From classrooms and restrooms to offices and cafeterias, schools have many buildings and facilities to maintain. It is important to ensure that everything is in proper working order, including equipment and critical systems, like alarms and HVAC. This is crucial for schools to function properly and keep students, faculty and visitors safe.
Manage work orders efficiently
Due to the sheer amount of equipment and facilities, maintenance departments need to process a high volume of work orders every day.
Using a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) means there is a computerized database for work requests. It is possible to prioritize and generate work orders as well as assign them and even update them from a centralized system.
Automate servicing notifications
Trying to keep track of when equipment must be serviced or what inspections must take place can be a nightmare. Inputting the necessary information means that the CMMS will automatically notify the facility manager when any systems require servicing.
Performance maintenance on-the-go
School campuses can be very large. By accessing a CMMS from the field with a smartphone or tablet, it is possible to save time and increase data accuracy. Maintenance techs do not have to go to the office to pick up hard copies of work orders or update a desktop-based system.
Maintain assets and increase lifecycle
The key to a preventative rather than a reactive maintenance program is to perform tasks on a routine basis. This not only helps to maximize return on investment by extending the lifecycle of equipment but also helps to prevent unnecessary breakdowns.
Poorly maintained facilities and equipment do not function as effectively as well maintained ones or last as long.
Increase productivity
Employees benefit from being able to keep track of maintenance information and tasks from a centralized system. Employees can become more productive because paperwork and processes that were previously done manually are automated.
Communication is also enhanced as it is easier to give updates on progress or the status of work orders. Staff can see what still need to be completed and ensure that nothing is overlooked.
Ensure compliance with regulatory standards
Schools need to adhere to many important regulations. For example, they need to comply with certain governmental standards to maintain funding. With CMMS software, it is easy to store and organize files. This makes it possible to access and send records to where they need to go in order to ensure compliance.
Generate reports for analysis
Using a CMMS means that data is able to be accessed effortlessly for analysis. Running a costing report, for example, can help a manager in a maintenance department to see exactly where the budget was spent because when work orders are completed, parts, labor and other expenses are logged.
Generating reports can help to identify unacceptable levels of downtime, chronic equipment problems and more so they can be resolved to improve efficiency.
Enhance safety
Student data safety and overall general safety on the premises is a priority for schools today. CMMS software helps to make accessing inspection records and performing preventative maintenance possible.
Safety checks, such as inspecting alarm systems or fire equipment, can be scheduled and tracked in the CMMS. This helps to keep everything running smoothly and provides increased safety for everyone.
A CMMS helps school maintenance departments become more organized by automating many of the mundane daily activities and reducing the need to rely on memory.
It can reduce costs and deliver more revenue by making management more effective. Improved workflow management, asset tracking and reporting, more staff productivity, insight from analytics and faster response time are all possible when using CMMS software.