The spread of CMMS/CAFM
November 1st 2004

Writing for IP&E, Mark Kirkham, director of software provider, Service Works Global reports that CMMS-type systems now be used positively across all areas of a business

Computerised Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) has been available for a number of years in different guises and has evolved through a variety of planning applications, including self developed in-house systems, such as those based on Excel. Prior to that, maintenance was (and in a few small scale operations, still is) scheduled on T cards.

Several, but not all CAFM (Computer Aided Facilities Management) packages also offer the full range of computerised maintenance capabilities using an all essential, flexible and robust database for asset registry. This is ideal when combined with simple and easy to use tools to plan and schedule maintenance with the ability to accommodate a range of attachments, such as documents, plans, photographs, drawings, etc. The database must be integrated, and offer rich, deep but easy to use reporting facilities, and be able to provide information to other applications, such as financial reporting systems

Some CMMS systems have the ability to manage front-line spares and stores. In a food production line environment, for example, there could be a need to fix a production line at short notice and the CMMS system provides essential management of the stocking and replacement process.

The maintenance operatives can be equipped with Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and the CMMS can provide job information to handheld devices and accept uploads from them. Users typically want ease of use from handheld devices, with simple and straightforward operations, for example, without having to use a stylus.

Handheld devices are now available in three types. The most basic is the ‘dumb’ terminal Psion type where you download a template, record the stock or item details and then upload the data at the end of the session.

The next is the PDA or Pocket PC which is used for mobile event management. The third level involves the RIM Blackberry device that also offers mobile event management as well as many other facilities. In addition to general mobile event management, handheld devices can also provide functionality such as asset / condition surveys, as well as more general health and safety inspections (i.e. asbestos surveys).

CMMS applications needs to accommodate a range of requirements from sophisticated multi-site workloads down to a one-man, two-boilers and threelift type operation, so scalability is of utmost importance.

It is vital to adopt a strategic view of maintenance, especially when bottom line costs are so key. If a production line is built, then once it is up and running, there has to be provision to fix any breaks in the line.

The risk of this can be minimised through an effective planned maintenance strategy, which can be responsible for extending the life of an asset quite considerably. Through increasing an asset’s life span, costs can be also be reduced. Products such as Service Works QFM can also evaluate the true cost of an asset over a period of time and calculate life cycle costs (straight line depreciation, reducing balance and sum of digits) as well as asset depreciation.

The strategic position is vital, as QFM has demonstrated in managing assets in excess of 60 PFI projects, such as Neath Port Talbot Hospital and Edinburgh and Glasgow Schools. There are many examples in the private sector too. The 10th largest law firm in the UK, DLA, uses QFM and finds it has an excellent monitoring tool we’ve always got job references where we can go back over jobs if a problem arises and track the job’s history. We can see the exact date they were carried out and any subsequent follow-up actions.

At Thames Valley Police’s HQ in Abingdon, QFM manages the assets and services. As well as planned maintenance work, the FM team uses QFM for help desk, asset management and health and safety work. Requests are logged into the system daily, and within seconds QFM finds the appropriate contractor to deal with the problem. QFM’s asset management module keeps track of the servicing and repair schedules for the force’s equipment while the planned maintenance module is used to forecast the future workload of the team (checking maintenance dates, health and safety schedules and contract renewals). Without QFM, Thames Valley Police would have had to deal with copious quantities of paper and diaries and time.

Since deploying QFM, a division of the Lloyds TSB Group has seen an increase in customer satisfaction and quantified in excess of £15 000 savings per annum. The organisation has achieved consistency of standards and group-wide efficiency as a result of implementing the system, as well as extensive management reporting.

In all cases of CMMS, what’s crucial in the setting up phase is the ease with which asset reporting can be accounted for in the solutions to be built. There needs to be access to spreadsheet editing tools and the ability to support input from all types of handheld devices. Above all, the key points to remember are to adopt a strategic and proactive stance and utilise scalable CMMS software that links to other modules such as help desk and wireless/handheld devices.

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