Know the System
From day one, involve IT staff in gaining valuable wisdom regarding the company’s system and implementation. Whether the company has chosen a hosted solution or an on-premise solution of the software, IT staff is a valuable part of the project. If a company chooses the cloud hosted option, the demand for vast system knowledge and IT assistance is lower. Therefore, information needed during implementation will include employee equipment, company browser version, browser settings, firewalls and the ability for information to flow into and out through that browser.
If a company chooses to the on-premise option and hosts the software on their internal network, then IT needs will be higher. To successfully host software on-premise, a thorough knowledge of the current system is needed. The team implementing the software will need to work alongside the IT staff to gain knowledge regarding the network, equipment and system platform.
To begin, obtain information from the CMMS company regarding network and software requirements for on-premise hosting. Secondly, check to see if the company’s current network is updated and running correct Windows, SQL, SMTP, security software and browser versions. Knowing the current network and versions of software running within the company will be key when installing the CMMS software.
Know the Company’s IT Capacity and Capability
Excitement has set in and the network is up to date and ready for the software. But, a lack of attention to details can drag out the project and lead to cost overruns per Smart Business. So, the next system consideration is to know the Company’s capacity to handle the software. It is like researching and buying your dream car but you realize you can’t fit in the seat and the car does not fit in the garage. Here are a few areas to make sure the system and IT department have the capacity.
Equipment
As you know, software is not a one size fits all ability. Know the data capacity needed from the CMMS software and check to see if the network has that capacity with room to grow. Something damaging a company can do to its network is install a software, that in turn, slows down the whole network. Make sure you have designated equipment for the new software with correct data space. What about the age of the equipment? Are the servers ready to be replaced in the next six months? Consider replacing them now to save time and labor costs. What about desktop equipment? Check to see if employees are running up to date software and browsers. If not, systems may not be compatible.
Labor
The next capacity to consider is the IT staff’s ability to manage the new software. If the IT staff is already at max capacity on work load, then consider hiring another staff member to handle the increasing work load. Even though this may seem like added expense, great CMMS software will actually help reduce the company’s overall expenses and save money.
System Impact and Future Ability
Once the system can handle the new software it is time to think about future needs. A few items to consider for the system’s future is growth, system costs, and maintenance. As with any software, new updates and add-ons can occur within the software on a consistent basis. The IT staff will need to make sure these new items will not overload or slow down the software’s function nor the company network. Next, is the company’s IT budget able to take on some new expenses if needed. As the company grows so will the software. New users and features can grow a software size and expense. Make sure not only is the equipment ready but so is the budget.
Lastly, new features and abilities within the software can be forecasted just by asking the software representative about additional features and growth forecasting.
Mobility is one of those great add on features to a system which can help a company streamline operations. According to a survey Red Hat conducted, most major industries are adding a mobile app ability to their business strategy. Planning ahead for this type of new feature can ensure success moving forward.
Once the company network and IT department are prepared for implementation, the company is ready for a successful implementation of CMMS software. So, let’s get started!
The benefits from using a CMMS software are limitless for your company. To learn more about the benefits of inventory and equipment management and CMMS integration, watch a free demo of Maintenance Connection.
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