Equipment maintenance software is software that is able to identify and solve maintenance issues in the manufacturing industry. In some instances, it also can prevent the need for repairs of equipment. Recent technological advances have made equipment maintenance software affordable to businesses of all sizes. Since nonfunctional equipment and resulting repairs can decrease productivity levels and profits, an investment in this type of software hypothetically can save a manufacturing company thousands of dollars in repairs and help the company gain an edge over competitors.
Computerized maintenance management systems once were the norm in the manufacturing industry. These systems were reliable, but they also were extremely expensive to install and maintain. Taking and recording the measurements that were required to determine predictive components also was costly and posed the threat of delaying production.
With a growth in technology, those in the manufacturing industry came to have more reasonable options available to them. Relatively inexpensive equipment maintenance software can perform the same functions as the complicated, costly solutions of the past. Monitoring equipment also has become attainable even for small businesses that might not have been able to afford previous maintenance solutions.
Equipment maintenance software can be used with vehicles or with other large pieces of mechanical equipment. The software allows users to monitor, perform and track the progress of maintenance issues. In many cases, it also can identify issues that should be addressed before they turn into bigger problems. In this way, the software can perform a type of preventive maintenance.
A benefit of using equipment maintenance software is that it can remind users of when maintenance checks and duties need to be performed. Notifications can be re-sent if the software suspects that maintenance duties have been neglected. These alerts are, in part, based on equipment information that has been manually inputted by a user, making alerts practical. Custom information about equipment is used, so the software also can help reduce the need for repairs and part replacement by taking each piece of equipment's specific state into account while reporting on it.
In addition to keeping equipment working properly and reducing repair-related costs, equipment maintenance software also can have the indirect benefit of helping manufacturers stay ahead of their competitors. When industries are looking to outsource production to foreign countries to reduce costs, equipment maintenance software can help keep local production attractive. Using the software to keep local production affordable can make it attractive to investors.