published in February 2016 and has been updated for comprehensiveness and freshness.