**4. Findings, analysis and discussion**

The three case studies used for the discussion on harnessing the potential of CMMSs in maintenance operations involve two academic institutions and a manufacturing industry. In the academic institutions, the CMMS is used for maintenance planning, operations and the development of periodic reports. The maintenance operations at Institution 1 are executed by service contractors, while Institution 2 adopts the combination of using in-house personnel and service contractors. Most of the maintenance operations in these institutions are executed through the breakdown maintenance approach. The customers register their maintenance requests through the call centre that assigns a unique code to the request according to the facility's fabric, component, or services. The maintenance request is sent to the trade supervisor, who raises a work order and assigns the request to the appropriate personnel or service contractor. When the request is addressed (or closed), the completed work order is signed off by the customer, returned to the supervisors and the call centre for record purposes. Similarly, the work requests that are not addressed (or open) are also documented. The maintenance units, from these institutions, produce their periodic reports from the information in the CMMS database and do nothing further.

In contrast, the maintenance unit in the manufacturing industry adopts the combined approach of a planned and breakdown maintenance system. In this regard, all machines in the production line are scheduled for maintenance at predetermined times. Any breakdown or other maintenance requests are sent to the maintenance unit for proper attention. Maintenance operations in this industry are executed through in-house personnel and in limited cases, through specialist service contractors. Many operational modules of the CMMS software are activated in this industry. These allow the maintenance unit to work in synergy with the stores department for inventory control of spare parts and the finance department for timely purchase of necessary materials and services. In addition to the periodic reports, the unit conducts detailed analyses of the information in the CMMS database and sets benchmarks for measuring performance. The evidence from the analyses brought to the fore the current performance, identified areas requiring improvement and developed suitable performance improvement strategies; thus, harnessing the vast potentials inherent in a CMMS, improving on the JIT principle and approaching the practice of smart maintenance.

In some maintenance organisations, the same personnel manage maintenance operations and the call centres, while they are separated in other organisations. The quality of the human capacity in both units influences how the potential of a typical CMMS can be harnessed.

Hereafter, this section presents, firstly, the use of the CMMS in the maintenance units of the academic institutions, and secondly, the use of the CMMS in the manufacturing industry followed by the discussion sub-section.

#### **4.1 Operational report from institution 1**

The development of periodic reports is the third component of the CMMS module activated by the operatives of the maintenance unit of this institution. The reports include the weekly report used for management meetings of the campus managers and a monthly report produced for the director. The typical weekly/monthly report contains the information about the work requests received in the period under review, the status of execution and the cost incurred. An excerpt of the format used for the development of these reports is shown in **Table 1**. The information provided includes the code for the request, reference number for the work order, description of the work request, date the customer made the request, the service contractor assigned to execute the request, date the work was completed and the cost incurred. The monthly reports are usually produced on the first Monday of the following month. The report of the work requests for March, examined for this research, was produced on 4 April 2010, and was made available in a 13-page document [34].

In **Table 2**, the analysis of the report shows that a total of 2995 requests were lodged with the maintenance unit during March 2010, and 813 or 27.20% were addressed by 4 April 2010. The report is silent about the over 70% of the work requests not yet addressed. The quality of this report can be improved by extrapolating the result of work done until 30 April. This shows that 2013 requests (67.21%) of the total work requests for March have been attended to, leaving an outstanding balance of 982 (32.79%). Furthermore, the analysis helps to present a fair representation of the performance of the maintenance unit.

**63**

**Table 1.**

*Harnessing the Multiple Benefits of a Computerised Maintenance Management System*

**Date work requested**

**Service contractor's code**

2010/03/01 PUMDATA 2010/05/10 R5462.88

2010/03/01 MJL 2010/03/29 R53865

2010/03/01 PERFECTAIR 2010/04/12 R10180.20

2010/03/01 PERFECTAIR 2010/04/12 R9234.00

2010/03/01 SUPERCARE 2010/03/18 R0.00

**Date work completed**

**Total cost**

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93732*

**Work description**

investigate and quote on repair of leaking pump. Replace packing with mechanical seal

pump motor fan

service to HVAC. Supply and install 1 × 24,000 BTU York midwall unit in room GH525

instal 1 × 18,000 BTU York midwall unit in room 236

replace broken toilet soap dispenser in room 2B34. Urgent

**Assigned work order**

127 70,792 Remove,

127 70,794 Repair noisy

127 70,795 Professional

131 70,796 Supply and

446 70,797 Repair/

*Typical structure of monthly report.*

**Building code**

**4.2 Periodic reports from institution 2**

Like Institution 1, the periodic reports from this institution are in the form of monthly and annual reports on general maintenance operations. The reports are too technical, economical with details and are only understood by those who prepared them. The summary of the monthly report provides information on the quantity of requests lodged with the unit, the quantity resolved and the outstanding number. **Figure 1** presents the scorecard of the unit from all the campuses of the university for the year 2013,

showing the number of requests received and the number addressed or closed. Furthermore, the unit provides separate information on the number of unresolved requests; it is an indication that these outstanding issues are kept in perspective, as shown in **Figure 2**. However, this report is silent on what the unit is doing about these outstanding requests, the effect of deferred maintenance on the functional state of the facilities they represent and the financial implications of


*Harnessing the Multiple Benefits of a Computerised Maintenance Management System DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.93732*

#### **Table 1.**

*Operations Management - Emerging Trend in the Digital Era*

and approaching the practice of smart maintenance.

**4.1 Operational report from institution 1**

and do nothing further.

CMMS can be harnessed.

and the call centre for record purposes. Similarly, the work requests that are not addressed (or open) are also documented. The maintenance units, from these institutions, produce their periodic reports from the information in the CMMS database

In contrast, the maintenance unit in the manufacturing industry adopts the combined approach of a planned and breakdown maintenance system. In this regard, all machines in the production line are scheduled for maintenance at predetermined times. Any breakdown or other maintenance requests are sent to the maintenance unit for proper attention. Maintenance operations in this industry are executed through in-house personnel and in limited cases, through specialist service contractors. Many operational modules of the CMMS software are activated in this industry. These allow the maintenance unit to work in synergy with the stores department for inventory control of spare parts and the finance department for timely purchase of necessary materials and services. In addition to the periodic reports, the unit conducts detailed analyses of the information in the CMMS database and sets benchmarks for measuring performance. The evidence from the analyses brought to the fore the current performance, identified areas requiring improvement and developed suitable performance improvement strategies; thus, harnessing the vast potentials inherent in a CMMS, improving on the JIT principle

In some maintenance organisations, the same personnel manage maintenance operations and the call centres, while they are separated in other organisations. The quality of the human capacity in both units influences how the potential of a typical

Hereafter, this section presents, firstly, the use of the CMMS in the maintenance

The development of periodic reports is the third component of the CMMS module activated by the operatives of the maintenance unit of this institution. The reports include the weekly report used for management meetings of the campus managers and a monthly report produced for the director. The typical weekly/monthly report contains the information about the work requests received in the period under review, the status of execution and the cost incurred. An excerpt of the format used for the development of these reports is shown in **Table 1**. The information provided includes the code for the request, reference number for the work order, description of the work request, date the customer made the request, the service contractor assigned to execute the request, date the work was completed and the cost incurred. The monthly reports are usually produced on the first Monday of the following month. The report of the work requests for March, examined for this research, was produced on 4

In **Table 2**, the analysis of the report shows that a total of 2995 requests were lodged with the maintenance unit during March 2010, and 813 or 27.20% were addressed by 4 April 2010. The report is silent about the over 70% of the work requests not yet addressed. The quality of this report can be improved by extrapolating the result of work done until 30 April. This shows that 2013 requests (67.21%) of the total work requests for March have been attended to, leaving an outstanding balance of 982 (32.79%). Furthermore, the analysis helps to present a fair represen-

units of the academic institutions, and secondly, the use of the CMMS in the

manufacturing industry followed by the discussion sub-section.

April 2010, and was made available in a 13-page document [34].

tation of the performance of the maintenance unit.

**62**

*Typical structure of monthly report.*

#### **4.2 Periodic reports from institution 2**

Like Institution 1, the periodic reports from this institution are in the form of monthly and annual reports on general maintenance operations. The reports are too technical, economical with details and are only understood by those who prepared them. The summary of the monthly report provides information on the quantity of requests lodged with the unit, the quantity resolved and the outstanding number. **Figure 1** presents the scorecard of the unit from all the campuses of the university for the year 2013, showing the number of requests received and the number addressed or closed.

Furthermore, the unit provides separate information on the number of unresolved requests; it is an indication that these outstanding issues are kept in perspective, as shown in **Figure 2**. However, this report is silent on what the unit is doing about these outstanding requests, the effect of deferred maintenance on the functional state of the facilities they represent and the financial implications of

#### *Operations Management - Emerging Trend in the Digital Era*


#### **Table 2.**

*Typical monthly report ([34], p. 117).*

#### **Figure 1.**

*Summary of performance on logged requests for the year 2013 ([35], p. 14).*

addressing them. These reports provide generic information on maintenance operations without specifics or costs incurred.

The module of the CMMS tool activated by the maintenance units in these academic institutions is capable of managing maintenance planning (preventive, schedule and breakdown maintenance), work order, contract and procurement management, asset management, documentation of maintenance operations and analysis of historical records, report management and many more. However, **Table 3** provides a summary of the limited use and the latent potential of the CMMS tool, within the module being used by these institutions.
