Advantages Of A CMMS & Geographic Information System
(The Integration of Assets, Infrastructure, Work Orders and Employee Management Data with Advanced Location/Spatial Details)
Maps allow us to orient ourselves in a world where resources, activities, human demographics or features of the landscape are arranged across the world.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have become prevalent in all aspects of our society, and their impact touches everyone from the city engineer to the construction equipment operator to the fast food delivery person. Today, GIS has become a central part of our lives and the world we live in.
GIS are becoming more powerful, affordable and easier to use throughout all industries. The use of a GIS can significantly enhance the capabilities of a Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS). This integrated platform offers immense potential for organizations looking to improve maintenance operations and develop data driven workflows that can save time and money.
What is CMMS GIS?
GIS is designed to capture, store, manipulate, analyze, manage, and present all types of geographical data.
A CMMS is a software application that links computer databases containing information about an organization’s assets and maintenance operations to functions and tools that create efficiencies including preventative care of Property, Plant and Equipment; inventory control; facility management; electronic document storage and retrieval; compliance (both internal and external), and ultimately reduced downtime and lower cost.
The integration of CMMS and GIS provides users a more powerful tool with the ability to quickly locate geographically dispersed assets and work orders. Organizations benefit from work orders containing additional asset location data along with the normal maintenance information. CMMS GIS allows users to query and analyze information on infrastructure assets based on their specific location and relationships to other features.
A CMMS and GIS platform go hand-in-hand as they complement each other. Maintenance crews input the asset data which is then immediately available in both the CMMS and GIS sides of the system. This helps them develop and view mapped visualizations of the specific assets to exact locations and link back to the work orders when needed.
Who is using CMMS GIS?
Maintenance is a necessity, and the larger and more complex an organization becomes the greater the need for a CMMS solution. GIS technology is being used in almost all industries. Public and private businesses add sites non-stop, and the technology to create products and deliver services is becoming quite sophisticated. Utilities are increasingly taking advantage of GIS in the digital mapping of assets, including water, wastewater, storm drains, electrical, communication networks, and other critical infrastructure. Local, state, and federal government entities use GIS for myriad reasons including emergency management, public services, surveying, etc. The coupling of the two technologies (CMMS and GIS) is a natural evolution promising enormous benefits.
For example, a CMMS GIS software solution within the aviation industry provides users with the ability to track assets, to perform inspections for FAA compliance, and to avoid critical equipment breakdowns. Taking advantage of this combined technology allows everyone to be connected. Staff easily monitor assets, identify problems, and submit work orders. Workers using a CMMS GIS solution immediately receive work orders, pull asset history, analyze data, view schematics and manuals, and submit billing all within seconds from anywhere at any time.
The Benefits of CMMS – GIS Software
A comprehensive view of your entire asset landscape.
CMMS GIS software gives users:
- a real-time and complete view of what assets they own
- exact asset locations, even for underground assets
- what characteristics and attributes the assets have (including equipment parent/child relationships)
- all available work order history (open/reassigned and closed)
- what replacement parts are used on the equipment
- schematics, instructions, and manuals
- ability to create work orders for specific geographic locations in addition to assets
This is all done in one centralized and secure database application that manages everything for you.
Improve communications across departments.
Accessible through a computer or mobile device, data sharing is easy and available instantaneously to stakeholders within the company or organizations through secure communications links.
Real-time, accurate asset verification, tracking and maintenance.
Data, manuals, and important documents are available in real-time and can be viewed simultaneously and shared easily when necessary.
Summary
Integrating your CMMS with GIS is the perfect enterprise asset management solution, working together and utilizing the best information about your assets, work orders, inventory and employees.
