Any organization that has equipment and assets and does not want to waste time, effort, and money managing them uses solutions such as - CMMS, EAM, Facility Management System and so on.
We bet there are many more such systems and solutions - with different names and abbreviations - having similar end goals. But what’s in a name? And what’s the difference among them all?
We think you shouldn't really bother about the distinctions between them. Unless you’re interested in knowing the differences for the sake of knowing it.
If you’re looking for a solution that works, it really doesn’t matter what you call it.
We don’t bother about names. And as someone handling equipment or facility in a business, any business, you shouldn’t too. You’ll learn in this blog why.
contact@versionx.in
CMMS - computerized maintenance management system
EAM - enterprise asset management
A Solution That Works?
Businesses are looking for a solution that would help them handle their assets and also the teams dealing with them in the most efficient manner.
The main concerns are...
1) Cost - is it going to break your budget?
2) The technology - would the facility or management teams be comfortable using the new system? How long would the training take? Is it user friendly? Will it get redundant, or does it quickly get upgraded?
3) Business size - is the solution suitable for a small and medium business? Or, are the best ones built for large organizations?
4) Other issues - will you end up paying for features you don’t need? Will the solution really solve your problem or bring in newer complexities?
We’ve Got Most Of Your Points Covered. Here.
You want a solution for an efficient maintenance and management of your assets and inventory. We got that.
Let’s discuss some of the main points we think you should consider while making your purchase decisions.
Understand The Problem You’re Looking To Solve...
Most businesses face similar challenges with regard to asset maintenance, and many more that are unique to each organization. It’s not just about one problem.
It's important that the purchasing team understands the core problem that your organization is facing, for which you’re looking for a solution.
And Other Related Issues You Can’t See...
Find out if a particular solution can solve your asset maintenance problems plus a few more that you or your team faces on a regular basis but have no idea it could be solved.
We come across many scenarios wherein we have been able to identify major problems and cost-saving opportunities where earlier none seemed to exist.
Talk to the product sales team in detail, discuss extensively about your requirements as well as your problems. Are they willing to listen? Do they understand you and your business?
It’s important that the team understands what you’re talking about. Or, at least your pain points in general.
So then, What Is It That You’re Looking For?
Is it…
- Asset Management
- Inventory Management
- Preventive Maintenance
- Vendor Management
- Labor Management
Does your business need all of the above? Or, is there something unique to your business' asset maintenance issues that we don’t know about yet?
CMMS or EAM, the lines are getting blurred. While some businesses may want just one of the abovementioned solutions, yet some others may be looking for an integrated solution without having to deal with multiple vendors.
On-Premise Or Web-Based?
Deciding this is a key first step in the buying process.
A cloud solution is a hosted service that has several advantages compared to the on-premise ones. It requires no hardware and therefore, no dedicated IT department. The pricing model is super simple too. We highly recommend cloud when on-premise can be avoided.
Try Out The Product
Once you are clear about the issues you are looking to solve, try out the solutions. Ask for a trial period. Most solution providers now-a-days offer a trial of their solutions. Make the best use of this pilot period as this is crucial for your purchase decisions.
Ensure that the solution makes processes simpler for you and your team.
Is The Payment Lump Sum or Subscription Based?
We’re rooting for cloud-based solutions here. They’re highly flexible in terms of payments as they are subscription based. Also, they won’t squeeze your budget tight.
How Flexible Is the Solution?
Does the solution offer a collection of modules that support different maintenance tasks? If it manages assets, does it help with inventory as well? You should be able to pick the ones your business needs.
Are the features easy to choose, or discard when you no longer need them? Also, do you pay for just what you need, and not more.
Ideally, you should go for a unified system that is also flexible in its features and offers.
Does It Have An App For Real-Time, Mobile Maintenance?
You and your team should be able to do most of the maintenance work on your mobile device. Yes. Anytime, anywhere action and access to all kinds of data - work requests and orders, maintenance status and history, analytics for data-driven decisions, team coordination. This is going to be the future of all business asset maintenance.
Security Assured?
The system would store all your equipment and asset data and all other maintenance-related activities and documents in one central place. It’s understandable that security would be of concern here. However, with cloud-based systems becoming more and more popular, security-related concerns regarding these solutions are receding with time and use. These solutions are as secure as any other system.
No Name For It
We could go on and on about asset maintenance systems and all the ways how a smart technology-based solution can help you get rid of all your current challenges and problems. Because that’s what we do - build smart, cost-effective systems that work. We help businesses simplify their operations using advanced technologies.
Our solution caters to all sizes of organizations. And we have several modules that serve unique maintenance needs of businesses - be they asset, labor, inventory, preventive maintenance, and so on.
So, what do we call them? CMMS, EAM, or a facility management system?
We don’t have a name for it.
All we care about is to make processes simpler and unified for businesses small and big. And work with teams who care for simplicity and efficiency in their operations.
