A Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is typically designed with maintenance operations in mind. However, with the rise in cloud-based CMMS software, well engineered and business-changing platforms have become an important tool for multiple departments inside one business. As we’ll highlight below, a CMMS can be used to improve business processes for quality through its role and collaboration with maintenance.
Every-day scenario
One benefit of CMMS software, which translates well across a manufacturing business, is the ability for its features to be used across departments. For example, a quality manager has found a conveyor isn’t working at its usual optimum speed, according to production numbers in the CMMS. A notification is then generated by the CMMS, following analysis of the machine’s condition, which is sent to an engineer to troubleshoot and rectify the issue.
A preventive maintenance work order is then created by the engineer, which defines necessary tasks needing to be performed. Additional information is shared with the work order by the engineer, including machine documentation, associating parts, estimated hours to fix, and the task is given to a technician with suitable skills and qualifications for the job. The PM procedure is checked against Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), but a problem is found with the task. The procedure is then reviewed and steps are added including work order approvals and the need for photo evidence to conclude the task.
The work order is then put through your maintenance planner and assigned to an appropriate technician whose availability for the task can be seen via the CMMS. This helps to avoid unnecessary scheduling clashes and overtime. The technician assigned to the task then receives a notification with information regarding the order and it now appears on their task list within their CMMS dashboard. The work is completed as requested, all the steps are followed, the technician shares which materials have been used and how long it took. And everything is done via their iPhone. Quickly, efficiently and accurately. A few comments regarding the task are added and the work order is then completed.
Every-day resolution
Your maintenance manager receives a notification informing them the work order is complete, and it requires their approval. After a quick review and examination of the photo provided, it’s signed off. A notification is sent to the quality manager to let them know it’s been approved. Now they’re ready for the next task on their list, knowing the issue has been corrected successfully.
Alternatively…
It doesn’t always work as seamlessly as that. The maintenance manager may not be satisfied with the work order or the status of that conveyor, and they can reject the work order, sending it back to the maintenance planner via the CMMS. The work order can then be reopened and worked on again by the same technician or assigned to somebody else. This is one example but you can see how CMMS can help improve quality in manufacturing. And by incorporating quality teams into using CMMS software, your team has better communication, higher productivity levels and more efficiency across the business.
If you would like to find out more about how CMMS software can improve quality and work across multiple departments in your business, get your free trial and demo today.
Carmelo Ruggieri
Content Marketing Executive
Carmelo has years of experience in marketing, loves of all things tech and is a regular contributor to the OpsBase blog. He enjoys writing almost as much as he enjoys eating crunchy peanut butter and is likely to be found doing one or the other at any given point in time.
