As businesses look for ways to continue progressing and automating their work processes they are met with even more options and this can pose a problem.
This is a challenge faced by a large majority of departments in a variety of businesses however in this piece we will be looking at a specific department found in many industries: the asset maintenance and asset management department.
With many CMMS and asset maintenance options available and similar functionality, we will now look at the differences between these two systems.
Table of Contents
What is a CMMS
CMMS is a computerized maintenance management system. Often deployed in asset-intensive businesses such as construction and manufacturing businesses these systems assist in optimizing the maintenance processes.
CMMS solutions achieve maintenance optimization by providing a platform to schedule maintenance, streamline work orders and maintain the necessary information that is relevant to the machinery such as stock levels, warranties, and vendor information. In short CMMS systems maintain assets and ensure they are operational.
What is an EAM?
EAM is an enterprise asset management system, unlike CMMS systems which focus on asset maintenance EAM systems focus on the entire asset lifecycle.
With a wider range of responsibilities to focus on, EAM systems help businesses develop plans that are optimized to complete tasks related to labor, resources, machinery, and data in an efficient manner. This means that enterprises’ asset management systems can be used to plan and monitor asset processes from the design stage to the replacement stage and sale stage at the end of an asset life cycle.
What are the Similarities Between a CMMS and EAM?
EAM and CMMS systems have many overlapping functions, this is due to enterprise asset management functions covering the whole asset life cycle while CMMS systems focus on maintenance.
The first feature shared by both systems is the ability to upload information onto a cloud-based system, this is useful for many activities such as creating maintenance schedules and developing asset reports.
Another commonality CMMS and EAM systems have is their ability to be used for asset maintenance, however CMMS systems provide more functions focused on this activity.
CMMS and EAM Differences
The key difference between CMMS and EAM systems is the scope of their responsibilities.
Enterprises asset management systems provide a more comprehensive list of functions to cover a wider range of responsibilities found within the asset management life cycle. EAM allows businesses to monitor their machinery and gain a better understanding of where it can be placed within its life cycle and when would be the optimum time to replace the asset.
CMMS focuses on the maintenance of assets allowing businesses to be certain that the possibility of an asset breaking down is reduced.
This system is particularly beneficial for companies who rarely replace their machinery or require highly specialized tools.
CMMS Uses
CMMS systems are ideal for high functioning worksites in demanding sectors that require their assets and machinery to be operational at all times, such as manufacturing plants.
From allocating resources for equipment to handling vendor information and scheduling maintenance, CMMS systems are highly effective on worksites that value increased efficiency and a reduction in breakdowns and wastefulness.
EAM Uses
Enterprise asset management systems can be useful to many employees in a variety of departments. From workflow automation to resource assignment and developing reports, these tasks can all be achieved with an enterprise asset management system therefore it should be a highly sought-after solution in businesses.
CMMS Benefits
CMMS often come with a variety of benefits should a business choose to implement it.
The first benefit that will be reaped from the system is a reduction in repair costs, preventative maintenance reduces the occurrence of large scale breakdowns which can be extremely costly to repair and result in further losses due to downtime.
Building on the previous point there will be a reduction in downtime due to fewer breakdowns taking place, another benefit of this is reliability and a better reputation with partners.
Improper maintenance could leave machinery in a poor state, this can be a health and safety hazard however with a CMMS system tracking the maintenance history the possibility of an injury occurring due to unsafe equipment will be reduced.
EAM Benefits
With an enterprise asset management system providing many similar benefits to a CMMS system we will look at some of the others such as the easy access to a wealth of information.
Due to the nature of these systems being designed to assist throughout the whole lifecycle of an asset, this means the system contains vast amounts of information that can be beneficial to many departments. Providing a platform that enables all departments to access information or upload data from their specialized fields benefits the whole company and encourages teamwork.
Many departments will require information on the assets from maintenance to finance, providing a platform for these departments to collaborate will improve overall synergy found within the business.
With a deeper understanding of CMMS and EAM software as well as their uses and benefits businesses can now make an informed decision and choose a system that fits their needs.