The benefit(s) of establishing a logical system structure on CMMS

When talking about the system structure means the physical layout of the assets that include machines, equipment and acquisition and how it look like on the graphic structure within CMMS.


All organizations have some strategic goals (Vision) that they want to achieve. These goals vary depends on company’s branch, but a common goal that almost all companies want to reach is minimizing maintenance costs.

One of the most vital steps that must be taken into account when minimizing maintenance costs is to identify systems/subsystems that are in place. Additionally, the data could be gathered in several ways considering its availability and reliability, however the circumstances that the company experiences could also play a crucial role.

The system structure should be divided into logical parts that identify the assets on the CMMS in compliance with system graphic layout that exhibits all outstanding sub-systems, at the same time the structure break down should be balanced. In other words, there is no need to show all components that each sub-system contains, because it leads to confusing and other problems. Although, the information such as spare parts, drawings, guaranty etc could be feed under each sub-system.

Thereafter all costs that are related to repairing, replacement, outsourcing, development, purchasing, material, man power, installation, rebuilding, license, expansion, guaranty etc must be tracked, specified and linked to each asset. Therefore, it enables engineers, owners and stakeholders to conduct LCCA on each asset to ensure whether it’s worthy and also could be used for other goals. Below shows what benefits the company should achieve when implementing this approach:

• Simplifies the communication and the integration among different departments such as maintenance, operation, store and logistic, purchasing and other involved departments.

• It enables the planners and technicians to easy identify in which part of the building or sub-system the fault is, that in turn minimizes time and energy.

• Work orders can easily be linked to the right asset based on this path, graphic part (company name)/ building / plant /system/sub-system/component.

• Improvement of maintenance work and minimizing of work orders backlog.

• It easily to follow-up and conduct measurement and analysis concerning costs, MTTF, MTBT, guaranty, and agreements for each system/sub-system, on the other hand performing LCCA. That enables stakeholders and owners to easy make an estimation regarding profitability and competitiveness.

• It enables across searching among different plants within the company regarding redundant spare parts, sub-systems that have the same or similar function and can be used in different places when it requires. That leads to avoid process stoppages, and doing rapid purchasing that almost costs a lot.

• It’s easy to use and to search a piece of information. Moreover, there is no need to be engineer to understand how you get there, because the information must be available and easy to find for all involved people within the company regardless of their education’s level.

• Eliminating of waste in all its forms.

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