Reliability Driven Maintenance--Closing the CMMS "Value Gap"?
Part One: Trends and Definition
P.J. Jakovljevic and Olin Thompson - January 17, 2005

The Maintenance Approach Evolution

Although enterprise asset management (EAM) and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) software continue to grab headlines as a realistic way to reduce expenses and increase revenues, the growing pressure for improving customer responsiveness and profits has lately pretty much changed the traditional role of asset management. Namely, the metric of plant maintenance should now be in the ability of the plant to meet the strategic goals of the company beyond customarily expected cost savings, such as improved plant output, performance predictability, product quality, customer service, safety, environmental control, etc. For one, an effective preventive maintenance program can improve equipment's required utilization and availability, enabling production schedules to be achieved, especially when an exorbitantly expensive equipment replacement is a no option during depressed economic times. Extending into the customer base, this applies as much to improved standards of customer service as it does to product quality...