CMMS — Drawing up specifications

When a company's maintenance department is considering computerization, it's still common to find that those in charge often don't know how to tackle the problem. Lack of prior thought often leads to poor choices, which can result in outright rejection of the CMMS or its gradual sidelining. The implementation of a CMMS in a company must be considered as a strategic project, and as such, must respect a rigorous project management methodology. It is both an organizational and an IT project.

Previous articles ( [MT 9 460] and [MT 9 461] ) have clearly shown what is at stake, and what methodology is required for successful implementation. While IT aspects are now better mastered, thanks to the development and widespread use of these technologies, organizational aspects are still rather tricky to take into account. Many projects fail, or only partially succeed, because they have not been adequately assessed at the organizational preparation stage. It is not uncommon to find CMMS systems that only serve to manage the maintenance warehouse, for example.

For any project, whatever its nature, specifications are an important element in its long-term success. The aim of this article is therefore, in addition to a reminder of the general characteristics, to set out the broad outlines for drawing up specifications for the computerization of a maintenance department, in order to ensure that the project has the best possible chance of success.