Published on September 11th, 2023
Mistakes in CMMS implementation can cost your company dearly. Financial issues can have far-reaching effects beyond just monetary concerns. Some challenges can strain relationships and may even result in legal disputes among those involved.
It’s a well-known fact that around 70% of CMMS systems fail within just eighteen months of implementation.
Why should you care? Gaining a deep understanding of these challenges isn’t just an intellectual exercise; it’s your roadmap to implementing CMMS successfully.
This is particularly crucial because CMMS users expect a foundation of core functionality from their systems, with approximately 79% indicating they want a way to register assets, log jobs, and manage work orders.
Source: Comparesoft
The importance of a CMMS in daily operations cannot be overstated. Any failure in its implementation can have detrimental effects on core functions, leading to decreased productivity and efficiency.
In this guide, we will discuss the four main obstacles organizations commonly face when implementing CMMS and provide strategies to overcome them.
Doing The Bare Minimum During Change Management
When your organization stands on the precipice of a significant change, it’s tempting to plunge headfirst into the excitement. However, in the rush, it’s easy to underestimate the risks of not giving change management the attention it deserves.
Taking the bare minimum approach to change management in system implementation sets the stage for potential disaster. The consequences can be dire, impacting various aspects of your project:
Costs:
- Project delays
- Missed milestones
- Budget overruns
- Rework required on design
- Loss of work by project team
Risks:
- Resistance
- Project put on hold
- Resources not made available
- Obstacles appear unexpectedly
- Project fails to deliver results
- Project is fully abandoned
Even though CMMS products are easier to use and install today, the majority of maintenance managers find it either somewhat challenging (34%), challenging (17%), or very challenging (10%) to get their team to adopt new software and processes, as indicated by a State of Maintenance 2021 industry survey.
This statistic underscores the continued venture of achieving seamless adoption in spite of improvements in CMMS era.
To prevent this, ensure you provide comprehensive training and support to your team during the CMMS implementation process.
Open lines of communication, listen to concerns and involve employees in decision-making to foster a smoother transition.
Exclusion From The Selection Process
Choosing the right CMMS is crucial, and excluding key stakeholders from this process can have dire consequences.
Source: Hierarchical structure for CMMS selection, Researchgate
It is important to involve end users in the selection process because they are the ones who will interact with the system every day.
Gather input from various departments and understand their unique requirements to avoid such issues,.
When users have a say in the system selection, you increase the likelihood of choosing a CMMS that truly meets your facility’s needs.
Data Migration And Ensuring The Quality Of Data
Data migration may seem like a technical aspect of CMMS implementation, but it has profound implications for system functionality.
Migrating large volumes of data can be complex and prone to errors, disrupting your facility’s operations.
Consider a retail chain that transferred its maintenance records to a new CMMS. Inaccuracies in data entry led to equipment breakdowns missed maintenance schedules, and costly repairs.
This could have been avoided by conducting a thorough data audit and cleaning before migration.
Invest time cleansing and validating your data to ensure a seamless migration. It’s not just about quantity; quality matters. Clean, accurate data will fuel your CMMS effectively, allowing you to make informed decisions and prevent costly breakdowns.
Integration Challenges
Integrating your CMMS with existing systems is a crucial aspect often underestimated. Overlooking integration can lead to data silos, duplication of effort, and missed opportunities for automation.
Consider a university that implemented a CMMS without considering its integration with the student management system.
As a result, maintenance requests made by students were not efficiently communicated to the facilities team, leading to delays and frustration.
To avoid integration hiccups, ensure your CMMS is compatible with your existing software and that data flows seamlessly between systems.
This enhances efficiency and provides a holistic view of your facility’s operations, enabling better decision-making and resource allocation.
When exploring options for integration, refer to a list of top CMMS apps to identify solutions that align with your organization’s needs and existing infrastructure.
Lack Of Standardization
Standardization may not be the most exciting topic, but it’s a cornerstone of successful CMMS implementation.
When your processes lack standardization, it’s like trying to assemble a puzzle with missing pieces. Chaos ensues.
Imagine a hospitality chain with multiple properties, each using its maintenance procedures. Implementing a CMMS in such an environment becomes a logistical nightmare.
The loss of requirements ends in product malfunctions, increased renovation fees, and uneven carrier.
To overcome this project, put money into your proper maintenance programs in all regions.
Ensure that everyone concerned knows and adheres to those standardized methods. This alignment will streamline CMMS implementation and enhance common operational efficiency.
Bottom Line: Two Sides Of The Same Coin
In a world where every facility manager is striving for operational excellence, CMMS implementation plays a pivotal role.
Ignoring change management, excluding critical stakeholders from the selection process, neglecting data migration and quality, and needing more standardization are all pitfalls that can impede your facility’s progress. But, as the saying goes, “Two Sides of the Same Coin.”
Just like any online system, there will always be pros and cons. It is best to be aware of the different CMMS integration strategies to help you determine what you need and what actions to take.
Despite the challenges discussed above, there are benefits in implementing CMMS, such as scalability, updates to key applications, and lower upfront costs.
However, with proactive strategies and a commitment to addressing these challenges, you can navigate the CMMS implementation process successfully.
Image Source: Sora Shimazaki
