Three reasons to implement a mobile maintenance strategy

A mobile CMMS app can give maintenance professionals a new and better organized way to complete routine duties.

By Paul Lachance June 15, 2016

For manufacturers who have invested in a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), the next step is to take advantage of advancements in cloud-based computing by using a mobile app. Regardless of which operating system (iOS or Android), a mobile app can improve clarity and efficiency in key management operations.

When maintenance professionals are able to access a browser-based management system via a user-friendly mobile app, they can:

1. Scan assets using QR codes to access and organize maintenance information:

When every asset is assigned a unique QR code, maintenance professionals can access information like work order type or status priority. Such a system can drastically reduce the time and effort necessary to search for assets or parts within a browser-based CMMS.

2. Upload pictures and other electronic documents to increase maintenance work order clarity:

The ability to add pictures from your device’s camera adds to the maintenance record. For instance, if a maintenance professional notices that a machine is overheating, a picture can be associated with the corresponding work order and maintenance plan. This notifies the assigned technicians of the work order’s status.

3. Visually map assets with geo-tagging features to prioritize work orders and get more done, faster:

By geographically tagging assets and work orders within a plant, workers can determine the most efficient and effective route for completing the work. In a large plant with multiple work orders, geo-tagging can help the maintenance workers map the most efficient work route. This kind of high-level visibility into maintenance tasks can boost productivity.

For the next generation of manufacturing professionals, a mobile app will compliment their existing mobile fluency. A study by mobile solutions provider Mobiletron estimates that 26% of workers ages 18 to 24 complete daily work tasks on smartphones or tablets.

Mobility will help manufacturers keep pace with the industry’s changing landscape and rising maintenance demands.

Paul Lachance is president of Smartware Group, which produces Bigfoot CMMS. Lachance has been developing and perfecting CMMS for the maintenance professional for more than 20 years. Contact Paul directly at paul.lachance@bigfootcmms.com or visit www.bigfootcmms.com. Smartware Group is a CFE Media content partner.

Original content can be found at www.bigfootcmms.com.


Author Bio: Paul Lachance has spent his entire career devoted to optimizing maintenance teams by enabling data-driven decisions and actionable insights. He wrote his first CMMS system in 2004 and has since spent his professional career designing and directing CMMS and EAM systems. A regular speaker at national tradeshows, he’s been featured at IMTS, Fabtech and SMRP as well as several industry magazines. He is a manufacturing technology consultant on behalf of Brightly Software.