All departments including maintenance need the correct tools in place to run their day to day operations. Work orders for routine maintenance and plant maintenance may come in at any time of the day and sometimes can start to get on top of you. Choosing the right CMMS software is the easy part: you know what you need, but convincing your boss otherwise is a different matter.
You've identified that there is a problem with your current IT suite and that it does not meet your needs. Pain points have been considered, all the offerings currently on the market have been researched, and you've discussed it with the rest of your department and stakeholders.
All this may have been a lot of work, but there is much more to do before your plan becomes reality. Now comes the hard part.
Reasons why corporate may not be keen on your choice of software
There will always be reasons for corporate not to get behind you on your choice of software. For one, they are always considering the business's bottom line, especially if budgets are tight and other projects need funding (they always need funding).
Executives may look at a new piece of software and think it's not worth the cost. To them, the current solution may be good enough, even though you insist that it is not. Convincing them to shell out money is not easy.
When it comes to budgets and funding, your boss may have several teams at once all presenting their own requirements for funding. They're certainly not your enemies, but they are your opponents.
At the most basic level, inertia can also be a huge reason for a project not being authorised. It's easy to get into an "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset, but what if you know it's broken and nobody else is listening? Inertia can be the death of a department and a company. You have to motivate and convince your boss to make the choice you need them to and not the one that is easiest.
How to convince your boss
A computerized maintenance management system is a maintenance preventive which works wonders for your department. Work orders can be streamlined and actioned and jobs including plant maintenance thereby become easier to deal with. But how do you convince your boss?
Firstly, you need to gather your team around you. Having a team which are all on the same page can work wonders when dealing with executives. By providing the correct information, cost analysis, and presenting the benefits of a new system from the get-go, you are more likely to be listened to. Data, data, data - You cannot make bricks without clay.
Secondly, whilst people do act altruistically, making sacrifices for the sake of others, you cannot rely on this. It is much better to appeal to their own interests. Make your case about how a new CMMS system can benefit them. It's not only about you and your needs - the easiest way to get people on your side is to demonstrate that the benefits will flow to them personally.
Knowing the right allies who can authorize or deny requests is handy too - convince your direct manager and they can help you in turn convince their boss, and so forth, right the way up the chain of command. Other departments such as IT and accounting may need convincing too. Knowing how to pitch your proposal to them and demonstrate that it also benefits them requires a lot of negotiation. It's hard, but it's worth it.
Once you have considered all of this, convincing the big boss should be, if not easy, then certainly possible. There are, of course, other variables to consider.
What is a CMMS, how does it benefit your company, and why is IAMTech a smart choice?
Maintenance prevention is essential, but sometimes things break. A computerized maintenance management system is essential. It maintains a database of all your maintenance work orders and provides accurate and timely actionability of the myriad of jobs that require attention. IAMTech's iPlan Maintain System is a leading product on the market.
You can easily enter jobs into the system via SAP, Maximo, or Excel, and the software has easy to follow steps until resolution of the issue. Materials lists, job completion status, cost discipline, man-hours by trade, and more can be analysed and reported with ease. Additionally, a mobile app, that works offline, allows you to capture scope when planning your maintenance orders, emergency repairs, and project works.
It also enables you to measure progress in the field, and capture time spent on your maintenance projects. iPlan mobile is included at no extra licence cost with iPlanMaintain.
"The system structure is intuitive and user-friendly, taking care of all your maintenance needs across one or multiple sites."
Kevin Robertson, Kaefer
At IamTech we are industry leaders in CMMS software provisions. Our consultants can help you every step of the way from initial enquiry to delivery and ongoing support.
Our pricing is competitive and transparent - see the pricing details right here.
So, if you are looking for an industry-leading computerized maintenance management system with the best support from a company you can trust, IamTech's iPlanMaintain System will meet all your maintenance requirements.
All you have to do now is convince your boss (and their boss, and their boss...) that our product is worth investing in. We think that your boss will agree though, and are happy to help you make the case! Get in touch - we are here to support you.
