A great many of the people I talk to complain about their CMMS (Work Order) system. It’s too out-of-date, it’s too complicated, it doesn’t give us the data we want, it doesn’t, it doesn’t, it doesn’t. The list of issues goes on and on. In almost all of these cases, the complaints are followed by people saying they are planning or they are hoping to replace their CMMS with a newer, better system soon.
When it comes to the various CMMS options, there are truly legitimate complaints to be had as I have seen some bad, outdated systems that are still in use. It is important to note that not all CMMS systems are created equal. However, sometimes it can also be a case of the musician blaming their instrument.
To me, the biggest problem Work Order systems have is that they are not setup right in the first place when they are implemented. Part of that implementation is making sure that you, the end user, has a clear understanding of the data that you want to collect and manage in the software. Many facility managers won’t know what they don’t know when it comes to articulating to their sales and implementation staff what data they want.
Those in software sales can get so focused on closing the deal that they don’t take the time to ask the right questions that would lead the prospect through the thought process allowing for better clarity all-around. What happens is that the implementation team is given a “cookie cutter” road map implementation plan from the sales team that does not include customization or configuration that would meet the client’s needs.
As soon as the first issue arises during implementation and the client asks for something not in the implementation road map, they get hit with an extra, often including a significant delay in the overall implementation timeline. I am not suggesting that paying for changes to the software is not legitimate. The issue is that it should have been discussed and included in the original fee that was negotiated.
One thing that is for sure true, is that a client is in a much better position to negotiate the costs of customization and configuration prior to signing the license. Once you are on the hook, the incentive for the software vendor to give you a deal on your requests is gone.
The blame doesn’t lie solely with either party in the relationship. It is a result of a lack of communication. The client doesn’t know the right questions to ask as s/he in most cases has not thought through in detail the goals that they are trying to achieve through the software. The sales people are afraid to ask too many questions as they don’t want to lose the deal if their product isn’t the right fit. Finally, the implementation team inherits the client relationship from the sales team without previous knowledge and understanding of what the client wants (because they probably don’t know).
That’s all for this week. Next week I will focus on what to do if you find yourself with a CMMS system that “isn’t working for you”.