Ageing of people
Failures of machinery are often remedied fairly quickly thanks to the experience and skill gained by the mechanic during the course of his career. The problem is that the mechanic ages and eventually will retire. When doing so, he will take that knowledge and expertise with him if there is no CMMS in place to safeguard this knowledge for future use by his successors.
Ageing of machinery
Besides people, equipment ages as well. However, if properly maintained, the life span of equipment can be considerably extended. In order for equipment to continue to receive the maintenance it needs, it is important that the maintenance history and technical specifications of the equipment can be retrieved. If stored in a CMMS, no valuable time will be wasted in searching for the right information as this information will be readily available within the CMMS. This applies to more than just failures, ordered articles or performed maintenance activities. Digitally registered serial numbers, manuals and technical drawings can make the life of a maintenance manager considerably easier.
For a maintenance manager, working with a CMMS means having a better understanding of the work that has been done and the costs involved. It allows you to design an optimal maintenance process for your equipment to ensure the equipment is used to its fullest potential. From an operational point of view this also makes it less of a problem when a mechanic retires after years of loyal service as his knowledge and activities are stored in the CMMS.
As stated, there is no magical anti-ageing crème for people and equipment. However, a CMMS system is definitely the next best thing to have!