Update: More benefits of recording asset history in 2021 can be found here.
In addition to helping with the day to day management of your facility, the right CMMS software program also provides unique record tracking and management for its users. As a facility manager, it is part of your job to care for buildings, appliances and systems that can be decades old.
These assets likely have a long history of repairs, many of which may date back longer than your employment with the facility. With the record management system offered with these facility maintenance programs, you can easily access the complete records of virtually any machine under your management.
If a problem presents itself within your facility, you can easily track when this problem was last solved and to find any clues within the machine’s history that may indicate a more serious ongoing problem. Your CMMS system will keep track of when repairs were done and who they were done by, and this information will be recorded within that machine’s individual history log. Accessing these records allows technicians to have a better insight on a certain asset and to rely on the past experiences of other to better solve the problem at hand.
Mitigating Potential Lawsuits
While we have already discussed the benefit of computer maintenance management software in terms of preventing lawsuits, it is important to understand the significance of record keeping when it comes to liability. Virtually every maintenance issue that takes place within your facility will be tracked and recorded through your CMMS software program and stored within your program. In instances where liability issues may present themselves, these records can act as hard evidence to support a case.
We have used the example of spilled water causing a potential lawsuit in the past. Taking this example into account, it is easy to see how asset record keeping can help when it comes to proving liability in a court of law. Should your facility get sued for the spilled water issue, the records kept by your facility maintenance software program can act as proof that the issue was reported and handled in a timely manner. This is because the program will keep track of the moment the issue was reported, who was assigned to take care of the problem and when the issue was ultimately resolved.
Keeping an Audit Trail
Every action completed within your facility is recorded as an unchangeable record. This can also be useful should you need to audit the maintenance history or an asset for an insurance or accident claim. With these records, any inspector will be able to verify if the proper maintenance was performed on that machine. This means, issues that could be caused from a faulty appliance or a problem with the manufacturer will not be blamed on the actions of you and your team. Your system will keep the data stored safely and keep it available for easy access, should anyone ever need to review any facility history.
Whether you are using records to help improve performance, or to help with a potentially harmful lawsuit, the record keeping features of your CMMS program can significantly help improve the overall function of your facility.
.svg){kind=small}