When companies decide to migrate or implement a new CMMS system, there are a number of steps to follow so the process is completed effectively. Typically, maintenance and reliability professionals must address several challenges. For starters, there’s tons of data required to account for the assets in the system, there are the parts required to service them and then the maintenance plans and task lists to support all of those assets. The next challenge is figuring out which employees to assign as users, how to migrate maintenance data from previous storage methods and how to train users on the software.
If this sounds daunting, you likely share concerns with hundreds of other users who wish to automate their maintenance management practices or switch from an older system. With a well thought-out implementation or migration plan, anyone can harness the full potential that a CMMS can bring to their organization. Here are 7 steps you can take to ensure your CMMS implementation or migration is a success as well as the next steps to get started.
1) Plan Your Project- Think about your implementation or migration from start to finish. What are the key milestones? Determine who will be implementing the CMMS, who will be gathering data and what types of data they will be gathering. Some initial planning can reduce confusion later.
2) Prepare for Change- Don’t assume that all employees will welcome the CMMS with open arms. They may see the CMMS as a tool that will replace them in the future which can be very scary. Get your employees involved early, publish informational memos and hold question-and-answer sessions so they’re excited about the positive change a CMMS can bring.
3) Train Your Staff- Don’t underestimate your training requirements. There will need to be initial software training for your employees so the transition is effective.
4) Data gathering- Gathering all the necessary and usable data is one of the biggest culprits in any implementation project failure. Determining which data will be gathered is a key component of your implementation plan.
5) Data Entry- Create a solid plan on how to enter the data into the system. This will alleviate initial challenges and deter confusion later.
6) Reports and Analysis- Keep it simple. Implement a few effective reports versus having several that no one will use. Before you even set up your system, figure out what you need the system to do for you and then tailor your reports accordingly.
7) Take advantage of the links and attachments functions- Take advantage of all that a CMMS has to offer. Some systems allow you to add various types of documents (Word, PDF, scanned copy, digital pictures, audios, videos or Web links) to records. The attachment tool is also handy for attaching PDF versions of original manuals, BOMs, training guides and other materials that can easily be lost.
So what’s next for your CMMS System?
Now that your plan’s in place, it’s time to get started! Using a staging tool such as NRX AssetHub helps cleanse and prepare data for loading into your CMMS system. This software not only contains a wide range of helpful features, it makes the process more streamlined. Here are a few ways how NRX AssetHub can benefit you when migrating or implementing your new CMMS system:
- Visual Asset Register- allows you to see if your hierarchy is correct. Preparing this in NRX AssetHub is significantly faster than executing it on an Excel spreadsheet.
- Reports- NRX AssetHub reports identify gaps and errors in CMMS data, ensures data conforms to corporate and industry standards and measures the completeness of data in real time.
- Copy/ Paste bulk changes- This functionality allows changes to be made quickly and easily while editing your data.
- Attachment functions- As mentioned previously, this is an extremely helpful tool and makes maintenance more visual. NRX AssetHub allows you to attach maintenance manuals, photos, drawings, and engineering documents to your assets. You can also build BOMs faster from recommended spare parts lists.
By following these steps, you will be able to export data to your CMMS with confidence and clarify. At NRX, we are the industry leaders when it comes to analyzing, visualizing, building, editing, organizing, approving, and sustaining high-quality Asset and Maintenance Data. If you are planning to migrate or implement a new CMMS system, visit us here to learn more about how we help our customer achieve their goals.
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