Tracking Sustainability with a CMMS

This is Chris Matt, Managing Editor — Print & E-Media with Maintenance Solutions magazine. Today's tip is using a computerized maintenance management system, or CMMS, to improve sustainability.

One critical factor on the path to sustainability is maximizing the many benefits of a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). When fully utilized, a CMMS can help guide departments toward the path to greater energy efficiency and sustainability.

Aside from proactively managing energy use, a fully functional CMMS can shed more light on an organization’s energy situation, help organize data more effectively and give managers a useful tool to help develop energy-saving strategies. Key features required when specifying a new or upgraded CMMS to improve sustainability include an equipment module to track all assets, including facilities, in an organization.

In addition to standard modules for PM, work orders, inventory, and purchasing, the system should be able to set priorities and levels of criticality for each piece of equipment.

The CMMS also should give managers and system users the ability to:
• schedule inspections of energy-using equipment and pollution-control monitors to make sure they work efficiently
• track assets for proper disposal
• collect and store historical energy-use data so managers can identify problem areas related to energy waste, such as leaks
• establish an effective energy-reduction plan
• provide tracking of energy use with user-defined criteria
• correlate those criteria to the amount of energy used
• provide details of the amount of energy each asset, location, and building uses
• integrate with hand-held devices, such as smart phones and PDAs, to eliminate paper flow.

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