There is nothing like a “typical day” in a construction manager’s life. One day you could be held up in meetings with stakeholders, and another day you could be required on-site to evaluate the progress of the project. In the end of the day, all you want is to boost construction equipment efficiency for better results.
Combine these unpredictable work patterns with their multiple roles, and you can understand the daunting job profile of a construction manager. However, thanks to a revolutionary technology – CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System); construction managers can prevent oversights and be more efficient effortlessly.
Let’s understand the importance of such CMMS in facilitating and streamlining the work at a construction site
Table of Contents
1. Avoids Equipment Oversight
Every manager understands the importance of completing all project-related tasks promptly. In order to achieve that, a manager must streamline workflow while ensuring all the equipment is well-maintained and resources are allocated accordingly. However, many managers simply don’t find their work hours adequate to do so.
A CMMS eases this burden by tracking construction equipment and its maintenance. All they have to do is add the required asset/equipment details, and the CMMS will track the rest. They can set up recurring alerts for maintenance activities and avoid any kind of equipment oversights, in turn avoiding delays.
2. Enhances Equipment Maintenance Strategy
The best way to guarantee satisfactory and on-time delivery is to schedule maintenance and service activities for equipment regularly.
A CMMS allows you to record all maintenance history, service manuals, and maintenance costs and set alerts about current servicing. It even lets you set recurring alerts for future maintenance activities. Users can also request equipment repairs the moment a fault is detected.
Another benefit of CMMS system is that it automatically notifies the manager if it notices frequent maintenance activities on one particular piece of equipment. By tracking the equipment life cycle, you are better prepared for future purchases.
Hence, a CMMS is the most efficient way for construction managers to deliver excellence. It helps them make the most of their equipment to optimize operations and boost productivity.
3. Provides Work Transparency
A CMMS ensures advanced reporting capabilities. It generates detailed views of ongoing work. This includes who is doing it, what resources have been allocated, how they are being utilized, their costs as well as the overall progress.
It can also provide an overview of the ongoing activities compared with the predefined targets through various performance and cost metrics.
These metrics provide valuable insights that can become the basis for operational changes. For instance, if there are two units of the same equipment, their output levels can be compared, and work can be allocated accordingly to achieve maximum output.
4. Streamlines Work Flow
At some point in time, every manager has heard phrases like “I wasn’t informed,” “I didn’t have equipment access,” etc. It can be difficult to handle a large team of employees without having a system that records all processes. A CMMS stores all data related to workflow, inventory, and schedules.
This enables a project manager to ascertain that all resources are optimally utilized in a cost-effective way. Therefore, any critical tasks will not face any unforeseen delays, and the project can continue as expected.
Operational visibility is critical as it keeps workers accountable, ensuring the tools and equipment they need are available and functioning. The result is enhanced productivity and optimized operations.
5. Optimizes Equipment Performance
In the construction business, it is crucial to understand the working capacity of your equipment, its location, and various other resource requirements.
With a CMMS in place, you can track all these details. This helps you plan maintenance activities in advance and avoid any unplanned breakdowns or delays. It also tracks and records equipment usage along with maintenance costs. This enables the managers to distribute load among similar types of equipment and take necessary action.
This prevents inefficient use of equipment, thus enhancing their longevity and increasing ROI. A good asset management system also provides audit-ready reports so that any compliance-related audits are addressed swiftly and efficiently.
Strategies for the Maintenance of Construction Equipment
For the CMMS to work efficiently, you must maintain your construction equipment. Further, maintenance management has several benefits, such as reduced workplace injuries, minimized unplanned downtime for machines, improved asset longevity, and more.
So, here are some strategies you can employ to maintain your construction equipment:
1. Create Equipment Maintenance Checklists
In order to ensure that your equipment maintenance goes perfectly and does not end up missing any steps, create an equipment maintenance checklist that can be customized according to your needs and wants. Several downloadable checklists are available online that can be customized depending on your requirements, capacities, and specifications.
2. Use the Given Guides, Manuals, and Recommendations
The manufacturer is someone who will definitely know the equipment better since they are its creator. There are several guides and manuals given with the equipment that needs to be followed as these books contain recommendations, troubleshooting tips, maintenance guidelines, and more.
3. Guide Your Maintenance Technician and Equipment Operator
Your construction equipment will stay in an excellent state for longer only if the operator knows how to use it well. With the proper operation of the equipment, it can last longer.
Further, apart from an equipment operator, the maintenance technician should be guided on the equipment, like why the problem occurs, how the machine works, when it may require maintenance, and so on.
It is evident that a well-planned maintenance strategy utilizing CMMS can help boost efficiency for construction equipment. Regularly scheduled preventive maintenance and proactive management of repairs will not only save time and money and extend the life of construction equipment.
However, the success of a maintenance program depends on its implementation. Construction companies should consider investing in a quality CMMS system to ensure maximum efficiency to support their equipment maintenance operations.
