It’s funny to think that only a few decades ago—before cellphones—you needed to plot out exact times and meeting spots with friends before leaving home. Problems that could be tackled with a quick text (like running late) went unsolved. Needless to say, mobile phones are very useful!
And yet, because many manufacturing facilities still rely on desktop-only or paper-based systems, some maintenance professionals still live as if they’re in the pre-cellphone era. Just as coordinating activities without a mobile device would complicate our personal lives, technicians without a mobile computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) are subject to the same issues on the factory floor. Instead of quickly checking their phone, they need to return to a central office to get new work orders, check equipment histories, or update job statuses.
That’s only one reason a mobile-friendly CMMS isn’t just a nice feature—it’s a must-have for organizations that want to be efficient. Read on for five more.
1. Reduced downtime
Most maintenance, repair, and operations professionals focus on preventive maintenance (PM) completion and compliance. In fact, 56% of MRO professionals say it’s the top KPI they track in their maintenance programs and key to improving performance and cutting downtime costs.
“If you aren’t performing PMs, you’re putting your equipment and, in turn, your operations at risk. The longer you go without completing the PMs on an asset, the more wear and tear you will see on it, and the more likely you are to run into unexpected equipment failures, downtime, or accidents.” — Woody Rogers, Maintenance Supervisor at Cintas
But sticking to a PM schedule gets tricky without the ability to easily collaborate on repairs. This is where mobile CMMS tools come in—they make it easy to access information anywhere, any time. A truly effective mobile system facilitates real-time communication between maintenance managers, team members, and maintenance personnel.
With mobile features like speech-to-text and picture uploads, operators can provide detailed information about machine or system issues.
At the same time, IoT devices can capture real-time performance data directly from the machines themselves and connect it to a mobile CMMS. The CMMS can then provide a visual representation of that data, giving technicians immediate insights into equipment health, remaining useful life, and potential root causes of failures.
2. Safer working conditions
Access to better communication tools ultimately means safer work environments for maintenance technicians and operators.
When the team can log updates via a smartphone or tablet, dangerous equipment failures are less likely. Teams can update asset conditions and submit repair requests wherever and whenever they see an issue, giving everyone an accurate, real-time view of how machines are running.
A mobile CMMS also allows techs to stay on top of preventive and scheduled maintenance, reducing the likelihood of equipment malfunctions.
3. Faster responses
When they’re on the factory floor, frontline teams frequently find that critical details are out of reach. Inventory data often sits uselessly on a computer desktop or in someone’s filing cabinet, and request communication is slow.
Before implementing a mobile-first CMMS at Interroll, team members even avoided using software to communicate, opting for more convenient, but less efficient, alternatives. “They were using the intercom system to make requests because it was so much quicker than finding a computer and navigating through the system.”
A mobile CMMS allows easy real-time communication and task management—so an operator can message an engineer through the app and even add pictures for context on an equipment problem. The result? More efficient workflows, quality data collection about equipment, and quicker responses to issues.
4. Easier prioritization
With access to real-time data and messages, maintenance leaders can make more informed decisions and effectively prioritize the team’s workload.
On-the-go communication was critical for distributing work and maximizing efficiency at Cox Machine. “We have 24-hour operations. We solely use MaintainX to communicate between shifts as we only have a 5–10-minute interlock between our shift schedules,” explains Ryan Uptmor, Engineering Program Manager. “With MaintainX, we use messaging, so we’re not duplicating efforts or working against each other.“
5. Data-driven decision-making
Maintenance technicians are often forced to rely on handwritten notes or memory to document work details, which can lead to potential delays or missing information. A mobile CMMS allows access to data and the ability to make real-time updates, facilitating more informed decision-making across the organization.
Leaders and team members alike gain access to critical information about PMs, repairs, spare parts inventory, and workforce performance through built-in reports and dashboards, promoting transparency and accountability. The value of real-time and accurate data can’t be underestimated.
Make sure your software puts mobile first
It’s clear that the cost of not having a mobile CMMS platform is getting unaffordable. As you search for a solution, keep in mind that the most effective CMMS systems put mobile functionality front and center in their development processes. There’s a big difference between adapting desktop software to also be used on a mobile device versus creating software that’s optimized for today’s mobile environment.
Want to hear more about your options? Check out our guide to CMMS software.
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