Archive for CMMS Tips

06 May 2013
CMMS Tech • CMMS Tips

Avoiding Maintenance Software Storage Wars, Part III

The previous Parts I and II of this series covered an overview of document management within Bigfoot CMMS, and went through a specific example for you to follow along. Part III will now show you what to expect in future releases of Bigfoot CMMS, particularly as it relates to managing reference materials.

Using URL links within Bigfoot continues to be an important aspect of the solution, especially with the addition of more functionality. This month, Smartware Group is announcing the release of Occupational Safety & Health as an add-on solution to its core Bigfoot CMMS system. Among its many features will be the accessibility of a library of safety information (checklists, standards, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), etc.), which may be associated with PMs/Work Orders (WOs).

The latest add-on solution to Bigfoot CMMS will be Occupational Safety & Health

The first entry is a PDF file, because it’s a document that was created in-house. Note that the second entry does not have a “.pdf” extension. Remember how we pasted a link and then named it in Part II? That’s what happened here: the name of the link is intended to get more attention as it’s called by the name the guys in the garage use…

This one reference in Safety Programs may be associated with loads of PMs and WOs, but that doesn’t use up additional space. In the case of the link to the Electrolyte MSDS, it is hardly a fly spec on your Bigfoot storage.

Let’s see how it’s deployed: on the WO Summary, there will soon be some new icons.

 

 

 

This particular safety program is required, as shown below.

When the user opens the reference, she’s given a link to the Safety Program, and a spot to verify her compliance. When the user clicks on the name, “MSDS Battery Acid,” she sees the MSDS at the manufacturer’s site (which doesn’t consume any of your storage space, and is the most up-to-date information you can get).

The end result of this new option is worth its weight in gold:

The ability to track not only your safety programs, but a time/date stamp of who reviewed these programs – all within your CMMS.

 

 

So go ahead. Get familiar with how to use hyperlinks instead of document uploads. Want to learn more? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter by e-mailing general@bigfootcmms.com today.

susan.shaw | 3 comments
29 Apr 2013
CMMS Tech • CMMS Tips

Avoiding Maintenance Software Storage Wars, Part II

In Part I of this series, we discussed the options available to Bigfoot CMMS users to store reference materials. This section will take things a step further to show you exactly how this can be done.

Let’s talk best practices with document management. You certainly have the ability to upload documents to the storage space on the Bigfoot CMMS server. But there’s also an alternative: using a hyperlink to the actual source. Compared to uploading a document, this takes just a tiny amount of space. Using the example of adding “Document 4” to the Docs tab, we’ll walk through this process right from the beginning at the Equipment Summary level.

First, select the Edit icon for the piece of equipment…

… then select its Docs tab.

Now, on a new tab of your browser, navigate to your source. By looking carefully at the screen below, you’ll see the open Operator’s Manual PDF from sears.com (on the second browser tab). Simply right-click to copy the circled web address.

Back on the Bigfoot tab, select “Upload” for Document 4.

Now select the optional external URL (“link”). Position your cursor at the end of “http://” and paste the URL you copied. Once you’ve pasted successfully, delete one of the “http://”.  It’s much easier to do it this way than, when at the source, trying to copy all of the address except the “http://”.

You now need to supply a name for this link. Keep in mind that users will see this name, so think carefully about it. The more informative the name, the better (and you’ll get a reputation as a computer whiz).

Don’t get excited yet, computer whiz…there’s still one last detail…

CLICK SAVE

Once you have saved your link, congratulate yourself for being both technologically competent and frugal. Yes, frugal. Every time you upload a document, you are using up your allotment of storage space on the Bigfoot CMMS server. You always have the ability to add more storage space, but it’s far more efficient to stick with links.

NEXT WEEK: We enter the final Part of this series, where we take a glimpse into what development changes lie ahead for Bigfoot CMMS Document Management. Check back for this exciting conclusion to “Avoiding Maintenance Management Storage Wars“!

susan.shaw | One comment
22 Apr 2013
CMMS Tech • CMMS Tips

Avoiding Maintenance Software Storage Wars, Part I

For employees to work both efficiently and safely, having access to up-to-date reference materials is a must. As your primary maintenance depository, your Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is an excellent place to house these materials. Typically reference documents can be found in the Parts, Equipment, Work Order, and PM modules of your software. Within Bigfoot CMMS, the “info” link shown on the work order screen below is a link back to the equipment record:

Once the equipment record is visible, you are placed on the General tab, and are able to select other relevant tabs. It’s a good habit to use the notes field on the general tab to let co-workers know something important is on the docs tab.

 

Selecting the first item on the Docs tab displays a previously-uploaded PDF file of the equipment’s specifications.

In general, a PDF is a better choice than a Microsoft Word document because it loads more quickly and doesn’t require the presence of Word on the viewing PC.

You can provide quick access to increasingly-important MSDS data. Many manufacturers supply these sheets in PDF format. The Docs tab may also have helpful links directly to a manufacturer’s site on the Internet. Use links, rather than actual documents, when the content is likely to change often.

Links to your vendor’s site or OSHA regulations, for example, may be better to use under the Docs tab of Bigfoot than uploading hefty files.

NEXT WEEK: Get the step-by-step instructions to upload reference materials directly within Bigfoot in Avoiding Maintenance Software Storage Wars, Part II. Part III of this series will give you a sneak preview of what’s ahead for Bigfoot document management. Stay tuned….

 

susan.shaw | 2 comments
01 Apr 2013
CMMS Tips • CMMS Training • Preventive Maintenance

Exercise with EAM Training for Better Maintenance Health

Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) is more than just buying software. There are plenty of organizations that purchase a system and it sits on a shelf gathering dust, or access to the system is hidden somewhere within a former employee’s PC.

Training is part of the key to ensure your EAM software isn't wasting space on a shelf.

EAM is also about learning to use the software effectively. For that, there are typically training programs available from your EAM solution provider. Onsite training, for one, is usually held at your location to give your team a comprehensive understanding of the system during a set time period. For organizations in need of more flexible training for users spread out geographically, a virtual training program may be more appropriate.

Virtual EAM training allows users to study at their own pace and convenience. At Smartware Group, the Bigfoot CMMS virtual training program consists of a number of hour-long online sessions covering the topics below, as orchestrated by a live trainer. Users of Bigfoot with current training access can repeat their attendance and view a full instructional video library as often as they wish over a six-month period.

CORE CURRICULUM

  • Orientation
  • Equipment Profiles
  • PMs
  • Work Orders
  • Inventory

OPTIONAL CURRICULUM

  • Requests
  • Reports & Analysis

And signing up for your EAM software training shouldn’t be anything to sweat over – see how easy it can be in this quick video.

susan.shaw | No comments
25 Mar 2013
Asset Management • CMMS Case Studies • CMMS Tips • Predictive Maintenance • Preventive Maintenance

The Hidden Costs of Cheap Capital Expenditures

Work orders and preventive maintenance are Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) fundamentals. But companies that look beyond the obvious functions reap the benefits of better-informed budget planning, serious savings on fewer repairs, reduced staff overtime, and lots more.

Asset Life Cycle Analysis, or ALCA, helps you go beyond simple asset management to separate the most cost-effective and efficient assets from the worst.

One helpful function of CMMS that provides a simple way to gather intelligence and improve operations is Asset Life Cycle Analysis (ALCA). By capturing day-to-day operational information from Preventive Maintenance items (PMs) and Work Orders (WOs) and crunching the data using ALCA, CMMS users are better equipped to separate the good vendors from the bad and the ugly, plus analyze technician performance, improve PMs, etc.

ALCA analyzes critical maintenance data for all assets, and answers the question, “How much did it cost us to run this asset during the last 12 months?” The maintenance director may have gotten a good price for the machine up front, but ALCA can show him that he paid twice that in repairs. ALCA even assigns the machine a letter grade! If your asset is receiving a failing grade from ALCA, it may be time to scrap it and start evaluating new vendors before submitting next year’s budget. Case in point is the life cycle costs for 40 washers and dryers for Chemung ARC, a housing organization for the developmentally disabled in upstate New York that uses Bigfoot CMMS. The maintenance department was buying cheaper units, which at the time allowed them to avoid expensive repairs and constant call-ins from the housekeeping department. But the team never considered sustainability, operational costs, and machine capacity.

Washers and dryers are just some of the capital expenditures that can be analyzed using your maintenance management software's ALCA.

The washers and dryers came with a lower purchase price, but they were also undersized and lacked some basic features. Each machine ran 8-10 loads of laundry per day but frequently broke down. Add in the fact that repair parts were largely out of stock because various models had been purchased over time; combine that with rising water and electricity usage; and factor in costs resulting from longer washer and dryer cycles, and Chemung was spending nearly $800 on average for the life cycle of a typical washer, not including utility costs. To top it off, most machines had to be replaced within 15 months. Through Bigfoot’s ALCA cost study, maintenance now spends almost twice as much upfront for each unit BUT the life cycle cost benefits are significant:

  • Washers and dryers generally last six years instead of 15 months, reducing the recurring costs for purchase, installation, and disposal
  • Repair and maintenance costs per unit per year dropped 30 percent
  • By doubling capacity of the units, the number of loads per day was cut in half; energy and water consumption dropped by 30 percent per load

The housing organization’s maintenance team has become the ALCA poster child of success. They’re now using it to analyze life cycle costs for dishwashers, refrigerators, snow blowers, light fixtures, faucets, tub controls and adaptable bathing tubs. Couple that with a PM schedule that doesn’t miss a trick, and the Chemung team rarely has to replace a failed appliance. The incidence of HVAC system failures, for example, has fallen 50 – 60 percent.

Now it’s your turn: test drive your CMMS’ ALCA and see what kind of savings you can uncover!

susan.shaw | No comments
25 Feb 2013
CMMS Case Studies • CMMS Tech

The Value of EAM Support

Direct from customer service logs, February 11, 2013:

9:30 a.m. – A user from a division of the US Energy Department writes in: “I’m trying to change the admin profile, but am unable to change values in Employee Number, Company, and Department. How can I change the values of these fields, or, am I doing something I shouldn’t be doing?”
9:44 a.m. – Customer gets the solution from the EAM help desk
9:50 a.m. – Customer sends a response: “I got the changes made. Appreciate the rapid response!”
—————————————————————————————————

While customers have become skilled at multitasking while listening to an endless loop of music waiting to talk to a technical support clerk (only to be transferred to others), the importance of quick and effective Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software support is often overlooked when considering a new solution.

At the same time, making the customer experience a top priority alludes many companies, according to a new report issued by software giant Oracle. After crunching the numbers, the report shows that companies could stand to lose up to 20% in revenues due to poor customer experience with their brands.

Oracle surveyed more than 1,300 senior-level executives around the world and 97% said that improving the customer experience was one of their top priorities for the next two years. But they’re not quite there yet, according to the report, which also found that 89% of customers say they have actually switched brands because of a bad customer experience. So there’s some work to do.

CMMS and EAM providers that offer exemplary customer support truly stand out in the marketplace.

For one EAM provider, outstanding technical support is an integral part of what makes it different from other maintenance software companies. Smartware Group President Paul Lachance puts a lot at stake to make sure customers have the best possible experience, having once worked for a company that had a “sell and forget” mentality. “We have always worked hard to avoid that pitfall,” says Lachance. “In tough economic times a company might be inclined to cut into its operational support side rather than sales. We have always bucked that trend. You need to keep the customers that you have happy. What’s the sense of trying to bring in more customers and not support them properly? Sounds simple, but many companies forget this.”

How do you find out if technical support is highly valued within an EAM software provider? Check the company’s customer retention rate. Consistent rates of 90 percent or higher are a fairly good indication that customers are receiving the type of service shown in the log above.

 

susan.shaw | No comments
18 Feb 2013
Asset Management • CMMS Tips • Preventive Maintenance

Sustainability in Facility Maintenance

–excerpts taken from the article “Join the Green Revolution,” as printed in the January/February 2011 issue of Facilities Engineering Journal.

When we talk about building sustainability, we tend to associate green initiatives with recyclable, earth-friendly building materials and landscaped rooftops — not facility maintenance. But did you know that an effective Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) System can help you achieve LEED Certification? That’s exactly what happened at the Denver Convention Center. Chief engineer Tom Barnes figured out the best way to save energy consumption was by getting to HVACs and air handlers before they break down. That’s why he has 600 Preventive Maintenance (PM) items a month scheduled within Bigfoot CMMS; he calls himself a “PM freak!”

An effective CMMS can play a big role in LEED certification and compliance

Barnes’ passion for PMs paid off. The Denver Convention Center achieved LEED-EB certification, in part because his team earned the requisite points in Energy & Atmosphere, one of the nine key areas measured by the Green Building Council. Bigfoot CMMS helped Barnes with “energy use monitoring and efficient appliances, and systems and lighting” — two of the strategies evaluated in the Energy & Atmosphere category.

Breaking down and PM-ing maintenance sustainability tasks

So how do you identify and PM all the tasks necessary to help reduce energy consumption? First, figure out your energy peaks and spikes. Set up a PM to monitor meter readings like pressure, temperature, voltage, and hours run.

PMs can be more accurately tied in with actual asset usage using meter readings, as opposed to being calendar based.

Pinpoint particular “energy hogs,” and use Bigfoot CMMS to correlate energy consumption with specific asset performance levels. Then set up PMs based on hourly run times versus extended calendar periods. That ensures PM tasks are performed at optimal times.

Let’s say an HVAC is “running hot,” based on thermal readings, or has spikes in utility consumption. Bigfoot CMMS lets you capture warnings, chart a trend, and trigger a PM. PMs also show you how to cut back on running boiler X to heat the building when boiler Y and Z are operating at peak efficiently.

Another energy saver? This time it’s an overheated air handler which triggers a work order in Bigfoot CMMS. The cause is a slipping belt that gets replaced and the unit is back up and running. Over time, you’ll observe energy spikes in the air handler and schedule PMs to periodically check belt tension based on previous patterns. Replacing air handler belts means less energy.

Identify poor-performing assets with built-in CMMS reports, such as this Asset Life Cycle Analysis

Don’t assume your older assets are not your top performers. Another green feature of Bigfoot CMMS is identifying and ranking which assets are poor performers based on energy consumption, frequency of failure, frequency of work orders, cost trends, etc. With Bigfoot CMMS, you may find out that a newer asset is consuming more energy by failing frequently and costing more for repairs, while its older brethren are running just fine. Hopefully those repairs are still under warranty!

 

For organizations looking to improve sustainability and reduce their carbon footprint, maintenance management with an effective CMMS, like Bigfoot maintenance software, is a step in the right direction.

susan.shaw | No comments
11 Feb 2013
CMMS Tips • Work Orders/Maintenance Requests

Time Is On Your Side: Turbocharging Work Order Efficiency

Half the battle of improving work order efficiency is using a premier Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) software solution. The other half? Optimizing your actual work order process within the EAM.

Here are two tips to help you do just that, so time is always on your side when it comes to work order assignments.

First, when assigning work that originated through a request, there are several time-saving features you can build into your process. You can set these conditions in the sites Request Settings.

Marking conditions within Request Settings of Bigfoot can help reduce time associated with assigning work orders.

Here are some examples:

  1. You may want the ‘Assigned to’ already filled in when working on certain assets.
  2. You may want to set it up so that when an emergency or safety request is submitted, the work order gets assigned right away. This would eliminate the need to approve it and then assign it.

See how it’s done in this short video: Time saving tip – Use Request Settings.

Second, look to your profile for ways to speed up the assigning process. Because work orders need the “Assigned to” filled in, you may be scrolling through a long list of staff members looking for specific individual(s).

For example, say you work on the first shift and every time you go to assign work orders, you see the second and third shift folks included in the list of individuals. You can eliminate the need to scroll through such a list by assigning individuals to their proper department (like “First Shift”), then going to your profile and setting the Default ‘Department’ for user picker to the department you want. The result: you’ll only view first shift folks for an easier (and speedier) selection.

Check your Picker Settings for another work order assignment time saver.

Likewise, you may be assigning work orders only to workers and every time you go to assign a work order, you see all the regular users included in the list. Setting the Default ‘User Type’ for user picker to workers will ensure you only see that type of user in the list.

Watch tip #2 in action in this quick video: Time saving tip – use picker defaults.

 

susan.shaw | No comments
04 Feb 2013
Asset Management • CMMS Tips • Inventory Management • Predictive Maintenance • Preventive Maintenance • Work Orders/Maintenance Requests

Fill the CMMS Reporting Gap

Reports found native in Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) can range from the very simple (such as active vs. completed Work Orders) to the more complex (asset life cycle analysis per region, per site, per category within a specified time frame, for example). But many organizations have realized that custom reporting is still a necessity in order to properly manage maintenance operations. As the managing editor of FacilitiesNet previously wrote in a 2009 article, “it is important for managers to understand no one system fulfills every need for every organization.” So how can you fill the reporting gap?

Solutions available to the maintenance industry today, such as Bigfoot SQL Data Views, allow you to still take advantage of built-in, pre-defined CMMS reports while giving your authorized business analysts and database administrators access to your raw maintenance data – Work Orders, Assets/Equipment, Parts, Purchase Orders, and more – for more advanced, custom reporting. Even better, these SQL Data Views are independent of any reporting tool, allowing you to use the reporting solution of your choice.

Solutions like Bigfoot SQL Data Views help you to fill the reporting gap between native CMMS reports and the need for custom maintenance reports, using the reporting tool of your choice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can learn more about the SQL Data Views solution for Bigfoot CMMS by visiting www.bigfootcmms.com.

susan.shaw | No comments
21 Jan 2013
CMMS Tech • CMMS Tips

Printing From Your CMMS Properly

One of the most frequently asked questions from new users of Bigfoot Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is how to set up a browser for printing with Bigfoot CMMS when using Internet Explorer. If you haven’t set up your Internet Explorer previously and try to print, you’ll either be getting a script error or a quick flash of the screen.

Here’s the breakdown of how to set up for printing:

1. Go to the Control Panel of Windows and open Internet Options.

2. Click on the Security tab and then the Custom Level button.

3. Scroll down the list of items until you get to the section entitled “ActiveX controls and plug-ins.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4. Each of the items in this list should either be set to Enabled or Prompt. Here’s the complete list from Windows 7. Older versions of Windows won’t have as many items and you can ignore those in the list.

Allow ActiveX Filtering Enable
Allow previously unused ActiveX controls… Enable
Allow scriptlets Enable
Automatic prompting for ActiveX controls Enable
Binary and script behaviors Enable
Display video and animation on a web page… Enable
Download signed ActiveX controls Prompt
Download unsigned ActiveX controls Prompt
Initialize and script ActiveX controls not … Prompt
Only allow approved domains to use ActiveX… Enable
Run ActiveX controls and plug-ins Enable
Script ActiveX controls marked safe… Enable

5. Click OK to save the changes.

6. Open Internet Explorer.

7. Check the top of your browser for the pop-up blocker settings in the Tools menu. The pop-up blocker should be turned off or if you wish to keep it running, allow pop-ups for www.smartwaregroup.com.

8. Check for any 3rd party tool bars, like the Google toolbar. Some tool bars come with their own pop-up blocker and will also have to be turned off.

9. Log into Bigfoot CMMS and view a work order and print it. You should get a window that prompts you to install the ActiveX component Crystal Print Control. Click the Install button.

You are now ready to print!

 

After you’ve finished these steps, some users may only see the flashing of a box and nothing more. Check the ActiveX settings to make sure that each one has been set properly. You may also need someone with administrative rights to log into your Windows PC in order to be able to install ActiveX components. Many IT departments block this right from users in order to prevent viruses. If so, get someone from your IT group to log in with their admin ID and then try printing. Once the Crystal Print Control is installed, you may log out and use your own Windows account thereafter.

Note that each PC that will be used to print from Bigfoot will need to have these steps done. As always, these Internet Explorer print instructions may also be found in the Bigfoot Help file. Happy Printing!

 

susan.shaw | No comments
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