What is CMMS software?
Maintenance management software manages all of an organization's assets and everything that has to be done to them: inspection, preventive maintenance, repair and improvement – the four pillars of maintenance. This category of software is called CMMS (computerized maintenance management system).
The core is always the same: an asset register, recurring maintenance plans, work orders (tickets) and a history that shows what happened to which asset and when.
Reactive, preventive, condition-based – three strategies
| Strategy | Principle | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Reactive | Repairs happen when something breaks. | Non-critical equipment with little cost from downtime. |
| Preventive | Maintenance at fixed intervals, for example once a year. | Heating, ventilation, fire protection, elevators, mandatory inspections. |
| Condition-based | Maintenance when a measured value reaches a threshold – for example operating hours. | Machines, pumps, compressors, vehicles. |
Good CMMS software supports all three: tickets for reactive jobs, interval plans for preventive maintenance and meter readings as triggers for condition-based maintenance.
The most important features at a glance
- Asset and equipment register with location, manufacturer, serial number, documents and photos.
- Maintenance plans by interval (days, weeks, months, quarters, years) or by meter reading, with advance warning and escalation.
- Work orders and breakdown reports with priority, status, assignee and comments.
- Time tracking per work order – start, pause, stop, with a required note on what was done.
- QR codes on the assets: scan, view the history, report a problem.
- Materials and inventory, so spare parts aren't ordered only after the asset has stopped.
- Reports and records for operator responsibility, insurance and audits.
- Mobile use on a smartphone or tablet right at the asset.
How to tell that spreadsheets are no longer enough
- Maintenance dates are forgotten or only noticed after they have passed.
- Only one person knows where the current list is stored.
- Breakdowns come in by phone, email and word of mouth – and get lost along the way.
- After damage occurs, you can't prove when maintenance was last done.
- Working hours for billing or cost centers have to be estimated after the fact.
If more than one of these applies, the missing software already costs you more than a license would.
How to set up preventive maintenance digitally in 30 days
- Week 1 – Capture assets. Start with the assets whose failure costs the most. In Maintably, you create them under Equipment (Geräte) and assign them to a building and room. A photo of the nameplate saves many follow-up questions later.
- Week 1 – Create maintenance plans. Under Maintenance plans (Wartungspläne), enter the interval or meter threshold, the person responsible, advance warning and estimated effort for each asset. Flag legally required inspections as "legally required."
- Week 2 – Attach QR codes. Print labels under QR codes (QR-Codes). From now on, anyone can report a problem right at the equipment – without logging in and with the correct assignment.
- Week 2 – Make tickets the only way to report. Agree as a team: anything that doesn't exist as a ticket won't be worked on. That sounds strict, but it ends the chaos of verbal requests.
- Week 3 – Track time on the work order. Technicians start the clock in the ticket, pause when interrupted and note what was done when they stop. Once the work is finished, the ticket is set to "Completed."
- Week 4 – Evaluate. Check the Maintenance calendar (Wartungskalender) and the Reports (Berichte): How many maintenance tasks are overdue? Which assets cause the most tickets? That tells you where to adjust intervals or plan a replacement.
How much does CMMS software cost?
Prices range from free single-user tools to enterprise systems with an implementation project. For small and mid-sized organizations, cloud solutions with monthly billing are usually the most economical: no servers, no updates, no minimum term. Weigh that against what a single avoidable asset failure or a missed mandatory inspection costs.
More important than the monthly price is whether the team actually uses the software. So test with real assets and real users before you decide.
Comparing CMMS software: five test questions
- Can a technician report and close out a breakdown on a smartphone without training?
- Are maintenance work orders created automatically – and do they escalate when nobody responds?
- Can maintenance also be triggered by a meter reading?
- Is the complete history of every asset available in a few clicks?
- Can you start without a contract and stop at any time?