CMMS

Computer Managed
Maintenance System

DEFINITION OF CMMS
A computer-managed maintenance system is an
integrated set of computer programs and data files
designed to provide its user with a cost-effective
means of managing massive amounts of
maintenance, inventory control, and purchasing
data.
These systems can also provide a means of
effectively managing human and capital resources.

TYPICAL FUNCTIONS OF
CMMS

EQUIPMENT/ASSET RECORDS CREATION

AND MAINTENANCE
This

subsystem

provides

for

creation,

maintenance, and viewing of the equipment and

asset records and associated files.

Since the majority of work orders are written

against an equipment or asset record, this
database is required and is usually the first
database created with a new system.

EQUIPMENT/ASSET BILLS OF MATERIALS (BOM)

CREATION AND MAINTENANCE
A bill of materials lists the parts that make up a
piece of equipment or other asset. Each item on a
bill should include part number, description, and
quantity required.

EQUIPMENT / ASSET AND

WORK ORDER HISTORY
Normally, the system automatically adds records
to the history databases when work orders are
completed.
These records contain all pertinent information
about the work performed.

Some systems also allow manual entries to be

made to the history databases.

INVENTORY CONTROL
It consists of modules and programs that provide
for the creation, maintenance, and viewing of
inventory data and for management of other
inventory-related activities.

These other activities should include issues of

parts and materials to work orders or account
codes; returns of unused items; automatic and
manual creation of purchase requisitions; cycle
counting; adjustments to inventory quantities; and
receipt of purchased items into inventory.

WORK ORDER CREATION, SCHEDULING,

EXECUTION, AND COMPLETION
It consists of modules and programs that allow for
the creation, planning, viewing, approval, tracking,
execution, and completion of work requests and
work orders.
Some systems begin the work order process with
the creation of a work request that is then
automatically converted to a work order upon
approval or some other trigger in the cycle. Some
work orders, such as preventive maintenance
work orders, are created automatically from a
predefined plan when a set execution frequency or
other condition is met.

WORK ORDER CREATION, SCHEDULING,

EXECUTION, AND COMPLETION
The work order planning subsystem is normally linked to
the equipment/asset, inventory, bills of materials, and
history subsystems, thus allowing the planner to access
critical planning data directly from this subsystem.
The work order scheduling subsystem contains
programs for developing work order execution
schedules and for maintaining and viewing the
schedules. Many systems allow for both manual and
automated scheduling and for a combination of the two.
With automated scheduling, the system creates the
schedules based upon work order selection and priority
criteria specified by the scheduler and upon resource
availability, including labor and materials requirements.

WORK ORDER CREATION, SCHEDULING,

EXECUTION, AND COMPLETION
Most systems process work orders through various
stages or statuses.
The system will automatically assign some statuses
based upon actions taken in regard to the work order,
and other statuses will require manual assignment.
Examples of statuses are: approved; waiting for parts;
or work in progress.
As a work order is executed, it is updated with
information that includes the number of hours worked,
who performed the work, parts and materials issues,
cause and effect codes, and follow-up comments.
When a work order is completed, the completion code or
status entered indicates that the work is complete and
the work order may be moved to the historical records.

PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN DEVELOPMENT

AND SCHEDULING
This subsystem allows for the creation of preventive
maintenance master plans and their execution schedules,
frequencies, or trigger points.
Preventive maintenance work orders normally begin with
the creation of a master plan that, like other work order
plans, describes what work is to be performed, who is to
perform the work, the materials and tools to be used, and
any procedures that are required.
The plan is linked to one or more equipment or asset items,
and each link has a defined execution schedule, frequency,
or trigger point.
Once the execution point is reached, the system
automatically copies the plan into an executable work
order.
Programs are also provided for maintaining or updating the
plans and the schedules.

HUMAN RESOURCES
The human resources subsystem provides programs for
creating, maintaining, and viewing information about
personnel who will charge time to work orders.
In many systems, this may be referred to as the labor rate
file because the only information maintained is employee
identifier, employee name, skill codes, and hourly rates.
This is the basic information necessary for the CMMS to
be able to charge the work order the correct hourly rate
for the individuals who performed the work.
Some systems allow additional information such as
personal data, promotion history, training history, and
accident history.

PURCHASING AND RECEIVING

Not all systems provide a purchasing and receiving
subsystem. In those that do, this subsystem allows the
creation,

maintenance,

and

viewing

of

purchase

orders, vendor information, and information on the

receipt of purchased materials.
Purchasing subsystems receive automatically and
manually created purchase requisitions from the
inventory system and permit direct input of nonrequisitioned items to purchase orders.

INVOICE MATCHING AND ACCOUNTS PAYABLE

The invoice matching subsystem provides programs for
matching and reconciling receipt documents to vendor
invoices and purchase orders, prior to the payment of the
invoice.
The accounts payable subsystem provides for the
payment of invoices including freight and tariff charges.

TABLES AND REPORTS

Tables are normally supporting files of information
associated with a major file. The details of their function
varies from one CMMS system to another.
For example, in some systems, the equipment/asset
database will allow, for each equipment/asset record,
the creation of an associated table containing detailed
specifications for the asset or piece of equipment.
The CMMS will also provide programs for producing the
various reports associated with each subsystem.
For example, the work order subsystem may include
reports for backlogs, work in progress, work orders
by status, and completed work orders.

CMMS DATABASES
OR FILES

EQUIPMENT/ASSET IDENTIFICATION AND

SPECIFICATIONS
The equipment/asset file is a primary, and usually a
mandatory, File in a CMMS.
Most work orders are written against one of the
equipment/asset records maintained on this file.
Most systems allow codes to be used as input -or many
of the data fields on the equipment/asset file as well as
other files.

EQUIPMENT/ASSET BILLS OF MATERIALS