FAQs

What is a CMMS?

A Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is software designed to help organisations plan, track, and optimise maintenance activities. It allows teams to manage work orders, schedule preventive maintenance, track asset performance, manage spare parts inventory, and generate reports to improve efficiency and reduce downtime.  

Who uses a CMMS?

CMMS is widely used by maintenance teams across various industries, including manufacturing, facilities management, healthcare, hospitality, education, and utilities. It supports maintenance managers, technicians, operations teams, and facility managers in efficiently maintaining equipment and facilities. 

What are the main benefits of using a CMMS?

A CMMS helps organisations: 

• Reduce equipment downtime 
• Improve asset lifespan 
• Optimise preventive maintenance schedules 
• Track maintenance costs and performance 
• Manage spare parts inventory 
• Improve compliance and audits 
• Increase efficiency and accountability across maintenance teams. 

Can a CMMS help with compliance and audits?

Yes. A CMMS provides detailed records of all maintenance activities, inspections, and repairs, which are invaluable during audits and regulatory compliance checks. It ensures that all maintenance is properly documented and easily accessible. 

Is a CMMS suitable for small businesses?

Absolutely. While larger organisations often use CMMS for complex operations, small businesses can also benefit by gaining better control over their maintenance tasks, reducing costly reactive repairs, and improving asset reliability, often with scalable pricing and features to suit their size. 

What is the difference between preventive and reactive maintenance in a CMMS?

Preventive maintenance involves regularly scheduled tasks to prevent equipment failure, while reactive maintenance addresses breakdowns as they occur. A CMMS helps organisations shift from reactive to preventive maintenance, reducing unexpected downtime and repair costs. 

Is it difficult to implement a CMMS?

Modern CMMS solutions are designed to be user-friendly and scalable. Implementation typically involves data migration, system configuration, training, and ongoing support. We offer onboarding assistance to ensure a smooth transition and help your team get up to speed quickly. 

Can a CMMS integrate with other systems?

Yes. Many CMMS platforms, including ShireSystem, offer integrations with ERP, IoT sensors, inventory management, purchasing, and financial systems. This helps organisations streamline data flow, gain better insights, and create a more connected maintenance ecosystem. 

What is a maintenance maturity journey?

The maintenance maturity journey describes the progression an organisation makes from reactive maintenance (fixing equipment after it breaks) to predictive and optimised maintenance (preventing failures before they occur). ShireSystem supports this journey by providing the tools, support and data needed to move from reactive to preventive, predictive, and ultimately proactive maintenance strategies, improving reliability and reducing costs along the way. 

How can a CMMS help reduce maintenance costs?

By enabling preventive maintenance, reducing unexpected downtime, optimising spare parts inventory, and improving workforce productivity, a CMMS helps control and lower overall maintenance costs. It also provides data insights that allow better budgeting, planning, and resource allocation. 

Can a CMMS be accessed remotely?

Yes. ShireSystem CMMS solutions are cloud-based and offer mobile apps or browser access, allowing maintenance teams to create, update, and complete work orders from anywhere. This flexibility improves response times, ensures real-time data updates, and supports field teams effectively. 

What kind of reporting and analytics does a CMMS provide?

ShireSystem offers a wide range of reports and dashboards, including work order history, asset performance, downtime analysis, maintenance costs, and compliance tracking. These insights help managers make informed decisions, identify trends, and continuously improve maintenance operations. 

How does a CMMS improve maintenance planning and scheduling efficiency?

A CMMS centralises all maintenance data, allowing managers to plan, prioritise, and schedule work orders efficiently. By automating preventive maintenance schedules and tracking equipment history, the system ensures tasks are completed on time, reduces unplanned downtime, and optimises workforce allocation. This improves overall maintenance efficiency and asset reliability.

What benefits does a CMMS offer for preventive and predictive maintenance?

CMMS software supports both preventive and predictive maintenance strategies. Preventive schedules are automated, ensuring routine inspections and servicing are never missed, while predictive maintenance uses data from sensors or performance metrics to forecast equipment failures. Together, these features reduce emergency repairs, extend asset lifespan, and improve operational uptime.

How can a CMMS help streamline asset management and lifecycle tracking?

A CMMS provides a complete overview of every asset’s lifecycle, from procurement to decommissioning. Maintenance history, repair records, and performance analytics are all stored centrally. This allows organisations to monitor asset utilisation, schedule refurbishment or replacement, and make data-driven decisions, maximising return on investment.

Can a CMMS manage multiple sites or facilities within one system?

Yes. Modern CMMS platforms can handle multiple locations, departments, or facilities within a single system. Centralised dashboards allow maintenance managers to monitor asset performance, allocate resources, and standardise work orders across sites, improving consistency and reducing administrative effort.

What role does inventory management play in a CMMS?

Inventory management is a core feature of CMMS software. It tracks spare parts usage, maintains stock levels, and forecasts demand based on historical maintenance data. The system can trigger reorder alerts, reduce excess inventory, and ensure critical components are always available, supporting uninterrupted maintenance operations.

How does mobile access enhance maintenance operations within a CMMS?

Mobile-enabled CMMS solutions allow field technicians to access work orders, record labour, update asset status, and capture photos in real time. Mobile access increases productivity, reduces paperwork, and ensures maintenance data is accurate and up to date, even when staff are on site or offsite.

How can a CMMS support compliance and maintenance audits?

A CMMS creates a full audit trail of all maintenance activities, including completed tasks, parts used, and personnel involved. This ensures compliance with industry regulations, safety standards, and internal policies. Detailed reporting simplifies inspections, reduces risk, and demonstrates due diligence to regulators.

What key performance indicators (KPIs) should be used to measure CMMS success?

Common KPIs include mean time between failures (MTBF), mean time to repair (MTTR), percentage of preventive versus reactive maintenance, maintenance cost per asset, and downtime reduction. Tracking these KPIs in a CMMS helps organisations evaluate maintenance efficiency, workforce productivity, and return on investment.

Is data security a concern in CMMS software and how is it managed?

Data security is a critical consideration. CMMS platforms use encryption, role-based access controls, and secure authentication to protect sensitive maintenance data. Regular backups and disaster recovery features ensure information can be restored quickly, giving peace of mind for organisations managing critical assets.

How easily can a CMMS scale to meet changing maintenance needs?

A scalable CMMS adapts to organisational growth and evolving maintenance strategies. You can add new assets, locations, or users, modify preventive schedules, and customise workflows without disrupting operations. This flexibility ensures the system continues to meet business needs as maintenance requirements change over time.