This is the tenth post in our blog series, 9 Reasons EAM Implementations Fail (And How to Fix Them).
Auditing is the key to long-term success with a CMMS or EAM software system. You won’t achieve your EAM goals overnight, and even after you’ve achieved them, it’s easy to drift back into old habits. Auditing helps you stay the course. Once you’ve implemented your EAM software successfully, you should conduct regular audits to see how well your implementation is working and make sure you’re sticking to the practices you designed.
If you don’t audit, you compromise your ability to keep improving. How will you know how far you’ve come toward your EAM goals without regular audits? How will you be able to plan and prioritize future improvement efforts, or catch yourself if you deviate from your declared policies and practices?
Internal and External EAM Audits
A good auditing program includes both internal and external audits.
An internal audit process allows you to identify and resolve problems yourself, acting as a self-correction mechanism that pulls you back when you start to leave the path. It takes an initial investment of resources but saves money in the long run.
An external audit partner ensures that you get an experienced and objective assessment, which is important because it catches blind spots and establishes credibility to your company’s stakeholders. An external auditor can also measure your EAM implementation against industry benchmarks to give you a sense of where you stand relative to competitors.
Sample auditing scoresheet from a SwainSmith Value Map™ Assessment.
Auditing Your EAM or CMMS Implementation
An audit of your EAM or CMMS implementation should cover more than just the software system. It should also extend to the organizational policies, practices, and other elements that contribute to a successful implementation.
Here are the five areas that your EAM or CMMS audit should cover:
- Organization and management. For example, does your organization have an enterprise strategy for asset management? Are roles and responsibilities clearly defined?
- Process, practices, and procedures. For example, is the weekly maintenance schedule being prepared on time? Has the storeroom identified critical spares? Are all purchases being made through the MRO catalog?
- Master data and codes. For example, do all assets have a single master record in the EAM system? Are MRO inventory records up to date? Are EAM coding structures distinct and standardized?
- EAM software system. For example, does your organization’s EAM/CMMS product have the functionality needed to support your business practices? Has it been configured with appropriate user profiles and security settings? Have the necessary reports and dashboards been set up in the system?
- Performance measurement. For example, is the EAM implementation being audited regularly? Are you using KPIs to drive achievement of asset management objectives?
Value MapTM Asset Management Assessment
If you’re looking for an expert assessment of your asset management operation—whether to evaluate your business readiness for implementing an EAM software system, or to identify opportunities for improving an existing CMMS implementation—then you should consider SwainSmith’s Value MapTM Asset Management Assessment. We’ll perform a gap analysis, identify potential for value creation, and deliver a clear, prioritized plan for improvement.
Achieving Continuous Improvement with EAM Software Systems
Auditing is essential if you want your EAM implementation to have long-term, sustainable success. Whether internal or external, auditing ensures that your EAM software is working to accomplish your objectives, keeps your organization focused on closing gaps, and identifies opportunities for continued improvement.
Come back next week for the final post in our EAM Pitfalls series, Avoiding EAM Pitfalls: How to Ensure ROI from Your CMMS or EAM Implementation. We’ll be sharing a proven method for implementing EAM systems successfully.