CMMS Software for Small Business: A True Game-Changer

A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) enables organizations, large or small, to manage their daily facility management and maintenance operations to ultimately increase asset productivity, decrease costs, and streamline processes.

A CMMS is designed to be used by companies that need to automate and organize their facility and maintenance operations.

It’s often thought of as a tool that is mainly used by larger organizations with complex maintenance processes, but that isn’t always the case today—CMMS software for small business is on the rise.

Which small businesses are using a CMMS?

Many small companies use spreadsheets to manage their daily maintenance schedules; however, those looking to optimize their operations have started to turn to a CMMS for all of their maintenance needs.

As small businesses begin to grow, their operations can become more complex, and the limitations that come with a spreadsheet system begin to show.

When compared to the automated capabilities of CMMS software, spreadsheets do not allow organizations to fully optimize and streamline their facilities and maintenance processes. Learn more of the drawbacks of using Excel to manage your maintenance.

With the growing need for a CMMS solution in companies large and small, many CMMS providers have made advancements in their technology to be more accessible, affordable, and user-friendly for all. These advancements have allowed small businesses to reap the benefits of a CMMS. 

Why CMMS software for small business?

CMMS solutions are feature-rich and provide basic to complex functionality that is catered to the needs of the organization using it. A CMMS can provide small businesses with the tools they need for maintenance management tracking, preventive maintenance scheduling, inventory management, reporting, asset tracking, purchasing, and more.

With so many features to choose from—and typically with a-la-carte options—a CMMS can be a game-changer for small businesses without breaking the bank.

Benefits of CMMS software for small business

Whether it’s lowering costs or increasing productivity, many companies, large and small, share the same objectives when it comes to their facilities and maintenance operations. Like large companies, small businesses that use a CMMS will start seeing the benefits almost instantly.

Here are 8 benefits that many small businesses have reported since implementing a CMMS. 

Lower maintenance costs

Because many small businesses are working on a fixed budget, any reduction in maintenance costs can go a long way. CMMS software for small business allows your organization to easily track all maintenance, labor, and inventory costs, helping you see how much time and money are going into each maintenance request.

With this data, you can gain insight into problem areas so you can adjust processes that help save your company money and improve your bottom line.

Eliminate unnecessary spending

When it comes to parts and inventory, many small businesses run into shortages, or even high expenses, because they don’t have a structured system in place for managing these items.

With a CMMS, you can easily track and manage all of your spare parts and inventory items, helping you stay up-to-date with current quantities and alerting you when it’s time to order more. This will keep your business organized, eliminate unnecessary spending, and help your staff who might be juggling more than one task at a time.

Improve communication with staff and outside vendors

CMMS software for small business allows companies to stay aligned on all aspects of their facility and maintenance operations, regardless of their complexity. This improves communication between staff members and even with outside vendors.

By being able to directly communicate with other staff members and outside vendors directly in your CMMS, you will be able to dedicate more time to the work that matters most to you and your organization.

Increase productivity

For many small businesses operating with a limited number of employees, time is a very valuable resource that shouldn’t be wasted. Lost time results in lost productivity, which can have a negative impact on your business.

However, studies conducted by industry analysts have shown that CMMS solutions can save 10-50% of lost productivity every year.

With an easy-to-use CMMS, your staff members will be able to conveniently and efficiently submit, track, and resolve requests, ultimately resulting in increased productivity across your company. In fact, many small organizations that use a CMMS for their facilities and maintenance operations have seen a decrease in work order response and resolution times.

Maintenance staff even spend less time managing requests, giving them more time in their day to focus on the work that matters most to your company.

Extend the lifespan of your equipment

Equipment and assets come with a price tag, and with a fixed budget, small businesses can’t afford to let those items go unattended. CMMS software for small business allows you to implement routine inspections and maintenance for all your equipment and assets, giving you full visibility into how each item is performing, which items need attention, and which parts might need to be replaced.

Through preventive maintenance, a CMMS can ultimately extend the lifespan of your assets, and help them work at their optimum efficiency – reducing frequent breakdowns and saving your business money in the long run. 

Improve visibility of all facility and maintenance activities

As a small business, you might have several employees wearing multiple hats on a given day, which is why it is important that you have clear visibility into all facility and maintenance activities.

CMMS software for small business enables you to see all of these activities in one central calendar location, making it easy for you to know what is going on and when. This allows you to have a clear understanding of how your facilities are operating, as well as how your staff is performing. 

Keep a record of all historical data

A CMMS isn’t just great for tracking real-time facility and maintenance activities; it also serves as a great database for all of your historical data.

As your small business continues to grow, along with your facility and maintenance operations, it can be highly beneficial for you to have a centralized database like this where you can access all of your facility and maintenance data whenever you need it.

You can access anything from the number of work orders completed during a given time period, maintenance costs, worker hours, work order notes, parts ordered, equipment data from integrated downtime tracking software, and much more.

With data like this, you can prepare for future audits, as well as future budgeting needs. 

Meet compliance and safety standards

All businesses, large and small, are required to meet particular compliance and safety standards that are specific to their industry. As a small business, resources can be limited, so having a system that can help you maintain these standards can be extremely helpful.

Because a CMMS makes it possible for you to store pertinent information about each of your equipment items—such as product requirement documents, warranty information, safety guides, and more—it ultimately gives you the tools you need to make sure you’re maintaining and meeting compliance and safety standards on a daily basis. 

Features of CMMS software for small business

If you’re looking for CMMS software for your small business, a good tip is to make sure you look at all of the features each system has to offer, and make sure the one you choose offers you the tools that best fit the needs of your company.

There are many cost-effective CMMS programs available that provide the features small and mid-sized companies need in order to run an efficient and effective maintenance management program, so it helps to know which features to look for.

Here are the top 5 CMMS features that we recommend for small businesses. 

Work order management

Streamline all of your maintenance processes and cut down on work order response and resolution times with work order software.

Preventive maintenance management

Increase the lifespan of your assets and prevent future breakdowns with preventive maintenance software.

Parts inventory management

Keep a clear record of current inventory quantities, have the right parts available when you need them, and cut down on overspending with maintenance inventory management software.

Equipment maintenance management

Store all of your asset and equipment data in one central location with equipment maintenance software. This data can include purchase prices, warranties, manuals, maintenance work, and much more.

Custom reports and analytics

Create reports that align with your business’ key performance indicators (KPIs) and use these to make data-driven decisions when it comes to staffing, budgeting, and workflow processes.

With countless benefits and features to choose from, the right CMMS can truly be a game-changer for your small business and its facility and maintenance operations.

Get started with personalized demo of our maintenance management solution.