The Power of a Mobile CMMS

I sometimes recall “olden times” stories with my kids about the days before cell phones, where if you needed to connect with someone, you had to call your own home phone from another phone and press all the codes to hopefully listen to a voicemail on your answering machine from your friend. 

Communication was harder those days. My kids look at me like I was crazy.

Maintenance operations face similar challenges today. For many that don't use their mobile device as an extension of their CMMS and instead rely on paper printed from their desktop computer, they enter an "information void" the second they leave their office and walk into the plant, grounds, facilities or wherever their maintenance takes them. Sure, as maintenance professionals we always get our jobs done, but sometimes we lack crucial information that can't be retrieved without backtracking, making a call or just guessing. Like the old-time days connecting with friends in the pre-cellphone era.

The importance of a mobile CMMS

The long history of CMMS has largely been relegated to desktop-based computers, either in your office, home or “kiosk” style, set in fixed locations around your operations for staff to take turns using. A standard CMMS has core features such as asset management, work order automation, preventive maintenance routines, spare parts management and more. 

A mobile CMMS is exactly the same thing, just in the palm of your hand. They have been around for more than 20 years, going back to early generation “PDAs” (personal digital assistants).  Products such Tandy Z-PDA, Apple Newton, Handspring, Palm Pilot, BlackBerry and others (remember any of these?) all came before the iPhone (2007) and the Android (2008) phones. Each of these earlier mobile devices tried to capture mobile operations but had limited staying power. Apple and Google Android changed this, and we haven't looked back since. 

Maintenance operations were slow to adopt a mobile CMMS. But higher quality internet access, cloud-based software, faster devices, and tons of other apps that keep our phones in our palms made it impossible to adapt. Today, mobile capability is mandatory from any CMMS vendor, often even being the first choice over typical desktop options. Because having all of your asset histories, work orders, parts and other information anywhere at any time is a game-changer.

What are common uses of a mobile CMMS?

In the past, a mobile CMMS might have been limited to a few features, but today we can do nearly everything operationally that a desktop CMMS can do. Today, technicians and managers use it to:

• Walk up to an asset, scan a barcode, and instantly access work history, documentation, and open tasks.
• View procedures with text, images, or video, which is especially helpful as experienced team members retire and take decades of knowledge with them.
• Check parts availability before hiking across a facility only to find the shelf empty.
• Create and update work orders on the spot, attach photos, and document steps as they happen.
• Reassign work, approve requests, and stay aware of their daily workload without having to return to a desk.
• Monitor basic dashboards like open work orders, overdue tasks, or other important metrics.

While a mobile CMMS screen might be smaller, the essential tools that matter in the field are not only available, they are also often faster to use than the desktop version.

What advantages do mobile devices have to help with operations?

Today’s mobile devices are full of amazing technology that is incredibly helpful to maintenance operations professionals.

• QR/barcoding: Quickly scan a barcode with your devices camera and it automatically pulls up that part, asset, work orders, etc. This creates super-fast searching and saves everyone time.
• Camera: Recording pictures and videos, including annotating, can be extremely helpful. You see a problem in a facility, it is super quick to make a request/submit a work order, snap a picture, add notes and move on. Normal CMMS workflow automatically kicks off, shortening a remedy.
• Offline capabilities: Even though internet speed and connectivity have made amazing progress, there are still “dead zones” where you cannot connect. This cannot stop you from using your mobile device. A good CMMS can still allow you to access/manage information, syncing when back in range.
• Mapping/GIS: Maps are standard on mobile devices these days; this directly translates to CMMS for those who are GIS/map focused. Easily create a geo-tagged work order with accurate location.
• Mobile data entry: Adding new assets on-the-fly while you are standing by them is a fast and easy way to build your asset repository.
• Talk-to-text and other device tech features: It has become easy to add notes with modern devices, including talk-to-text capabilities. “Fat-finger typing” is no longer a barrier.

These capabilities eliminate unnecessary steps and keep your data clean, which directly improves maintenance accuracy and response times.

What are the biggest benefits of a mobile CMMS?

The same efficiencies we see using mobile devices in our day-to-day personal lives can directly translate to efficiencies in our work operations. Efficiency is at the top of the list of benefits of a mobile CMMS. Just think of the time you save from walking back to your desk for some information, or to the spare parts room to find a part that is out of stock. 

Or imagine if an emergency work order automatically shows up on your device with a notification chime versus seeing a note back at your desk. Quick access to work orders, including the ability to edit, manage and close them is a great timesaver. And improving communication between maintenance staff, management and the general population of staff submitting requests is amazing. 

These efficiencies have direct benefit to your organization: For example, streamlined and efficient teams can “do more with less,” saving you overtime, freeing up time for productive projects (including more preventive maintenance) and other benefits. In the end, a mobile CMMS saves you money by reducing labor costs, improving efficiency and productivity, extending asset lifespans, and more -- all translating to better budget adherence and profitability.

Conclusion

Just as the advent of mobile phones revolutionized how we connect with friends and family, a mobile CMMS has fundamentally transformed maintenance operations. The days of technicians entering an "information void" the moment they leave their desk are quickly becoming a relic of the past, much like those elaborate voicemail retrieval systems.

Ultimately, a mobile CMMS isn't just a convenience; it's a strategic imperative that drives unparalleled efficiency, boosts productivity, extends asset lifespans, and significantly improves communication across your entire operation. Learn more about going beyond your standard CMMS in our recent e-book. Or, download our "What If..." guide to asset maintenance to learn how to use your CMMS to stay ahead of failures, justify funding, strengthen capital planning, and build asset strategies that hold up under scrutiny for any scenario.