Factory Maintenance Management

Maintenance in the Manufacturing Plant

The maintenance division of a factory is responsible for ensuring the maximum availability and quality of all machines, lines, buildings and services required by other sections of the factory for the performance of their functions. Moreover, they are expected to do all the above at the lowest possible cost in terms of material, machinery and personnel. Without a solid methodology in place to efficiently manage all the moving parts and activities involved in the maintenance of a factory, manufacturers are at risk of experiencing unexpected equipment breakdowns and interruptions that will lead to costly losses for operations and the business. The implementation of the right digital solution or solutions can help ensure that your maintenance activities are being dispatched, managed and executed smoothly and efficiently, and that all the assets, machines and equipment in your industrial plant will continue to operate at optimum condition.

What are Factory Maintenance Management Systems?

A Factory Maintenance Management System, sometimes referred to as a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), is a technology platform designed to automate the management and organization of all the information related to a manufacturing facility's maintenance operations. When managed in a centralized CMMS, factory maintenance information is up-to-date, complete and easily accessible by authorized personnel. This will help maintenance workers do their jobs more effectively (for example, when prioritizing tasks, understanding which machines require maintenance and which storerooms contain the spare parts they need). This will also help management make more informed decisions (for example, calculating the cost of machine breakdown repair versus preventive maintenance for each machine, possibly leading to better allocation of resources).

CMMS data can also be used to verify regulatory compliance. To properly control the maintenance of a facility, information is required to analyze what is occurring. Manually this requires a tremendous amount of effort and time. A CMMS also allows for record keeping, to track completed and assigned tasks in a timely and cost-effective manner. In recognition of this, leading manufacturers have started using CMMS extensively to better control and organize maintenance management. The right CMMS can be a powerful efficiency-driving tool and a central database containing all the information about your organization's maintenance operations.

Maintenance is what users of CMMS software do every day, whether it’s responding to an on-demand work order for a broken window or performing routine inspection on a generator. Most Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) are designed to give users immediate insight into the state of his or her maintenance needs with comprehensive work order schedules, accurate inventory forecasts and instant access to hundreds of invaluable reports. Computer software cannot accomplish the work of a skilled technician. What it can do, however, is ensure tasks are prioritized correctly and that everything is in place (inventory, labor) to ensure success. CMMS solutions give technicians the freedom to focus less on paperwork and more on hands-on maintenance.

Features of Factory Maintenance Management Systems

Maintenance work order creation, scheduling, prioritization and management
Real-time equipment breakdown maintenance management
Preventive maintenance
Predictive maintenance
Asset information management
Parts and inventory management (including warranty)
Workforce tracking and management
User role permissions
OEE and KPI tracking
Real-time reporting
Maintenance history reporting
Equipment downtime reporting
Intelligent analytics and reporting
Electronic work instructions with multimedia attachments
Multi-language support
Document storage
Compliance and safety audit management
QR code and barcode-enabled recognition
Service request management
Automatic alarms and notifications
Field service management
Accessible via web, mobile, tablet or Augmented Reality (AR) wearable devices

Benefits of Factory Maintenance Management Systems

Reduce equipment downtime
Increase efficiency of maintenance execution
Lower maintenance costs
Improve work order management
Increase utilization and lifetime of equipment
Improve inventory management
Facilitate data-driven maintenance decisions
Ensure compliance and adherence to safety standards
Improve overall plant and personnel performance

Engineering's Expertise

Equipment breakdowns in manufacturing cost time, work hours and resources. CMMS software can help reduce these unexpected and unnecessary losses. Engineering specializes in designing and implementing integrated Factory Maintenance Management solutions for manufacturers across all industrial sectors to help them efficiently maintain manufacturing systems, machines, lines and entire facilities. Managers can easily track and view past maintenance work, schedule automatic alerts for future maintenance and see the current status of work orders. Tedious management tasks are automated, so your maintenance technicians can focus on executing their work and ensuring that your facility continues to operate and produce at the optimum level.