Technology advances fast in every industry, including healthcare technology management (HTM). TechNation reached out to several computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) companies and asked their experts to share insights with readers. CMMS is software that helps manage assets, schedule maintenance and track work orders.
Company representatives who shared their knowledge are Capital i LLC CEO Tony Danko, FSI Solutions Engineer Kevin Lund, TruAsset Director of Business Development Amanda Moser, Cynch! Business Development Specialist Alfredo Rey and EQ2 LLC Product Manager Rich Sable, CBET.
Q: What features should HTM professionals look for when purchasing a CMMS?
Danko: HTM professionals should initially assess their team’s appetite for change and change management. A new CMMS provides HTM leaders the opportunity to modernize the HTM program and incorporate new tools and potentially new rules. If change is not what you are looking for, and you just want a less “clunky” system, then look for one that fits your business processes and one that would be minimally disruptive to your organization. If you have a healthy appetite for change and are prepared to undergo some growing pain in the business process re-engineer realm, look for a system that has had a lot of operational research support in its development. Operational researchers focus on optimization and ensure the application developers create system workflows that bring out peak performance.
Lund: First, a cloud-based CMMS that can support the specific needs of multiple sites and departments throughout the enterprise. Next, it’s important that the CMMS utilizes standardized nomenclature for assets, work orders, etc. because the use of free text limits the ability to accurately search and report on data. It’s critical to have a CMMS that documents and reports both asset risk criteria and OEM/AEM protocols for regulatory compliance. Finally, it may seem obvious, but it should be easy to use, both in desktop and mobile versions, to document assets and work order information anywhere at any time.
Moser: HTM professionals specialize in a variety of roles within the organization. Outside of the basics of asset data and work order generation, the ability to customize a dashboard view and create shortcuts to the data that is a priority is key. Consistency through an application will allow those with all roles from technician to management to achieve their tasks most expediently. Other areas that are beneficial in the HTM environment are parts inventory management with par value notifications, contract management with asset-level coverage information, project management, and a service request system that allows customization for incoming staff requests and notifications for a prompt response. Integrations with other applications such as security, RTLS, test equipment programs and the FDA GUDID database also offer increased benefits.
Rey: Look for true multi-tenant Software as a Service (SaaS) that offers extensibility. With SaaS software, there are no versions. All customers are always working with the latest features and get new functionality on a regular schedule with no upgrades. All hardware, maintenance, infrastructure, security and data encryption are provided for you, making the software inexpensive and easy to use. And with extensibility, simplified processes and procedures can be customized based on a biomed’s unique business practices for continuous innovation.
Sable: One feature HTM professionals should look for when purchasing a CMMS is a mobility solution that works in offline mode to allow the technicians to become more productive by accessing and updating work orders or adding inventory in the field. Management tools like dashboards and advanced custom reporting tools assist with decision making, capital planning and regulatory compliance. Interfaces and integrations with cybersecurity applications, real-time location services (RTLS), procurement systems or other external systems add value to the CMMS as it becomes the hub for managing equipment across the health system.
Q: How can a CMMS help HTM professionals plan for replacing older devices?
Danko: A CMMS, like a medical device, needs to be well maintained. The CMMS is the system of record for historical maintenance and will tell the best story on device reliability. You will have to ensure all corrective maintenance transactions to include financial support to a device is captured to have the best decision support data on the other side. Align polices, processes and work instructions with your CMMS capabilities and limitations and you will have empirical data that can support any capital replacement program.
Lund: A CMMS has the ability to create a workflow that includes required fields when documenting allocated labor, materials and other associated costs for scheduled and unscheduled service, including both in-house and vendor allocated costs. It can identify and report on assets where extensive unscheduled service costs continue to accumulate, especially when it involves repeat repairs, as well as life expectancy and current condition assessment of each asset, plus the associated reporting needed. Also helpful is internal functionality, or an additional module, dedicated to helping HTM users identify and budget for the replacement of older devices.
Moser: Maintaining device service history allows HTM professionals to evaluate the reliability of assets comparatively and individually. Reporting on the life cycle and expenses related to the asset greatly aids in determining when assets become cost-prohibitive to maintain. Tracking trends to catch when devices become less reliable is key.
Rey: A CMMS should track total asset history to enable HTM professionals to assess the condition, performance and maintenance costs of equipment, facilitate proactive planning for replacements, optimize asset utilization and ensure the availability of reliable medical devices for patient care. To that end, a CMMS should track all physical assets, their purchase date, maintenance and repair history including costs. When certain criteria are met, such as maintenance and repair costs exceeding a certain threshold, the system can flag the item for replacement.
Sable: The CMMS contains the basic information on the device like purchase date, purchase price, and the useful life of the device and can perform the straight-line depreciation of the asset and present the manager with the MEL (maximum expenditure limit) for each year. Also, the CMMS should be accumulating the service costs for labor, parts and service contracts which are used to evaluate the MEL and calculate the COSR (cost of service ratio) along with the MTBF (mean time between failures). So, rather than just make replacement decisions based on age, managers can use all of this data to assist with replacement decisions based on devices that have become problematic, as indicated by increased equipment downtime along with increasing COSR and/or MTBF.
Q: How can a CMMS help with cybersecurity measures?
Danko: The basic requirements of cybersecurity are easily tracked with a CMMS; asset inventory and tracking, patch management, and incident tracking and response. If you are looking to leverage your CMMS to become best in class at medical device cybersecurity management, you will want to look into integration with security tools. CMMS systems can integrate with security tools, such as antivirus software, intrusion detection systems, or security information and event management (SIEM) solutions. These integrations, coupled with the basics of asset management, allow for centralized monitoring and alerting, which enhance the HTM organization’s overall cybersecurity posture.
Lund: There are many cybersecurity companies who offer solutions. The key is to have an open API within the CMMS so that an integration can be easily created. It’s also important that a CMMS has the required fields needed for a cybersecurity system to function properly.
Moser: The HTM community is more involved in cybersecurity than ever. With their CMMS holding an accurate inventory using integrations to security programs such as Asimily or Palo Alto systems, the CMMS software can receive alerts of vulnerabilities. These alerts can be addressed and documented at the asset level. In addition, many facilities will integrate their current SSO program into their CMMS for an added layer of security.
Rey: A SaaS CMMS is different because it is built and hosted in the cloud using modern best practices in data encryption, redundancy, disaster recovery, user authentication, access controls, monitoring and more in addition to routine penetration testing to keep your data secure.
Sable: The CMMS stores the IT fields (IP, MAC, operating system, software, etc.) for each asset which allows the HTM manager to quickly identify assets with malicious activity at the request of the information security officer. Also, the CMMS can be bidirectionally interfaced with cybersecurity products like Asimily, Medigate, Ordr and others so they can be set to automatically trigger events in the CMMS to take action to avoid security incidents while the CMMS sends complete asset information to the cybersecurity product. This provides a comprehensive cybersecurity solution to the HTM manager and chief information security officer.
Q: Can you tell readers a little about what your CMMS offers?
Danko: We are a system agnostic service provider, and our technicians support various systems throughout the VA, DoD and commercial market. We focus on ensuring the business processes and workflow are aligned with that organization’s CMMS configuration. We support business process mapping and aligning the activities of the HTM department with the CMMS and vice versa.
Lund: FSI’s Custom Maintenance Software (CMS) is a CMMS developed by and for healthcare service professionals that can be customized for the specific needs of HTM, Facilities, EVS, etc. The CMS core offering includes the desktop version of CMS, CMS Tech, our mobile solution, and CMS Request, allowing HTM customers to request services and create work orders. FSI got its start more than 20 years ago by providing asset inventory and bar-code tagging services, which still is a major part of our business. What better way to implement a new CMMS than with an accurate asset inventory that can be easily maintained long into the future?
Moser: TruAsset was built for the health care market and continues to evolve with the ever-changing needs of the HTM community. We offer all that you would expect in terms of asset data and PM schedules. We also offer the ability to store and track your contracts, test equipment, parts inventory, project management, purchase requests and more. We believe in attention to detail and streamlining processes. Our improvements and new features are customer driven and have included improved PM planning, preorder reminders to battle the delays in the supply chain, ways to shorten the documentation process for work orders, a lot of ways to organize and track work orders to efficiently monitor many situations and parameters, and so much more. Our robust reporting offers canned reports, the ability to customize listings for many areas to target the relevant data, and even automated reporting. TruAsset also offers many integrations from security, test equipment software, RTLS, FDA GUDID database, OneSOURCE, etc.
Rey: Cynch is a cloud-based, feature-rich CMMS offering maintenance and repair operations plus purchasing and inventory management – all in one unified platform. Our MRO is a best-in-breed solution maximizing up-time for medical devices and other assets. We manage a proactive maintenance schedule with parts ready in inventory and full BOM for the job, along with procedural instructions and live reporting features. We make sure there is a checklist for every PM and repair, simplifying steps and creating automations to help you delight customers, improve device uptime, reduce time to maintain and repair, and increase profits.
Sable: EQ2 has 30 years of experience solely supporting health care with our CMMS called “HEMS.” This year we have introduced “HEMS One” – with its feature-rich asset management capabilities for both managers and technicians, designed in a way that makes it easy and efficient to use, with intuitive interfaces, fast processing times and lots of flexibility. It is a URL-based complete asset and work order management system along with tools to track record changes, service contracts, bulk inventory imports, business intelligence and technician dashboards, project management, and HTM parts inventory system. In addition to the comprehensive dashboards, the system has hundreds of reports included plus EQ2 can provide custom reports or the user can create their own reports. It integrates with numerous external systems used by HTM such as oneSOURCE, real-time location services, ECRI, cybersecurity applications, and procurement systems (Lawson, PeopleSoft, etc.) and many others. Our mobile apps work both online and offline so that work can be completed anywhere – even without a connection. In addition to comprehensive dashboards, the system has hundreds of reports included plus EQ2 can provide custom reports or the user can create their own reports. We also provide 100 percent U.S.-based customer support for all of our modules in HEMS One.
Q: How can biomeds upgrade their CMMS to meet the ever-evolving needs of health care?
Danko: The best way for biomeds to “upgrade” their CMMS is by developing and following standard data entry protocols. HTM leaders, engineers and analyst want to provide the best support possible to the biomed teams, but have difficulty understanding trends and systemic issues due to lack of data entry standards by the biomeds. Once the entire biomed team gets on board with standard transactional language, any CMMS can optimize the HTM organization.
Lund: Evaluate how your CMMS provider/CMMS software is evolving and ask these questions:
- Are you locked into a specific software version or are updates provided on a regular basis, e.g., monthly, bi-monthly, etc.?
- Is the CMMS provider responsive to the evolving changes in health care?
- Is there a mobile application that can effectively be used anywhere at any time, regardless of Wi-Fi connection?
If the answers above are no, then an organized evaluation of new CMMS software may be required, along with a request for proposal, a thorough demonstration of the software attended by multiple members of your team and, finally, access to a CMMS sandbox to properly evaluate all the software and confirm what you were told during the demonstration.
Moser: The best way is to establish communication with the CMMS representative you work with. If you can reach a human being when you need support and they can achieve the results you need promptly, they are also likely to truly listen to and implement the features you need. TruAsset monitors regulatory agencies for policy changes and engages directly with customers to determine the procedural changes being implemented to continuously grow with the needs of our clients. Most of the TruAsset updates are customer driven and occur around every 4-6 weeks.
Rey: The solution is to switch from legacy processes to Cynch! Cynch MRO continues to release new features as industry best practices change. With the input of biomed customers, both new processes and refinements are developed to meet their specific requirements as the industry evolves to future-proof their CMMS purchase and optimize their ROI.
Sable: Biomeds should identify their current shortcomings with the CMMS and should identify additional workflows to increase their productivity while simultaneously reducing the work effort. Adding mobile devices to the CMMS will increase productivity and simplify work order documentation. Dashboards and analytical tools along with capital planning tools will assist managers with their tasks and decision making. Finally, the CMMS upgrade must be able to interface with other applications such as cybersecurity applications, real-time location services applications, procurement systems and other desired applications. If looking at another vendor’s CMMS, I recommend creating an outline for your demonstration which is shared with the vendor that address the features identified in your initial CMMS assessment and ask questions relating to interfacing, reporting for compliance, etc.
Q: What else should TechNation readers know about CMMS?
Danko: I have seen a lot of different CMMS over the last 25 years in the HTM field and I have heard time and again the top two CMMS are the old one you had and the new one you want, and the worst one is the one you have. Before you dump your CMMS, look into how you can leverage its capabilities by adjusting workflows and business processes. Only then should you consider a change.
Lund: Your CMMS is a very important tool to your overall operations, but without proper management, its effectiveness can diminish. This is why FSI strongly recommends having one or more CMMS administrators overseeing the management of the system configuration and entry of the data. As health care evolves, your CMMS configuration must evolve as well. Additionally, don’t lose sight of the importance of the data being entered. Ensure the data needed is consistently entered so that reporting for operational and regulatory compliance meets the needs of your operations.
Moser: The CMMS market is heavily saturated and there are so many to choose from that often people pick two or three and possibly overlook other great alternatives. When you are evaluating a CMMS system, a great method is to create a list of required features and features you would like to have. Then, use these lists to narrow down your choices based on what they offer. During demonstrations, look for small niceties. Just about any CMMS system is going to store asset information, allow you to set up PM schedules and offer a variety of reporting options. Many even offer modules for parts, contracts, etc. What does the CMMS you are evaluating offer to save time? What are the ways you can more efficiently go through your workflow, and track important metrics on work orders awaiting parts or unlocatable? Another often overlooked factor is customer service. How easy is it to reach a reliable human that can answer your question or do the legwork and return your call as opposed to bouncing you from person to person and taking up valuable time?
Rey: Long-term profitability and success hinges on continuous improvements in productivity. The medical device MRO market is currently undergoing a digital revolution, automating and digitizing processes that once were paper based or managed on multiple spreadsheets. Unifying processes in a SaaS CMMS will allow you to train new employees faster, make happy and retain top talent, shrink time to complete tasks and eliminate rework. Customers will be delighted with the digital audit trail by serial number, ease of scheduling services online and a job done right.
Sable: The CMMS is the source of truth for the assets and functions as the asset hub when interfaced with other systems. CMMS applications are continually under development to bring new technologies and features along with the ability to access the data using other devices and operating systems. The CMMS will be used for asset and work order management, your repair parts inventory, your AEM/OEM inventory and all costs associated with the asset. With all the costs and work orders stored in your CMMS, advanced dashboards, reporting tools and capital planning reports will provide HTM leadership with the information to make strategic management decisions in a timely fashion using real data from their system.