January 26, 2023

CMMS Monitors Productivity

Before discussing the list of how a CMMS monitors productivity, a good beginning would be to define the three parts of this.

I love words. We all use them when we speak and write. Sometimes though, one finds a word used didn't quite communicate the idea or concept intended. The following isn't a condescension toward anyone's intelligence, however, if a substantive discussion is to be had, then terms and words used should be defined and understood to as to reduce or eliminate any confusion.

CMMS

A computerized maintenance management system. It's software designed to assist and organize a maintenance department's operations in overseeing assets, inventory, and work orders. Companies of all sizes benefit from such a system because supervisors and workers find it more amenable and 'user-friendly' than spreadsheets. Lists of assets, inventory, preventive maintenance, and repairs are all in one place, organized, and easily accessible with a few navigational clicks. Proper use of a CMMS means taking the time to implement information and having the training in order to have the system fulfill the company's needs. While a CMMS also is used for other operations such as purchasing and barcoding, our focus here is maintenance.

What does 'monitoring' productivity mean? The best place to look is an online dictionary. Scrolling down to the 15th definition:

- to observe, record, or detect (an operation or condition) with instruments that have no effect upon the operation or condition.

This is good but not quite correct for our purposes. The instrument used is a CMMS and how it's used will have an effect.

The next definition:

- to oversee, supervise, or regulate.

This brings us a little closer. This would be part of a supervisor's duties. In this case, the supervisor is using a CMMS to oversee the department.

Finally:

- to watch closely for purposes of control, surveillance, etc.; keep track of; check continually.

This is a bit better for our discussion and again, what a supervisor would do through a CMMS.

With these in mind, perhaps a better, if longer, title for this post should be 'a supervisor monitors productivity with a CMMS.'

The last word is also a bit troublesome. One of the definitions of productivity is:

- the quality, state, or fact of being able to generate, create, enhance, or bring forth goods and services.

The issue here is subjectivity. I can create one widget per hour. That's productivity in one sense. However, my equally skilled coworker creates ten widgets per hour. Does this person have better productivity? Perhaps, but what other factors are involved? My coworker rushes to get his ten, but what's the quality of the widget? Productivity lowers if mistakes have to be corrected. If he hurries, are safety concerns being ignored? His 'great' productivity comes at a risk.

On the other hand, do I have the capacity to create five widgets of excellent quality per hour? If so, my productivity is lower than it could be.

Can that be monitored and measured? I add 'measure' because supervisors use the figures and statistics over a period of time to judge productivity and where improvements could be made.

Many areas within a CMMS affect productivity. How and what a supervisor communicates to the maintenance team affects productivity. Remember, good communication runs both ways. It can start with:

Asset Management

Here, communication is essential because a supervisor needs to know as much about assets (equipment and non-equipment) as possible to form a worthwhile maintenance strategy. While an entire discussion could be had about this one topic, one of the aspects of communication is from the piece of equipment itself as reported by a line worker or noted and recorded by a maintenance worker: readings.

Temperature, PSI, levels, depth, hours online, miles driving, etc. This helps form proper preventive maintenance, so the equipment isn't being over-attended, reducing productivity.

Inventory Management

Again, a post focusing on just this part of a CMMS can be written, but I'll highlight three areas.

Quantity – The obvious point. Items have to be in stock for maintenance to use. Running short or experiencing a stockout isn't good for productivity, especially if there's an emergency. A CMMS is a great way to track quantity.

Location & Issue/Return – Knowing the location of inventory in a stockroom is a key factor in productivity. Workers use less 'search time' and can get to 'wrench time' faster.

The issue/return policy is great for communications and tracking quantity. Set up through a CMMS, again, search time is saved. A stockroom manager can issue parts and receive returned inventory. Authorizations on each end make for better productivity in that a worker receives and returns the correct item.

Work Order Management

There are several factors here to affect productivity.

Job type.

Job location.

Job Priority.

Including job steps or a checklist.

Whether a bill of materials is known and included with the work order.

Who is assigned the job? (One worker, a crew, a craft, etc.)

Proper scheduling. Don't overload the worker. (See the later attainment section.)

Comments. This can aid future work order management and productivity.

After The Fact Work Orders

This is a nice benefit of a CMMS. After a worker finishes the assigned job, he proceeds to complete another that was noticed. Then he submits an after-the-fact work order. Kudos for dedication and upping his productivity.

On-Time Compliance

If a job is estimated to take twenty minutes and a worker finishes in sixty, a CMMS can generate a report showing this. However, a supervisor's investigation will reveal the reason for the delay. This should be taken into account to improve the job the next time. Reasons for a delay include inventory problems, unclear work instructions, unskilled workers, the job required more than one worker, and an unavoidable delay such as a flat tire on the truck.

If the same job is completed in ten minutes, the reason also affects future jobs. Was this just an overestimation? Did the worker forget a step in the job or cut corners?

Attainment

For example, an employee's shift is eight hours but the time doing maintenance is only three. The department and the supervisor aren't receiving a very good percentage of actual maintenance work time. As before, check for explanations. The CMMS can generate the report, but the supervisor needs to have the story behind the percentage. The goal should be fifty percent or higher and make sure the worker is overburdened. Productivity can be reduced with too much work.

Morale

Okay, a CMMS doesn't monitor or measure employee attitude. However, with a CMMS helping to organize and streamline operations, maintenance workers feel better about the job. Increased productivity should be one result of this positivity.

As seen, a CMMS monitors and provides statistics on productivity. Of course, the supervisor using it has to be aware of the information inputted to obtain positive results. This means knowing what to provide the system as well as having a quality system to begin with.

Investigate the CMMS from Mapcon Technologies. Ask for details on how the powerful system monitors and measures productivity. 800-922-4336. Read how other companies benefit from MAPCON.