Facilities Computerized Maintenance Management Systems

Abstract

Maintenance has a profound impact on the efficiency and overall budget of facilities. Today many maintenance organizations are developing and using computer programs geared toward control of this maintenance program. However, despite the rapid expansion, the area of computerized maintenance management has still not been sufficiently researched by facility management organizations to determine the required features of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) for facilities. This paper reports on research to study the characteristic requirements of a CMMS. The researchers have chosen for this study the public works departments of the U.S. Navy. Required features were determined by examining three naval bases that support different naval missions. An assessment of how a facility's mission impacts the features of a maintenance software system and the effectiveness of the current automated maintenance system was also performed. Significant improvements necessary to promote a more productive and cost effective computerized maintenance management program are summarized.