Selecting CMMS Systems: Considerations for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

CMMS systems were developed and became available around 1965. Traditionally, CMMS software was reserved for big companies that needed to automate and organize large, complex maintenance operations. Only the largest manufacturing firms were able to use maintenance software back then, but things have changed dramatically since those days.

All companies, even small and medium-sized enterprises, can benefit from maintenance control software today. The advent of the Internet and advances in technology have made CMMS systems more accessible, affordable, and user-friendly than ever before.

Modern-day CMMS systems are more feature-rich than their counterparts of yesteryear. Not only do they provide basic maintenance management functions, they also offer inventory and parts management, reporting, scheduling, purchasing, and other features. However, many small and mid-sized enterprises are intimidated by maintenance management software for various reasons, such as the following:

• Cost-prohibitive
• Only made for large organizations
• Too complex
• Consultants are required to set it up
• Difficult to integrate with existing business processes
• Dedicated IT team must be available to manage it

Fortunately, as the features and benefits of the software have increased, the cost of CMMS systems has gone down significantly over the years. There are many cost-effective, best-of-breed maintenance control software programs available that provide the features small and mid-sized enterprises need to run an effective maintenance program. Nevertheless, small and mid-sized businesses face a multitude of challenges when implementing CMMS systems, including having less time and money for training, little to no budget for licensing and tech support, and minimal in-house IT help to get the system up and running.

The deployment of a CMMS system requires professional IT help either in-house or through the support of an on-site consultant. Furthermore, small and mid-sized enterprises often don’t have a large IT team or budget, so may need to rely heavily on tech support provided by the vendor once they deploy the software.

Cloud based CMMS software hosted by the vendor is the ideal maintenance management solution for small and mid-sized enterprises because there is no need to set up and configure a server on-site. You simply log into the system online and customize it based on your needs by adding or removing modules.

Cloud-based maintenance management solutions make CMMS software accessible to organizations of all sizes and scale as your company grows without affecting performance. Some features to look for when selecting a cloud-based CMMS software vendor include a proven track record in the maintenance management software industry, use of the latest technologies, and solid technical support.

Get CMMS Systems for Your Small or Mid-Sized Enterprise from DPSI

At DPSI, we strive to keep our software accessible to small and mid-sized enterprises, and are committed to ensuring that our software is successfully implemented at your organization. If you’re looking for a cost-effective and efficient way to manage your maintenance operations, contact us today to sign up for a free trial of iMaint. We offer iMaint as either an on-premise or online (cloud-hosted) solution.