Selecting a Mobile CMMS Software: A Comprehensive Guide

The Emergence of Mobile CMMS in Maintenance Management

Maintenance management is an area of business that has lagged in terms of technology, especially in comparison to other areas of business.

However, this is no longer the case.

The modern 21st-century era has been almost entirely defined by the fact that we can now access and share information at the speed of light, and this has placed an enormous amount of pressure on maintenance teams to move away from their outdated maintenance tracking systems and join the rest of us in 2015 by using CMMS software.

Mobile CMMS takes the feature set of your average CMMS software suite far beyond the familiar legacy of fixed location and desktop solutions and puts the functionality of your system with you on the plant floor or in the field so instead of waiting until you get back to a desk, you can use the CMMS software with you practically anywhere, anytime on your mobile devices.

This allows your maintenance technicians to harness the power and speed of CMMS from wherever they’re standing and then they kick out even more performance and productivity from your CMMS.

The significant statistic is that 84% of respondents said they are interested in performing preventative maintenance which is a meaningful shift in maintenance strategy approach. This mindset is also in line with the adaptation of advanced Maintenance Management Solutions, like mobile Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), which help companies to schedule and monitor preventive tasks, in real-time, and also improve overall maintenance efficiency.

The impact of this advancement on modern maintenance practices is profound.

Here are some key areas where the advent of mobile CMMS software has reformed maintenance practices in today’s age:

Improved Accessibility

Mobile CMMS software allows maintenance workers access to vital information and the capability to execute tasks anytime, anywhere. With teams of technicians spread across various locations managing assets and facilities, this flexibility becomes especially useful.

Real-Time Data Entry 

Selecting CMMS software for mobile devices allows maintenance activities to be updated in real time.  Technicians can input data, trouble reports, and update work orders directly from the field. This allows the entire team to have access to the latest information, leading to more informed decision-making.

Efficient Work Order Management 

By allowing technicians to receive, update, and close work orders on the go, mobile CMMS software simplifies the management of work orders. This results in less time available and better management of time.

Asset Management 

Managers can easily manage assets in the field using mobile devices. They can access asset history, verify equipment status, and schedule preventative maintenance tasks, to result in improved asset performance and useful life.

Bar Code Scanning 

Mobile device integration with CMMS will allow for barcode and QR code scanning. Technicians can retrieve equipment information, update asset details, and complete work orders quickly by scanning these codes; thus reducing manual data entry errors.

Enhanced Communication 

When the PM, as well as scheduled repair orders, are sent straight to the technician’s mobile device it can improve efficiency in the team's performance. With CMMS for mobile devices, managers can go paperless which cuts down on the possibility of losing orders. Technicians can also communicate with each other, share their insights, and work a problem out together right through the system.

Data Analytics and Reporting

Maintenance managers with mobile CMMS can stay up to date on performance metrics and can analyze trends to make better and more informed, data-driven decisions on long-term maintenance planning.

IoT Integrations

Another breakthrough that has transformed CMMS software is the integration of mobile CMMS with the Internet of Things (IoT). IoT sensors and devices combined with mobile CMMS will significantly enhance a company's predictive maintenance capacity. 

Imagine being able to continuously monitor every fundamental component of a business that can be connected to IoT sensors, giving real-time information and recommendations to front-line personnel via your mobile CMMS software and minimizing unexpected downtime.

User-Friendly Interface 

Selecting CMMS software allows user-friendly interfaces for smartphones and tablets, increasing buy-in and overall usage.

What are Different Types of Mobile CMMS?

Several types of mobile CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) software solutions are available to meet the unique demands and preferences of different enterprises. Organizations can choose the best mobile CMMS software for their specific needs because there are so many options available.

1. Cloud-Based CMMS 

Web-based systems can be accessible from any device with an internet connection. This implies that users can profit from mobile CMMS by logging in and using WiFi or data. 

Most web/mobile systems provide real-time updates as data is deployed, entered in the field, and sent back to the centralized CMMS. 

Because web-based solutions are cloud-based, and most have their own unique servers and data centers, they make use of cloud technology with servers located all over the world.

2. Native Mobile App

Native mobile CMMS software is designed for certain mobile operating systems, such as iOS or Android. These apps can fully utilize the smartphone's abilities operate entirely on the device, and give excellent performance. Native applications for CMMS are often downloaded and installed from an app store.

3. Open-Source CMMS 

Open-source means the source code is available for anyone to use.  While open-source often results in free CMMS, this is not always the case. 

There is a difference between open (as inaccessible) source software and free software.  Because the source code can be accessed, open-source ensures you are getting what you need – be it a basic CMMS package, or a robust enterprise-level system.

4. On-Primise CMMS

Selecting this CMMS software means the organization has to run its server, always connected to the internet, and available to the entire facility network.

This means the customer is responsible for having the correct IT infrastructure available, issuing internet user credentials for their network, releasing updates and security patches, no trial runs while installing new features, implementing security practices, installing and updating equipment, licensing, connectivity becoming a major project and ongoing high retainers for assistance.

5. Industry Specific Mobile CMMS 

Some mobile CMMS solutions are specifically designed for certain industries. This includes mobile CMMS for manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, and facilities management for example. Many of these industry-specific mobile CMMS solutions have specific features and functionalities built into them that are designed to specifically address the challenges associated with that industry.

Roles and Use Cases for Mobile CMMS in Various Industries

1. Construction Industry 

Every day, construction organizations face a variety of challenges, including timely delivery, perfect equipment, employee overtime, and so on. Using a manual procedure to repair its equipment does not fully satisfy its challenges. Spare parts and equipment are dispersed throughout the construction site and across multiple construction sites, which makes you wonder how you will maintain them from a single location, and the cost of maintaining those construction equipment cannot be properly managed using a paper-based system. By implementing Mobile CMMS software, construction firms can enhance their operations and address all of their issues. 

• Track all equipment properly and effectively. 
• Schedule the maintenance work. 
• Send an alert so that no maintenance tasks are left unfinished. 
• Optimize the usage of building supplies. 
• Provides equipment usage and historical data to support effective and informed decision-making. 
• CMMS enables construction industry managers to monitor several sites' performance from a single location. 
• Mobile CMMS produces relevant data and insights that help in decision-making.

2. Property Management 

Maintenance is an ongoing process in property management. After all, the primary difficulty for property management businesses is to maintain the property value. The more deteriorated the property, the lower the value of the physical asset. As the number of assets and locations grows, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain them manually.

 Mobile CMMS software enables managers to physically monitor all of the apartments spread over several places. Moreover, using CMMS software during the maintenance process makes tasks easier and faster. A CMMS software assists property management organizations 

• Keep track of maintenance from a central location. 
• Generate work orders from a remote location. 
• Schedule work orders and assign maintenance personnel from remote locations. 
• Send out notifications for preventative maintenance
• Maintenance staff may submit photographs and concerns to the facility management without visiting the spot.
• The facility manager can deal with emergency circumstances. 
• Provide insights and trustworthy facts to help with decision-making

3. Food and Beverage 

Following the pandemic, 26% of food firms consider themselves "tech-forward". This figure suggests that a significant proportion of food businesses have actively and consciously chosen to adopt more digital solutions, such as digital tools for ordering, contactless payment processing, inventory tracking, data analytics, and even mobile-based maintenance management systems.

Operating a restaurant is a challenging and logistical job that requires several departments to collaborate to ensure efficiency. Sewer gas is an example of neglected, non-working restaurant equipment that can cause deadly explosions in huge restaurant buildings around the city. Equipment faults and accidents are unavoidable, so restaurants employ at least two Professional Maintenance Staff at each level.

Incorporating a mobile CMMS into the equation enables restaurants to optimize their in-house maintenance operations, free up time for in-house staff to focus on guest care, and seamlessly integrate repair work orders. It enables restaurant workers to prioritize the all-important critical path, putting customer satisfaction at the top of the performance matrix.

• From equipment repairs to facility maintenance, CMMS for mobile devices guarantees efficient work order management.
• Technicians may utilize mobile devices to deliver real-time information on the state of kitchen equipment, allowing them to resolve issues more quickly and save downtime.
• Restaurants may use mobile devices to plan preventative maintenance work and comply with hygiene and safety laws.
• Ensuring compliance with food safety requirements and arranging recalls if needed.
• Remotely monitor equipment status and performance with mobile CMMS.

4. Healthcare Industry 

Patient safety is a major concern for healthcare organizations, and faulty equipment poses a threat to the quality of care provided. When healthcare providers use manual, paper-based maintenance processes, equipment is more likely to be overlooked, which increases the chances of unprecedented breakdowns and interruptions to critical care units. 

In addition to patient safety, organizations must adhere to strict operating standards and guidelines to deliver a reputation-worthy healthcare service to many patients each year.

• Mobile CMMS allows for proactive scheduling of equipment maintenance, lowering the risk of unexpected failures.
• help to keep compliance with safety rules and care standards.
• The visual monitoring features of mobile CMMS enable hospital management to track equipment problems in real-time.
• Facilitates transaction-based recordkeeping, ensuring that all maintenance activities are correctly documented.
• ensures precise management of essential medical equipment such as computers, defibrillators, ECG machines, surgical units, patient monitors, sterilizers, and others.
• Contributes to providing the best possible patient care by ensuring that diagnostic, therapeutic, and monitoring equipment is reliable and in working condition.

5. Facility Industry 

Tenant and guest satisfaction can be difficult for facility managers to achieve based on the diverse needs and often conflicting requirements of the individuals. Besides the volume of participants, employees, and guests, the management of facilities operations is extremely important to provide a positive experience for all. Across a hotel’s infrastructure, from boiler rooms to computer networks, keeping assets running at the highest level is crucial to minimize costly downtime and maximize efficiency.

• Mobile CMMS designed specifically for hotels allows managers to efficiently organize work orders while addressing the diverse maintenance needs of critical assets such as circuit breakers, computer networks, HVAC equipment, parking structures, cameras, and more.
• Schedule preventative repair tasks to improve asset management, reduce downtime, prevent service disruptions, and provide a smooth visitor experience.
• The implementation of CMMS leads to a better customer experience by ensuring that facilities and amenities run efficiently and fulfill the 
• Mobile CMMS allows hotel managers to efficiently manage a wide range of systems, ensuring that each component performs properly.

Why is Mobility in Maintenance Important?

A key advantage of mobility in maintenance management is the accessibility to information; mobile devices and applications make it possible for technicians to receive work orders, access equipment history, and report issues, all from wherever they are located.

Technicians can create work orders using real-time, up-to-the-minute equipment data using their mobile devices, which speeds up the maintenance process and ensures that information is always up to date. Technicians can also provide accurate equipment readings and inspection results, so there is no need for manual documentation where errors can be made.

Maintenance teams are no longer constrained by the limitations of the desk nor the bond of the location; mobile users can be anywhere and service any task. Service technicians equipped with mobile devices can attend to maintenance needs immediately – as in yet still, before issues escalate – optimizing overall operational efficiency whether they are grouped on a manufacturing shop floor, standing along the infinite pipeline of a virtual construction site, or spread out across remote facilities.

Mobile apps also allow for scheduled and unscheduled preventive maintenance tasks. This means that your company now has a proactive way to complete tasks to extend the lifespan of your asset. Preventive maintenance minimizes unexpected breakdowns, saving on downtime and in turn, costs money.

So, what's the business case for mobility? A mobile CMMS app allows you to...

• boost employee productivity, reduce maintenance costs via preventative and corrective maintenance, and protect company data with security policies and encryption.

• Distribute and manage internal and external apps on end devices.
• Using a remote control tool, you can solve the difficulties of your end customers in real time.
• With indicators and reports, you can monitor the functioning of your device and application.

Selecting CMMS Software – Pros vs. Cons 

The initial step in determining the overall success and applicability of any system or technology is to balance its advantages and disadvantages.

Pros 

• Technicians can access data, change records, and interact with the team while on the road, minimizing wait times and increasing responsiveness.
• Improves communication between maintenance teams, resulting in increased collaboration and problem-solving. 
• The utilization of real-time data decreases the possibility of documentation mistakes and gives decision-makers with current information to have a better understanding of maintenance efforts.
• Mobile CMMS enables proactive maintenance planning, allowing firms to schedule preventive work to save downtime, increase asset lifespan, and reduce the chance of unexpected breakdowns.

Cons 

• Deploying a mobile CMMS system might require initial investments in software, gear, and training. 
• Employees might be resistant to technological advances, particularly if they are accustomed to conventional techniques.
• Mobile CMMS software requires the transmission and storage of sensitive maintenance data. Organizations must emphasize strong security measures to prevent possible breaches or unauthorized access.
• Technical concerns with mobile devices might include compatibility issues, software flaws, and connectivity issues. These issues can disturb the smooth running of a mobile CMMS and must be addressed promptly.

Xenia-The Best CMMS for Mobile Devices

A CMMS helps to plan and manage facility maintenance, but it will only be effective if implemented correctly. Take the time to identify all the facility and equipment types you manage, identify the ones most critical, classify assets correctly, and track those assets.

If not, you might end up wasting money on the tools you use to run your business, a very costly mistake.

On that note, Xenia is a hybrid mobile CMMS software for frontline workforce management with a dedicated desktop and mobile application that can solve a variety of use cases across maintenance, operations, and people management.

The CMMS platform supports your daily operation processes like process standardization, work order management, preventive maintenance, inspections, meter logs, basic asset management, and more with a seamless mobile experience. Also, integrated chat and flexible tools can be used for other frontline team like housekeeping, sales, customer service, security, and more.

Even though, with a core CMMS functionality, Xenia is a light version with very low set-up costs and monthly fees that are more than 50% less than the famous CMMS service.. onFocus Solutions has always delivered a high-driven return on your IT investment.

Why Xenia is the best mobile CMMS?

• A public template library with hundreds of checklists, logs, inspections, and SOPs 
• A template builder for inspections for process modification and continuous improvement.
• Add unlimited photographs to work orders for transparency. 
• monitor detailed data and categorize reports for easy export.
• Integrate internal discussions with work orders for accountability and teamwork.
• Use the locations tool to specify and monitor work across the site. 
• Simple to use, with low implementation risk.

Book a free demo today!