Best CMMS Software For Schools Colleges & Universities

Knowledge is power, and CloudApper’s CMMS offers both! Schools, Colleges, or Universities host hundreds to thousands of people each day. These educational institutions have to manage hundreds, if not thousands, of assets, work requests, and tasks every day. Also, there are buildings and facilities of various sizes and ages, used for a variety of purposes – classrooms, restrooms, cafeterias, laboratories, auditoriums, sports hall, and many more that need to be properly maintained to ensure they are up to standard and fit for purpose. Not to mention, essential equipment and systems, such as alarms, sprinklers, HVAC, and more. It is essential to make sure that they are in good working order so that educational institutions can not only function but also keep their students, teachers, staff, and visitors safe. CloudApper’s CMMS software is the best option for schools, colleges, and universities to accomplish these critical goals. 

What is CMMS?

CMMS stands for Computerized Maintenance Management System (or Software) – also commonly known as Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) helps asset-intensive organizations to track, plan, measure, and optimize maintenance tasks digitally. It improves the way managers oversee and manage maintenance operations, inventory, teams, workflows, compliance, and other activities or processes. 

It is hardly a new concept today. Back in the 80’s maintenance tasks and data were recorded with pencil and paper. Hence, maintenance procedures were more reactive rather than proactive – it was only performed when something went wrong. Preventive maintenance was hardly a concept because tracking which assets needed maintenance when all the records were kept in a cabinet file was too unrealistic. 

When CMMS solutions came into fruition in the early ’90s, organizations began to migrate from paper-based records to computerized systems. Computerized systems helped organizations to track work orders, generate accurate reports, and instantly determined which assets needed preventive maintenance more efficiently and effectively. As a result, organizations could extend the lifespan of their assets, improve organization, and ultimately reduce costs and increased profits. 

You might also like to read: HOW MUCH DOES CMMS SOFTWARE COST FOR A BUSINESS?

Best CMMS Software for Schools, Colleges, & Universities

Schools, colleges, and universities need to stay in top-notch conditions all year long. Those in charge of maintaining equipment, assets, and amenities need to ensure that everything is in order and functioning at all times while keeping track of the maintenance budget. When managing the facilities of institutions that house hundreds of infrastructure assets, getting things done efficiently regularly requires an effective maintenance management system. 

The best CMMS software will enable schools, colleges, and universities to schedule and record operation and maintenance tasks more efficiently. Such as CloudApper’s CMMS will generate and prioritize work orders so that staff can quickly respond in case a piece of equipment in the facility fails. CloudApper’s CMMS also plans preventative maintenance, so the likelihood of equipment failure decreases drastically. On that note, let’s take a look at few benefits of using CMMS. 

Some Best Benefits of CMMS Software for Schools, Colleges & Universities

Reinforces Safety for Students, Staff, Teachers, and Visitors

Today, safety is the number one priority for schools, colleges, and universities. Educational institution’s campuses are usually big and often delicately balanced between the needs of the students, staff, and administration, and the total budget allocated to the institution. CMMS solutions help maintenance departments to ensure classrooms, administrative offices, dorm rooms, fitness centers, and other key facilities are safe for use. Staff can easily access inspection records, perform preventative maintenance, and other tasks that keep facilities up and running. Ultimately it enhances safety for everyone. 

Manages Work Orders & Requests More Efficiently

Having access to the complete work history of equipment and machines is one of the key features of CMMS. Schools, colleges, and universities maintenance departments typically process a high volume of work orders each day due to the large number of facilities and equipment they possess. Instead of doing tasks manually, CMMS solutions offer users a computerized database for work requests while allowing staff to determine the priority levels for work orders. It enables users to generate, assign, schedule, update, and close work orders from a single, centralized platform.

Enhances Overall Productivity

Paper-based systems are complex and time-consuming. Replacing paperwork and bringing automation to the process will enhance efficiency. Moreover, when students and staff operate in a well-maintained environment, they become better equipped to study and teach. In addition, CMMS keeps all maintenance information in one central system that enhances collaboration and makes it easy to update one another on the status or progress of work orders. By eliminating needless paperwork, additional time can be saved and will allow staff to focus on other productive duties.

Extends the Lifecycle of Assets

Proper maintenance is the key to prolonging the life of your assets. Facilities and equipment require regular attention to ensure it remains in optimal condition. Performing routine maintenance tasks is also a key component of preventative maintenance. Regular maintenance reduces unnecessary breakdowns in addition to extending the lifespan of assets. When a piece of equipment is properly maintained, it will remain useful for a longer period of time. Likewise, when facilities are well-maintained, they are more likely to have a longer lifespan and remain occupied for a longer time.

Better Compliance with Regulatory Standards

Last but not least, CMMS ensures that you are complying with various regulatory requirements. Schools, colleges, and universities also are required to adhere to many important regulatory standards, for example, government standards needed to maintain funding. Often, it can be difficult to keep track of all the requirements. A computerized maintenance management system, on the other hand, is much more efficient and capable of storing and organizing necessary files. Not only maintaining compliance becomes cheaper, it also becomes easy to access and send requested information to the right individuals and institutions to ensure compliance.

Top CMMS Software Should Have These Features

Asset Management

The ability to manage assets is the most basic and primary component of CMMS. That said, CloudApper’s Facility Manager will allow you to actively manage assets across a number of your institution’s locations in real-time. Managers, as well as staff, will have access to information from any connected device, so they never lose track of valuable equipment. In addition, the Facility Manager offers users to organize, track, and optimize their assets by helping them generate instant, robust reports on asset health, costs, and more, track usage and performance of equipment, build comprehensive and accessible asset profiles, and much more. 

Work Order Management

Simplifying work order requests will make employees more likely to make requests so that the maintenance team is aware of the problem before it becomes a larger issue. The best thing about CMMS is that it can customize work orders for repairs and maintenance. For example, the Facility Manager will create work orders based on predetermined maintenance schedules and respond to requests for repairs entered by any authorized staff. Users will be able to track the progress and timely completion of work orders. 

Inventory Management

Not having appropriate parts and materials in stock will make the maintenance team’s job more difficult. The best CMMS software will allow schools, colleges, and universities to track their inventory, and enable them to create inventory reports. For example, CloudApper’s Facility Manager can ensure you order parts that you need after you use what you had in stock. Ultimately, you will never have problems with a shortage or excess inventory and eliminate unnecessary storage expenses. 

Maintenance Scheduling

CloudApper’s Facility Manager will allow your maintenance team to be more proactive rather than reactive. It will help you complete maintenance before a breakdown so that your operating remains efficient and effective. Scheduling maintenance will enable you to avoid costly overtime with maintenance technicians and help you save time and money with particular equipment or asset. 

Working On The Go

In today’s business environment, especially for educational institutions, it is essential to have flexibility when using software tools. CloudApper’s Facility Manager is a cloud solution, which means it operates on mobile devices as well. It means it allows individuals to access maintenance software from anywhere and anytime. Whether it’s a tablet or a smartphone, facility managers and staff will be able to access work orders from anywhere in real-time. 

These are some of the essential features the best CMMS software should have when schools, colleges, and universities device to opt for a solution. That said, CloudApper’s Facility Manager has various other robust and innovative features that help to ensure maximum productivity and ROI. Well, if I mention them all here, there won’t be any element of surprise. 

Cost of Implementing CMMS

CMMS solutions are generally priced based on deployment methods, level of features, and the number of users. Some common pricing plans are:

• Per-user, per month subscription plan – Most cloud solutions offer this model (SaaS).
• Per month subscription plan – Generally include a maximum number of worksites and users, as well as a certain set of features.
• One time perceptual licensing free – High one-time purchasing fee, and generally do not include future software upgrades.

You might also like to read: USING CLOUDAPPER CMMS TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL ASSETS AND MAINTENANCE RECORDS

Additional Costs to Consider

Besides a subscription-free, businesses looking for a CMMS solution should consider these additional expenses:

• Implementation – For example, cloud vs on-premise. Additional expense can include hardware installation, consultation, software customization, or integration with other software. 
• Training – Generally, vendors provide free web-based training, but in-person training may require additional fees.
• Maintenance and support – Ongoing maintenance such as software patches and updates. An additional fee is usually applicable when companies purchase a perceptual license. Maintenance is usually included in the subscription-based plan.

Nevertheless, I have compared pricing for some of the popular CMMS solutions:

• eMaint CMMS – starts from $33 per user, per month (three users max).
• eWorkOrders – starts at $35 per month.
• Hippo CMMS – starts from $39 per user, per month, and requires two users minimum. 
• Fiix – basic plan costs $40 per user, per month.
• CloudApper CMMS – Offers free trial, $10 per user, per month.
• Oracle Maintenance Cloud – $350 per month.
• Upkeep – $40 per user, per month.
• CloudApper Facility Manager – only $10 per user, per month, including software upgrades and customization.
• WorkTrek CMMS – starts from $19 per user, per month.

Bottom Line

For schools, colleges, and universities, the best option would be to opt for a solution that can offer all the features while keeping the price at the bare minimum. In any case, this article will give you a clear idea of why educational institutions should be using CMMS. I have compared the pricing for some of the popular solutions in the market but the decision is yours to make. If you still haven’t implemented a CMMS solution, you should act now!