CMMS Software : 5 Keys to Improve Your Equipment Management
Equipment management is at the heart of the functioning of your CMMS software. It is of critical importance to define it, because it is at the center of the interactions between users and their intervention statistics. The easier the access to the information of the equipment page, the richer the information, and the more relevant for the user to update his intervention data entry.
Unfortunately, this aspect has been threatened for years by maintenance management software providers, offering maintenance solutions which provide users with outdated graphical interfaces, as well as entire days of configuration to eventually obtain mediocre results which might discourage users.
We are used to very simple tools in our daily lives, so why would the creation of a piece of equipment be more complicated than publishing an add on an e-commerce website? Here are 5 keys to help you improve easily your future asset management software deployments:
1. Adopt a more efficient nomenclature for your equipment
First of all, we decided to give up the tree view system, and to opt for a new functioning inspired by browsers. Actually, when you are looking for a jewelers in Paris, you do not need to click on “Paris”, then on “list of retailers”, then “jewelers”, and eventually chose the district. You directly enter “Jewelers Paris 8th arrondissement” on Google. The same applies to your piece of equipment in your CMMS software: first the production line, then the machine you are looking for, the subassembly, then the bearing of the subassembly … Why wouldn’t you be able to search directly “bearing on machine X”? However, this still requires a few naming rules.
We recommend you to follow this example: “Name of the machine – Brand – Model – Location – Number of the machine”, which gives: “ABB IRBB 6400 Robot – Painting workshop – N°12 ». This nomenclature allows you to quickly identify the piece of equipment, and to locate it on a production line of your factory. When typing “robots painting workshop”, all robots from your painting workshop will appear.
Sub-assemblies should be named the following way: “Sub-assembly – brand of the sub-assembly – model of the sub-assembly – type of machine on which the element has been mounted – brand and model of the element – location of the piece of equipment – number of the piece of equipment”. The Leroy Somer engine of your ABB robot will be named: “LS180 Leroy Somer engine – IRBB 6400 ABB Robot – Painting workshop – N°12 ».
It is of critical importance to centralize brands and models of all the elements of your equipment. Nowadays, many users of CMMS software do not use these information. Furthermore, entering information using data plates is also supposed to boost data integration.
2. Reorganize the descriptions of your equipment
Equipment descriptions are also a matter of controversy. The user is lost due to all the fields available (brand, model, serial number, voltage, intensity, power, etc.), moreover all these fields differ whether it is a pomp or an engine. In this situation, the user might rather decide not to register any information, and so nobody will be able to benefit from the equipment page. Mobility Work decided once again to make the logic of browsers easier, and to keep only one description field in which the user will enter all the information, regardless of the order. You will be able to find all your 3 kW engine typing “3 kW engine” in the browser.
Access all documents (photos, videos, etc.) and checklists from the equipment sheet in your Mobility Work application.
There are also several application enabling to collect information from data plates and to add them to your equipment page in a few seconds. In any case, you can gather more information than what you are owning now.
Mobility Work allows you to integrate your data for free, whether they come from an Excel file or an existing asset management software, to allow you to try the product in the best conditions.
3. Identify your machines with QR codes or NFC chips
Using QR codes or NFC chips is a real gain of time for production or maintenance operators. All users can start an intervention in a few seconds, add an history or visualize interventions which are part of a maintenance plan.
This feature is very useful for service providers, or for any person joining your maintenance service and who is not familiar with your machines yet.
4. Add picture to your equipment
A good picture of your piece of equipment can really make a difference. Products without a picture are way less attractive on e-commerce websites, and the same goes for your equipment in your CMMS software.
Some factories also assemble several pictures together, for example the picture of an engine on one side and a data plate on the other. This practice always have a positive impact on the adoption of your CMMS software by your users.
5. Use tags to optimize your statistics
Tags, or labels, allow you to customize information regarding your equipment in a transparent way for your users. This information can be related to regulation (abastos, pressurized equipment), to a manufacturing process, a type of equipment, to a priority (bottleneck equipment or not). Attributing these tags allow users to enter an intervention in your maintenance management software to see which tag has been automatically attributed to the intervention, and to obtain a more refined intervention analysis.
Mobility Work application’s Big Data tool helps you make better decisions with customizable indicators.
6. Provide relevant documents
There is another way to rouse the interest of your maintenance technicians regarding your CMMS software: integrating documents on the equipment page (electrical or mechanical plans, hydraulic schemes, official manufacturer documentation, etc.). This information is critical for technicians during a repairing operation, and can be even more useful if available in real time using a maintenance mobile app, which allows to access at a glance to all necessary information while remaining near the machine.
Mobility Work will help you adopt industry 4.0 while making the daily work of maintenance technicians easier, using an efficient mobile app, close to your needs. Do not waste any more time, and adopt next gen maintenance!
