CMMS Software Provides Too Much Information

Ever been accused of being an micro-manager or too detailed oriented.  If so, you've probably used sayings like 'the devil is in the details' or 'detail is the path to success'.  But when does information become too much?  When do you stop being productive and become crippled by information?  If you are using a CMMS Software, you are probably right in your element, managing the loads of information collected from work orders, preventive maintenance or assets will indeed allow you to make better decision.  Let's take a look at some concepts that might help determine when you have indeed crossed that line from information seeker to micro quantum physics researcher. 

A good CMMS Software solution will constantly be gathering up data for you.  When information is readily available and can help you make better, more informed decisions, you know you have a good tool in your hands.  The real strength of an effective solution is provide you with the four basic types of data:

Can you easily answer the following basic questions:

• Where did the problems happen?
• Who fixed it?
• When did it get fixed?
• How long did it take?
• Which equipment needed repair?
• How much did it cost to fix it?

How about some of these more comlplex ones:

• What is the life expectancy of my equipment?
• Which part of my facilty is trending with more problems?
• Which of my maintenance staff needs more training?
• How effecient is my preventive maintenance plan?
• Can I save money on overtime by rescheduling tasks?

Having data at your disposal is only effective when you can sort through it and apply it to your every day process.  As your questions get answered, you can put yourself in a position to positively affect your bottom line by dramatically improving factors such as managing time and reducing costs in your budget.  

 

It seem pretty evident that its to your benefit to gather as much information from your environment before making important decisions, but many overlook one very important factor in the equation.  Have you taken the time to look at how the information is being collected by your CMMS Software?  

Are you having to spend endless hours doing catch up data entry on past tasks that have already been completed so that you can make sure you are going to be able to report on the data later?  Are you manually updating the system from your desk every day instead of managing your work in and around your facility?  A good CMMS Software doesn't require you to spend endless hours managing the data.  You should be spending about 15 minutes per day efficiently on the computer overseeing workflows that you have already set up just to make sure they are being executed as planned.  Scheduled tasks should be firing off on their own, assigned to the proper maintenance person automatically.  Work requests should be entered by residents, staff or visitors around the facility automatically into your software to illiminate your team from having to do data entry.  Tracking transaction history on assets and vendors should be done seamlessly within the workflow and most importantly, it all should be done on a mobile device.

 

If you are the type of person that likes information, you may think there is no such thing as having too much.   There are however, a few things to consider in respect to quantity of data you may be able to process.  Consider the amount of time you are spending collecting the data to use later and ask yourself if it is worth the time spent.  Also consider the return on investment or savings you will get from analyzing the information.  

Take for example the scenario for inventory management.  Some organizations are very good at managing inventory counts on such items as light bulbs or cleaning supplies, but stop and think about the potential cost for lost inventory throughout a fiscal year and compare it to the difference if you were to manage it closely.  Is the difference $2,000 or $200?  How much time you spend vs. the overall savings you will receive in the end should play a significant role in determining your threshold for information gathering.  More importantly, think about the information that you are not paying attention to because you are focusing on information that isn't bringing in enough return to your bottom line.  Failing to look at those big ticket items when needed, may end up costing you more than budgeted and can result in having you feel like the investment in gathering up information for your decision making process is not worth it in the first place.

 

The bottom line is that there isn't a simple answer for how much is too much but as long as you stay aware of those simple, basic principles of managing and gathering information you should be fine. Remember, make the gathering of information simple, make sure the reporting process is clear and straighforward and most of all, assess if you are spending your time wisely on each element.  Information can be a valuable gem or can cause you to stop your process in its tracks, make sure you can sort through it wisely.