MAPCON CMMS Blog

January 23, 2025

10 Proven Tips for Efficient Stockroom Organization

Companies strive for efficient and effective operations. This includes the maintenance department. Technicians work on assets. Assets need parts.

This implies that as part of a well-run organization, you'd need an organized stockroom. Otherwise, a major aspect of maintenance weakens the chain. In this article, we'll discuss ten ways to organize your stockroom. We'll also see how a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) can benefit.

Step 1: Master Stockroom Organization by Knowing Your Stock

As a maintenance supervisor, you need to know what you have. You don't want items "showing up" or going missing. This category has several aspects.

• Knowing the age of your stock.
• Knowing the last date used on items.
• Knowing classifications of stock. Which parts move faster than others? This becomes important when making purchasing decisions.
• Understanding the purpose of each part. Which assets use what parts? Knowing this, you can assign those parts to the specific asset to save the technician's search time. You'd do this through the CMMS (as seen later).

January 22, 2025

12 Tips for Maintenance Success: Best Practices and CMMS Benefits

Many times when we discuss maintenance, we refer to equipment. Vehicles. Processors. Conveyors. Forklifts.

However, we cannot forget about the structures that house all this equipment. The facilities, warehouses, or whatever you call the buildings for your companies.

While "production" concerns itself with providing the product or service, maintenance handles the assets. This takes into account any industry. Hospital, education. manufacturing, aeronautics, and so many more.

In this article, we'll discuss twelve tips for maintenance success. Of course, they can refer to all maintenance activities. Here, though, let's focus on the facility as an asset. Also, we'll see how a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) benefits operations.

January 21, 2025

6 Goals for Facility Management Success

If you wear the hat of a company or team manager, what goals do you set for success? For companies to profit, they must establish and implement internal programs and standard operating procedures. This week, we'll highlight six suggestions for success.

The Foundation of Effective Facility Management Communication

Everything starts here. From the new hires to the thirty-year veterans, communications skills act as the foundation for all relationships. This means managers must foster quality interaction between:

• Team members.
• Between members of different teams.
• Between employees and management.
• Between "maintenance" and "production."
• Between employees and vendors.
• Between employees and customers.

January 20, 2025

Achieving Success in Operations and Maintenance (O&M): Tips for Effective Management

What does it take to be a business success? When this discussion arises, we hear the term operations and maintenance (O&M). In this article, we will look at the following:

Defining Operations and Maintenance for O&M Success

The day-to-day operations and maintenance required for the management, maintenance, and continual operation of an organization’s assets, systems, or facilities.

Operations and Maintenance Examples for O&M Success

Manufacturing Plant

Operation: In a manufacturing plant, the operation involves the actual production processes that transform raw materials into finished products. This includes activities such as machining, assembly, and quality control. The operations team ensures that production lines run smoothly, production meets their goals, and product quality continues.

January 16, 2025

6 Tips for Excelling in Preventative Maintenance and Management

As a maintenance manager, you face daily challenges. They come from everywhere. Management, team members, and production line personnel. You deal with emergencies, backlogs, deadlines, and budgets. How do you cope with everything to be successful? Not only in your department but to further the success of the company. This article will explore six tips to help maintenance managers succeed.

Of course, I could list twenty or more attributes or qualities you should have. However, let’s keep it simple. The six areas you’ll read about include:

Also, let’s see how a computerized maintenance management system can help you with each of the six tips.

January 15, 2025

Leadership Strategies for Maintenance Managers: How CMMS Enhances Maintenance Management

Whether you call them managers or supervisors, the head of the maintenance team plays the role of leader. Responsibilities include hiring a quality team, providing training opportunities, and striving for maintenance management success.

Other roles include:

• Scheduler
• Budgeting
• Implementing maintenance operations

They set goals of:

• Reduced downtime
• Reduced safety measuresv
• Regulatory compliance
• Cost-effectiveness
• Increased worker productivity

January 14, 2025

How To Improve Production Efficiency

All companies want to cut costs. One of the ways they do this comes directly from the production side. They look for how to improve production efficiency. This article will suggest seven ways to up that efficiency.

Key Benefits of Production Efficiency in Your Operations

1. The aforementioned reducing expenses lie near the top of the list. However, where do these costs originate? Labor. Maintenance. Parts. Cost of equipment. Resources.
• Let’s look at each of these in turn.
• Labor – As you’ll see later, training employees also leads to better efficiency. You’ll hire the best-skilled workers with experience. Or provide training for those who lack the necessary skills.
• Maintenance – Again, read on for more discussion, but proper maintenance extends asset life and reliability.
• Parts – Included in maintenance. Proper maintenance keeps inventory costs down since technicians use fewer parts.
• Cost of Equipment – Maintenance and trained employees affect this. More years of use means you don’t incur the costs of replacement.
• Resources – Having the correct quality materials that the equipment processes lower costs.

read more

January 13, 2025

Work Requests vs. Work Orders: Understanding the Key Differences

Challenge: Name the differences between a work request versus a work order.

Answer: The first asks, and the second directs.

This article will explore deeper than the obvious answer.

January 09, 2025

Success With Preventive Maintenance Checklists

Actually, what this article will present will not only fulfill preventive maintenance (PM) checklists, but those for other repairs. Checklists provide step-by-step instructions. Some maintenance tasks require a certain order of completion. With a checklist, you help ensure the technician completes all steps.

Read further for:

• Benefits of Using Maintenance Checklists
• Types of Maintenance Checklists
• Steps for Creating a Successful Preventative Maintenance Checklist
• Best Practices for Using Maintenance Checklists
• Enhancing Checklist Efficiency with CMMS Software

Many of us use checklists every day. Home projects include setting up a backyard swimming pool or swing set. Homeowners build furniture and model cars from kits. Each of those projects has a set of step-by-step instructions.

January 08, 2025

Understanding Stock Turnover Ratio

The goals of companies across industries include how to trim expenses. For those with dedicated maintenance departments, one of the areas to track will be the stock turnover ratio (STR). In this article, we will discuss the following:

• What is the Stock Turnover Ratio (STR)?
• Benefits of Tracking Stock Turnover Ratio
• Best Practices for Successfully Using Stock Turnover Ratio
• Challenges in Maintaining an Optimal STR
• Improving the Stock Turnover Ratio
• The Role of a CMMS in Managing STR

What is the Stock Turnover Ratio (STR)?

This metric serves as a barometer for the efficiency of spare parts investment. It gauges whether funds allocated to inventory are actively contributing to facility operations or languishing on storeroom shelves. You want to find the optimum amount of inventory to keep on hand that aligns with operational needs.

Supervisors will use historical records of maintenance activities to determine the quantity of stock needed. Just as important will be the minimum amount of stock on hand below which you’d purchase more.