CMMS Selection: The Path to Your Next Maintenance Platform

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is more than just a piece of software; it’s the operational engine that drives your team’s efficiency, asset management and compliance. When starting the CMMS selection process, your goal is more than simply selecting the right one. It’s to reduce unplanned downtime, increase your preventive maintenance compliance and shorten your work order time-to-close.

But how do you know which one to choose? The market is saturated with CMMS options, all promising to fix your problems. 

That’s why we wrote this guide to help cut through the noise. Drawing on deep, in-the-trenches maintenance experience, this simple, five-step CMMS selection methodology actually works. Follow this guide to turn a confusing purchasing process into a strategic investment that delivers measurable ROI. We will cover everything from pricing to features to help you select the ideal CMMS solution.

1. Assemble Your A-Team: The Stakeholders Who Drive Adoption

You can buy the most feature-rich CMMS software on the planet, but if your maintenance team refuses to use it, you’ve bought an expensive bottleneck that forces your team back to spreadsheets and clipboards. After all, CMMS implementation failure is often a result of adoption failure.

Your CMMS selection process must be cross-functional to ensure you get full organizational buy-in from the start. Every successful CMMS selection begins with getting all key stakeholders involved. These team members bring unique priorities and must sign off on the solution:

• Technicians and operators (the end-users): These team members prioritize ease of use and mobile app accessibility. They need to update maintenance tasks in seconds, not minutes, so they need a user-friendly experience in the field.
• Maintenance manager or supervisor (the workflow owner): Maintenance managers need tools to streamline scheduling and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) like mean time to repair (MTTR) and mean time between failure (MTBF).
• Inventory parts manager (the supply chain): This person needs accurate inventory management and procurement integration.
• IT and cybersecurity (the integrator): They will assess CMMS vendors on deployment options, determining whether a cloud-based CMMS or on-premise CMMS is best. They will vet security, ensuring the cloud-based solution meets data compliance needs.
• The executive and finance teams (the budget approver): Every department contributes to successful maintenance operations. This team cares about return on investment (ROI) and the total cost over the long term.

2. Start With Outcomes, Not Features: Define Your True Goals

Your maintenance software is just a tool. Stop listing generic CMMS features and define the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound (SMART) goals for your organization.

Needs vs. Wants: The Must-Have Filter

Start by conducting a needs assessment and prioritizing your requirements. This process helps you select the best CMMS software for your unique needs.

If your goal is to reduce reactive work, your CMMS selection must prioritize robust preventive maintenance scheduling and meter-triggered modules. The system should help you streamline workflows and automate routine actions. This is especially true if you are planning to incorporate predictive maintenance into your strategy. Look for a solution with an intuitive user interface that clearly displays all relevant maintenance data.

3. The Vendor Vetting Game: Asking the Right Questions

Once your A-Team is assembled and your outcomes are defined, you are ready to engage vendors. Choosing a CMMS provider means selecting a long-term strategic partner.

The ‘Show Me, Don’t Tell Me’ Demo

You need to see how the CMMS systems perform in your real-life scenarios, focusing on specific workflows. Ask the vendor to demonstrate core CMMS features like work order management in a user-friendly environment.

• The technician test: Show me how a technician navigates the user-friendly system on a mobile device to update a work order or scan an asset in 30 seconds.
• The requestor test: Ask: “How does a non-technical end-user submit a service request without having to log in or create a full asset record?”
• The reporting test: Ask: “How do I easily generate a report comparing total labor hours spent on reactive maintenance versus planned maintenance over the last quarter?”

You must also scrutinize the non-functional requirements:

• Integration capabilities: How seamlessly does the system talk to your existing systems? Poor integration equals poor data and wasted time.
• Security and data governance: Where is your data stored? Does the vendor comply with your industry’s specific regulations and security protocols?
• Vendor reputation and customer support: Research their track record and ensure they provide quality customer support and clear communication.

4. Cost vs. Value: Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) Is Key

For facility management and maintenance leaders, the price tag is a red herring. A cheap CMMS that fails to deliver your required outcomes is a colossal waste of money. Your focus must be on the total cost of ownership (TCO) over a three- to five-year period. This is true whether you are looking for a simple CMMS or a complex EAM software solution.

Unmasking the Hidden Costs of a CMMS

The total cost is an equation with many variables. You must budget for more than just the monthly subscription:

• Initial setup and implementation fees: This includes data migration, configuration and any consulting services.
• Training and ongoing support: Is ongoing support included in the subscription, or is it an extra cost?
• Scalability charges: Will adding 50 more assets automatically bump you up to the next pricing tier?
• Integration and parts tracking: A critical element is integration with your existing systems for efficient procurement and parts tracking, which impacts inventory management. This decision impacts the entire maintenance department.

Be wary of low upfront costs that may lead to higher expenses for essential features or support later on.

5. Don’t Forget the Go-Live Stage: Implementation & Training

The best CMMS selection process in the world falls apart at the Go-Live stage if you haven’t planned for a smooth CMMS implementation. The focus of the new system should be on improving uptime.

The Go-Live Checklist

• Clean data migration: If you migrate bad maintenance data, the system will never deliver accurate reports.
• Phased rollout and champions: Start with a pilot group of your “CMMS Champions” to build momentum and excitement.
• Real-time adoption: The CMMS should be able to capture real-time data on all maintenance activities. Training must emphasize mobile functionality so technicians can log information immediately.
• Focus on process: If your goal is to reduce reactive work, your CMMS selection must prioritize robust preventive maintenance scheduling. Enforce the new standards, and set clear expectations for software use upfront.

How Coast Streamlines CMMS Selection & Success

The failure of a CMMS often stems from complexity and a lack of user adoption. Coast was built as the antidote to these problems. We designed our platform to give maintenance team the flexibility to customize their own software and streamline their maintenance work.

By following this five-step CMMS selection process, you’ll find that Coast checks the non-negotiable boxes, proving itself as the right CMMS software amongst the many CMMS options. It does this through:

• User-friendly design: Our mobile-first design and intuitive user interface make it easy for maintenance teams to use in the field.
• Workflow integration: Coast allows you to easily build out your own workflows that match your existing processes, ensuring high user adoption.
• Actionable data: Coast provides automated alerts to keep your team ahead of reactive work, setting the foundation for future predictive maintenance initiatives.

Successful CMMS selection is a process of discipline, not discovery. You aren’t shopping for a product; you are solving your most pressing maintenance management problems. By assembling your A-Team, defining your measurable outcomes and vetting vendors based on real-world scenarios, you dramatically increase your chances of success. Choose a platform that is user-friendly and flexible enough to adapt to your specific workflows.

Ready to stop juggling spreadsheets and start streamlining? Start your free CMMS trial today, and experience a CMMS built for your team, not your IT department.