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Reena Sommer | 25 Apr 2024
Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) have evolved since they were first introduced in the 1970s. Today, they represent the go-to maintenance management solution for an increasing number of companies in a variety of industries because of their ability to streamline maintenance operations, improve efficiencies, and cut costs.
CMMSs are best known for their capabilities to manage work orders, preventive maintenance, assets, and parts and generate powerful analytics on maintenance operations. Like other B2B software solutions, CMMS providers have developed mobile apps since the rapid proliferation of smartphones and tablets around 2010. Mobile CMMS apps have transformed the way companies manage their maintenance operations by improving response times, communication, MTTR, and overall productivity.
This article explores mobile CMMS, their features, and their benefits. It's important to note that CMMS mobile apps are regularly updated and improved to meet the evolving needs of maintenance management. These updates are often based on user feedback and industry trends, ensuring that the app remains relevant and effective over time.
What is a CMMS Mobile App?
A CMMS mobile app is a portable software application designed for use on smartphones and tablets, which helps manage maintenance activities more efficiently. It allows maintenance teams and managers to access and update the system from anywhere and on the go, facilitating real-time data entry and access. The following are key features and functionalities found in most CMMS mobile apps:
1. Work Order Management
Users can create, assign, and track maintenance work orders directly from their mobile devices. This helps in faster response times and better tracking of maintenance tasks.
2. Asset Management
The app allows users to manage assets, including accessing maintenance history, manuals, and specifications, as well as logging repairs and maintenance activities.
3. Inventory Control
Mobile apps can provide real-time access to parts, materials, and other inventory, enabling maintenance teams to check availability, manage reordering, and update stock levels on the go.
4. Scheduling
Maintenance schedules can be viewed and adjusted through the app, helping teams stay informed about upcoming maintenance tasks and reducing downtime.
5. Reporting and KPIs
CMMS mobile apps often include features for generating reports and analytics, allowing managers to monitor maintenance performance and costs and make data-driven decisions.
6. Notifications and Alerts
CMMS mobile apps can send notifications and alerts to keep users informed about critical issues, work order status changes, messages, upcoming maintenance tasks, and other important updates.
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CMMS mobile apps enhance the functionality of a traditional CMMS system by making them more accessible and responsive, thus improving the efficiency and effectiveness of maintenance operations.
Now, let’s look at some key CMMS mobile app features.
CMMS Mobile App for Work Order Management
CMMS mobile apps facilitate effective work order management, which is essential for streamlined maintenance operations. For instance, when a piece of equipment breaks down in a manufacturing plant, the user can quickly create a new work order using the mobile app, assign it to the right technician, and monitor its progress in real-time. This real-time tracking significantly reduces downtime and improves operational efficiency.
When a user initiates a work order, technicians receive instant notifications on their mobile devices. Once they receive the notification, they can promptly address the issue and update the work order status as they work on the maintenance task. This accessibility reduces downtime and improves operational efficiency by ensuring that maintenance tasks are promptly handled and monitored, no matter where team members are located.
CMMS Mobile App for Asset Management
CMMS mobile apps streamline equipment management by providing users with comprehensive tools to view and oversee assets, encompassing equipment details, maintenance history, and location tracking. With a CMMS mobile app, maintenance personnel can easily access information about each asset, including specifications, service records, and maintenance schedules, all from their mobile devices.
Additionally, the app enables real-time tracking of asset locations, facilitating efficient resource allocation and ensuring that equipment is readily available when needed. CMMS mobile apps optimize maintenance operations and enhance asset performance across diverse industrial and commercial environments by centralizing asset management processes and providing instant access to critical data.
CMMS mobile apps often come with QR scanning capabilities which makes managing assets even more efficient. Using the QR code scanning capability within CMMS, you can access all the asset details along with key functions like editing the asset, creating a work order or request, viewing open work orders, and more. Without scanning a QR code, the user must search for the asset in the database through drop-downs or search fields. This takes more time and is more prone to errors by misidentifying the asset.
CMMS Mobile App for Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance scheduling with CMMS mobile apps represents a proactive approach to maintenance management. The mobile app allows organizations to schedule and execute maintenance tasks based on time, usage, or asset condition.
For example, when it comes to maintaining a company’s fleet of vehicles, the app allows the maintenance team to schedule regular oil changes, tire rotations, and inspections at specific intervals, such as every 5,000 miles, or based on the vehicle's usage patterns. The app can also trigger maintenance alerts based on other metrics, so preventive maintenance tasks can be performed before issues arise.
In addition, all PMs that are due can be managed and completed using a mobile app. Once users are assigned preventive maintenance tasks, when they are due, users are notified on their phone, and they can quickly complete the tasks. Traditionally, the user would have to print off the PM work order, take the sheet to the location where maintenance is required, log notes and comments on the work order form, and then update the CMMS later once he/she has access to a computer.
Using CMMS mobile apps to manage preventive maintenance is much more efficient and reliable compared to the traditional method of printing off work orders and updating the CMMS system later.
CMMS Mobile App for Inventory Management
Inventory Management within CMMS mobile apps are critical in maintaining efficient maintenance operations and streamlining inventory management processes by offering inventory tracking, reordering alerts, and barcode/QR code scanning. For example, with a CMMS mobile app, maintenance managers can easily track the availability of spare parts and materials needed for maintenance tasks through comprehensive inventory tracking.
The CMMS mobile app can also automatically generate reordering alerts when inventory levels fall below predefined thresholds, ensuring that necessary supplies are replenished promptly to avoid disruptions in maintenance activities. Barcode or QR code scanning capabilities allow for quick and accurate logging of inventory transactions, reducing manual errors and enhancing inventory visibility.
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CMMS Mobile App for Working Offline
Sometimes, we find ourselves out of internet range or with unreliable service. With the CMMS mobile app, this is not a problem because users can continue performing essential functions offline, ensuring uninterrupted productivity and efficiency. This reliable offline functionality provides security, knowing that the app will continue to perform even in challenging connectivity situations.
For instance, when a maintenance technician works in a remote area with sporadic internet access, with the offline functionality enabled, they can still create, update, and complete work orders, access asset information, and log inventory transactions directly from their mobile device without connectivity issues. Later, once the device reconnects to the internet, the app automatically syncs the data, ensuring that all information is updated across the system.
CMMS mobile apps allow operational continuity and effectiveness regardless of connectivity challenges, ultimately contributing to enhanced maintenance management processes and outcomes. To ensure the safety and integrity of your data, these apps often come with robust data backup and recovery features, which can help you restore your data in the event of a system failure or data loss.
CMMS Mobile App for Reports and KPIs
Maintenance and facilities professionals can’t always be sitting in front of their computers. In reality, these professionals are often on the go. CMMS mobile apps enable managers to access critical reports and KPIs anywhere, anytime, from their phones.CMMS mobile apps’ reporting and analytics features provide valuable insights that help maintenance teams improve operations and make better decisions. These features let users track essential metrics like equipment uptime and maintenance costs, comparing them to set goals. Analyzing maintenance trends from past data helps teams plan and allocate resources wisely. Managers can predict equipment failures and schedule preventive maintenance to avoid downtime and extend asset life.
User-Friendly Interface with CMMS Mobile Apps
Most CMMS mobile apps have a user-friendly interface, making them easy to navigate and use. This simplicity ensures that even non-technical users can manage maintenance tasks, assets, and resources from their mobile devices. User-friendly CMMS software comes with intuitive design elements, such as customizable dashboards that enable users to personalize their workspace and access relevant information at a glance.
The mobile app’s drag-and-drop functionality saves time and streamlines workflow processes by simplifying tasks such as creating work orders and updating asset information. Many mobile apps also support multiple languages, enhancing accessibility and inclusivity and allowing users from diverse backgrounds to utilize the app effectively. With a focus on interface design, CMMS mobile apps can enhance user satisfaction, productivity, and adoption rates.
Security with CMMS Mobile Apps
CMMS mobile apps’ security features safeguard sensitive maintenance data and ensure user privacy. These apps implement measures such as data encryption to protect data from unauthorized access or interception. Access control options allow administrators to assign specific permissions to users based on their roles and responsibilities within the organization, thus limiting access to sensitive data accordingly.
Learn more about CMMS Data Security.
Scalability with CMMS Mobile Apps
CMMS mobile app’s scalability ensures that the software can adapt and grow alongside an organization's changing needs. A scalable CMMS mobile app can accommodate the maintenance requirements of both small facilities and large enterprises with multiple locations.
For instance, a small facility may initially require basic maintenance management features. As the organization expands, it may need additional functionalities to support a larger workforce, more assets, or increased complexity in maintenance operations.
Organizations can upgrade their software to access advanced features and capabilities with a scalable CMMS mobile app without disrupting operations. This adaptability enables organizations to future-proof maintenance management processes and ensure their CMMS solution remains effective and efficient as their business grows and evolves.
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Conclusion
CMMS mobile apps offer a comprehensive solution for optimizing maintenance management processes and empower maintenance teams to streamline operations, enhance collaboration, and make data-driven decisions. This ultimately leads to improved efficiency, reduced downtime, and extended asset lifespan.
Integration capabilities, user-friendly interfaces, security measures, scalability, and mobile collaboration features contribute to the versatility and effectiveness of CMMS mobile apps and make them indispensable tools for organizations seeking to improve operations while adapting to evolving maintenance needs.
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