In brief
A CMMS (computerised maintenance management system) is maintenance software for planning and documenting servicing, repairs and spare parts.
Contents
What is CMMS?
A CMMS maps a company's maintenance digitally. It replaces paper lists and spreadsheets with a central database of assets, work orders, plans and materials. It is to be distinguished from an EAM system, which covers the entire life cycle of physical assets including investment and finance, and from the maintenance module of an ERP system, which offers similar functions within the enterprise software.
Typical functions are a hierarchical asset structure, fault reports and work orders, maintenance and inspection plans with automatic scheduling, spare parts and inventory management, time recording, document storage for manuals and drawings, and reports such as MTBF, MTTR and maintenance costs. Many solutions offer mobile interfaces for technicians and interfaces to ERP, purchasing and condition monitoring.
For spare parts supply, the quality of the master data is decisive: if each asset component is assigned the correct manufacturer part number with a description, consumption can be analysed, reorder points maintained and purchase requisitions generated directly from the work order. Incomplete master data, on the other hand, reduce the benefit of any software. Maintaining master data is therefore an ongoing task.
In practice: maintenance and procurement
Before introducing a CMMS, it pays to clean up the asset structure, parts master data and manufacturer part numbers. A field for alternative and successor parts helps later with discontinuations and supply shortages.
Synonyms and abbreviations: computerised maintenance management system · maintenance management software · maintenance software · EAM · CMMS software
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CMMS and EAM?
A CMMS focuses on operational maintenance, i.e. work orders, maintenance plans, spare parts and KPIs. An EAM system considers the entire life cycle of physical assets, from planning and procurement through operation and maintenance to decommissioning, and incorporates financial and investment data. The boundaries between the two categories are fluid.
What functions should a CMMS have?
Important basic functions are asset management with a structure, work order management, maintenance planning with scheduling, spare parts and inventory management, documentation and reporting. Depending on the company, mobile use, interfaces to ERP and purchasing, test equipment management or connection to sensor data are added. What matters is that technicians actually use the system in their day-to-day work.
How does a CMMS help with spare parts procurement?
A CMMS links spare parts to assets and work orders. As a result, when a fault occurs it is immediately clear which part is needed, whether it is in stock and what its manufacturer part number is. Consumption data show which parts are needed regularly, and reorder points trigger purchase requisitions in good time.
What does the abbreviation CMMS stand for?
CMMS stands for computerised maintenance management system. In German-speaking countries, terms meaning maintenance software or IPS system, short for a maintenance planning and control system, are also common. In each case, this means software for organising maintenance.