Steps for Phase-In
It's better to phase in your CMMS rather than try to start using all its features immediately. No matter how easy the software is to use, it's best not to bite off more than you can chew.
We recommend the following phase-in process:
- Start with computerizing your corrective work orders: your day-to-day repair requests and responses to other problems. Most companies find that computerizing their work orders leads to immediate benefits: problems don't fall between the cracks, you have an easier time setting priorities, and you can get a clear picture of where workers spend the most time. The information you get from tracking work orders often lets you make better management decisions of where to invest time and resources.
- Next computerize your preventive maintenance. This can lead to big returns—instead of being reactive, you become proactive. You find little problems before they become big problems. You also reduce the amount of emergency jobs your people have to do: you get out ahead of your work.
- Finally computerize your inventory operations (purchasing, receiving, reserving materials for upcoming jobs, and so on). By getting better control of your inventory, you can ensure that workers have the materials they need for whatever jobs come up. However, computerizing your inventory can entail a lot of work—you have to take complete inventory of your materials and enter that information into the computer—so it's best to leave this until you're through the shakedown period with other aspects of CMMS use.
