The bottom line is the ultimate concern of any business. No matter what type of business it is, no matter how it operates or what the business purpose is to the community, other than non-profits, a business has the purpose of making money. In order to make a profit, the business has to control its overhead costs as well as reduce its risk of liability fees.

This is where CMMS comes in. Computerized Maintenance Management Systems serve multiple purposes in managing the costs of any business. CMMS allows for facilities managers to keep close tabs on the costs of running their operation to best obtain a sufficient profit margin. The software package provides a computer database of information based on criteria that is required by the company to maintain their costs.

CMMS can be used for:

• Calculating maintenance costs for every piece of equipment owned by an organization.

• Tracking stock on hand to an up-to-the-minute basis to be sure that all necessary parts are on hand for the service department or counter customers. Also determining which shelves in which store rooms contain which parts, to cut down on customer service time.

• Scheduling jobs and assigning personnel for any particular job.

• Keeping an automated recording of the costs and any relevant information related to a particular job to allow for timely changes in the case of a drop in profit margin.

• Tracking inspections of jobs, from the times of the inspection, the employee that performed it, the result of the inspection and the recommendations that are made based on that result.

• In the case that a company needs to prove liability, these inspection reports and other information in the CMMS database can be used to prove that proper processes were followed. This information can save a company thousands or even millions of dollars in a law suit when their liability or safety procedures are in question.

• CMMS packages can give detailed and daily or even hourly status reports on any item monitored by the database. Summaries can be made of facility activities on an as-needed basis to give management an idea of the status of the facility performance prior to or along with the detailed status reports.

All these maintenance structures combine to create a streamlined, effective workplace through CMMS.