When it comes to managing your assets, you want to be sure you are choosing the right kind of enterprise application. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS), and No-Code MRO Solutions are all asset management/maintenance systems and are alike in many ways. The difference between EAM, CMMS, and No-Code MRO comes down to their functionality and most common uses.
Through the course of this article, we will discuss what each of them stands for so that you can understand which one is the most useful tool that best matches your organization's unique needs.
CMMS
A CMMS helps streamline and automate maintenance tasks, providing communications for maintenance-related activities.
CMMS is all about communication and coordination. Its core goals are to automate maintenance scheduling, streamline inventory, manage work orders and maintain databases on asset information. For instance, one of the core features of CMMS systems is work order management. Work order management programs provide a digital format to replace paper-based work orders and function as a major support tenet of your maintenance database. CMMS focuses on the operational part of the day-to-day activity, the relations with the facilities, and between the different actors involved in maintenance.
Key Advantages of CMMS
Simplification - CMMS automates business operations by having all facility processes and information available through its system dashboard. The systems replace data previously stored on paper or spreadsheets formats.
Powerful data capabilities – Traditionally, CMMS software can import asset manuals, pictures, and other information for easy access, store route maps, and drawings for improved fleet management, build custom screens to suit business needs, view interactive work order summaries, and coordinate all asset and equipment information with integrative floor plans
Access to real-time data –As information is entered into the CMMS system, it is immediately available to facility managers and all employees with access to it. Work orders can be submitted as soon as an issue is discovered and dispatched to relevant technicians immediately.
Preventive maintenance (PM) schedules – The software systems provide a checklist of all tasks involved in maintaining each piece of equipment as well as create routine schedules, send notifications and reminders and generate reports.
EAM
An EAM focuses is on preserving assets for their full lifecycle and maximizing their potential for enterprise use. It is generally considered to be a superset of CMMS that offers a greater specificity of asset targeting features, such as root cause analysis systems, predictive maintenance, asset life cycle analysis, or financial cost analysis. With EAM, managers have a broader view of the asset’s life cycle and its relationship to operations and can include financial issues such as lease dates, depreciation, repair vs. replacement costs, asset cost of ownership calculations, etc. in their analyses.
In summary, the goal of an EAM is to manage assets throughout their life cycle to maximize their potential use in business strategy. This relationship with the asset’s life cycle means that they are sometimes also known as LCMS (Life Cycle Management System).
Key Advantages of EAM Solutions
Optimize asset-related processes – EAMs strive to keep facilities functioning at maximum efficiency by analyzing production data and other asset-related variables.
Lower operating and maintenance costs for assets – By analyzing operations data, EAMs can determine how asset operations can become more cost-effective.
Increase continuity, reliability, and security of assets – Using routine checks, EAMs strive to reduce downtime by maintaining assets.
Compliance with health and safety legislation – EAMs ensure that inspections are conducted as needed.
Replacement of non-performing assets – EAMs can determine the cost/benefit of retaining an asset versus replacing it.
No-Code MRO
No-Code platforms are by far the most prominent innovation in the software industry and the application delivery space in quite some time. A No-Code MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operation) suite would indicate an MRO application built on top of a No-Code platform which means that the application would be customizable to the requirement of the organization which intends to use it. Unlike any out-of-box solution, the No-Code MRO suite would behave different modules with several editable templates in each module. Each of the templates could be altered, through a simple drag-and-drop interface, based on requirements – workflows modified, actors added or removed or parts of the process flow automated based on certain triggers. Additionally, the No-Code MRO would also allow for the seamless integration of any third-party application or integration to the company’s existing core and/or legacy systems.
Key Advantages of No-Code MRO Solutions
Customizability- One of the biggest USPs of the No-Code MRO solution is the ability to customize the application to match the unique process requirements.
Extendibility for DX- With the core in place already, the No-Code MRO solution could be used to fill in the gaps in your envisioned digital ecosystem. Whether it is building a self-service app for customers/suppliers or building a knowledge repository for your technicians is all possible with No-Code MRO solutions.
Integration with other software - CMMSs can interface with other software such as email, barcodes, and cameras.
Automation- the ability to automate processes based on pre-set triggers could help the organization reduce, if not eliminate, manual intervention.
Reporting module and making projections – By reviewing operational data, No-Code MRO’s make it possible for businesses to make informed evaluations of company goals and make projections about future endeavors.
Modular approach – The modular approach would allow you to build and deploy what you need first before moving on to developing other modules.
Mobile access – Facility managers can access the No-Code MRO solution from where ever they may be and access it on multiple devices including computers, tablets, and smartphones.
Depending on the modules you choose to deploy, the No-Code MRO might have some of the overlapping benefits in the list above from CMMS or EAM.
Stacking Them Against Each Other: EAM, CMMS, and No-Code MRO
EAM is broader and more comprehensive than CMMS, more sophisticated in general, and more robust in terms of its application. It is possible to think about the difference between EAM and CMMS in terms of size and company structure. In some cases, companies may upgrade to EAM when they have outgrown a simpler CMMS program. Traditionally, CMMS includes inventory and materials control and helps to forecast maintenance costs. EAM does all these, but also adds asset planning, i.e., it considers the asset’s life cycle, how often it needs to be repaired or other maintenance, etc. It also considers an asset’s workflows from start to finish, not just maintenance. No-Code MRO solutions, while relatively new to the asset management industry, are fast proving to be the best available option for many. The ability to customize processes and build solutions to fit like glove are fast gaining industry recognition.
The table below explores some of the key differences between the three:
A company with a more diverse maintenance staff — for example, a company with mechanical maintenance teams as well as IT maintenance departments — might make more use of EAM solutions. A smaller company that may only have a dozen or so maintenance workers could be fairly happy with the limited functionality of a CMMS suite. Unlike the out-of-box CMMS or EAM solution, the No-Code MRO might provide you the best value for your investment, given the fact that you can keep customizing your application to the changing requirements or keep your organization ready for the future with possible integration options using API’s or Bots. Ideally, a company of over two hundred employees would be best poised to extract the maximum value out of their No-Code MRO solution.
Which is best for your organization – EAM, CMMS, or No-Code MRO?
As you might have already guessed, there is no correct answer to this question. It depends on your business needs, the technology maturity in the organization, and the leadership buy-in. The differences between CMMS, EAM, and No-Code MRO software vary from system to system, and the lines are also blurring as both become more advanced. The increase in data collection, usage, and analysis will make these types of software even more comprehensive and powerful. A future of interconnected machines and the IoT means significant changes for CMMS, EAM, and No-Code MRO all of which are exciting putting the choice in the hands of the consumer.
But before you can go ahead and choose one over the other, please be sure to answer the following questions:
What are the assets we need to monitor? What features would we require?
Would the organization be able to customize the software as per our requirements?
Would the system accommodate our needs as we develop?
What is our budget? What is the ROI of our investment?
Would the software just help us with our immediate MRO needs or would it help us be better prepared for a dynamic and uncertain digital future?
Answering the above questions would help you better understand your expectations from the software solution you intend to deploy and would help you make a more informed decision.
QuickReach: No-Code MRO with the Best Bang for Your Buck
QuickReach’s MRO solution suite based on its No-Code platform offers your organization 100% flexibility to build custom applications using a drag-and-drop interface at 10% of the cost. The solution has much more to offer and keeps you better prepared for an uncertain future than any out-of-the-box EAM or CMMS solution ever will.
Are you still having second thoughts? Start your free 14-day trial HERE or get in touch with one of our customer success team members HERE to understand how QuickReach’s No-Code MRO suite can help you boost profitability through tighter control of maintenance work and costs.
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