Design and manage your CMMS project
Designing and managing your CMMS or QHSE management project requires a special care ; but as complex as it may be, the project can be completed easily if you follow an effective method.
DSDSYSTEM supports you through this process step by step, giving you the benefit of its project management experience.
5 easy step to chose the right CMMS/QHSE solution
1. Plan your project from the beginning
First of all, start by fixing precise targets and deadlines, even if they are likely to be changed once or twice until the deployment of the selected software. By doing this, you will be able to challenge you as well as your potential partners. But do not try to be too quick : it will take you at least 6 to 8 week to specify your needs, before contacting several software publishers and distributors, defining your budget…
The mean delay between the beggining of your project and the deployment of your CMMS/QHSE software varies between 2 and 6 months. After the deployment, it will take 3 to 9 extra months (depending on data volume) to have a 100% working solution.
2. Gather your data to make the transition easier
Depending on how you prepare (or not) your data migration, it may take you one day or several months to achieve it.
TIP : Ask the different publishers about how you will be able to integrate data and files to your database. Some software, like Altair Enterprise CMMS and Themis QHSE Manager, are able to mass upload files and data with
3. Define your requirement from your specific needs
Most of today's CMMS solution on market will share the same core functionnalities : work orders, work resquest, equipment list, etc. Inventory and purchase functionalities tend to be proposed to in most case.
Some examples :
- A 100% Web-based technology in order to access all features from any desktop computer of your facility
- A rental offer instead of license purchase.
- A mobile app in order to access and send information from anywhere
- Barcode scanning tool to make inventory or equipment identification easier.
- 3D modeling from hazard zones in order to properly prepare interventions
- QHSE management functionalities
- Etc.
4. Take the most from demonstrations with a good preparation
In most cases, after a first selection based on technology and features, 3 to 5 solutions remains. The final choice will then be a matter of ergonomy, price and more subjective criteria such as communication, feeling, design... The main step of this project phase will be the demonstration sessions.
After one or two sessions, several discussions about features, software implementation and training process, you will be fully enabled to choose the right CMMS or QHSE management solution !
Continue to manage your project after the purchase
5. Initial setup
This phase has four major steps to follow :
- Software installation, often made or assisted by the software publisher.
- Deployment and configuration. In order to match your needs, this is when you select tools, screens and application you want to use, etc.
- Initial training. On or two days of training is recommended for all your staff.
- Data importation. If well prepared, the transfer could only take a few hours.
6. Adopt your CMMS/QHSE sotfware step by step
Once your software is set up, you and your staff still have to get used to it, and you need to import or redesign your maintenance and QHSE process.
We recommend to adopt the tools step by step, process by process, in order to make the transition a lot more fluent and natural for everyone.
7. Continue to learn and train
In most of cases, a second session of training is needed a few month after deployment, in order to fix bad habits, learn good tips and get a better knowledge of tools you don't have tried yet.
8. Debrief regulary
Once in a year or every second year, make an assessment of your needs, the tools you use and the other ones that might help you on the future.
DSDSystem's expertise
Since 2003, DSDSystem has supported companies from all sectors of activity in their software deployment project. With more than 200 customer references and projects monitored for over ten years, the company has put its expertise to the test of the simplest and most complex projects.
Thanks to this, DSDSystem is your partner of choice in any software deployment project, as well as for the optimization of your systems, the training of your staff and long-term advice.
