Which CMMS to choose: on-premises or in the cloud?

Companies have struggled in recent years to keep up with customers’ increasing expectations. They must figure out how to boost productivity at a reasonable cost if they want to keep their competitive edge. To guarantee the consistency of the production processes and the calibre of the finished product, maintenance management software (CMMS) is frequently selected.

The industry’s issues are also being met by the CMMS systems used by manufacturers. The process of setting up and using a CMMS is made easier by new software providers and an increase in cutting-edge technologies.

In general, a CMMS is a highly specialised IT tool that gives the user an overview of the operation of a facility down to the smallest piece of equipment utilising a vast quantity of data. The ability to track work orders, promptly generate accurate data, and instantly determine which assets call for the implementation of preventive or predictive maintenance are the key capabilities of CMMS systems.

The functionality of the CMMS systems on the market varies only slightly from one another; nevertheless, one of the important distinctions is the manner the system is implemented, which can be either based on cloud solutions or installed in the customer’s IT infrastructure. Knowing the benefits and drawbacks of each form of installation is important when considering whether to put a system into place.

Security of CMMS systems

Cloud-based CMMS solutions are protected from hacking assaults by sophisticated, often updated security. Even though the customer’s data is not on the customer’s own IT infrastructure, this maintains the customer’s data secure. Additionally, the developers of cloud-based CMMS solutions make sure that these systems are highly available (via backups and parallel environments) so that the client is always able to access their data. The most common method of delivering such a solution is through specialised data centres, like Amazon Cloud or Microsoft Azure, for instance, where the infrastructure and security are looked after by highly skilled personnel, who are simply too expensive to maintain in a small or medium-sized business.

The client’s infrastructure may be less susceptible to hacking assaults by design, but protection depends on the anti-virus programme chosen and the IT department’s expertise. Antivirus software, system upgrades, and security maintenance all require manual supervision, but with cloud solutions, these things happen automatically and frequently. The corporation is the only one responsible for paying for cyber security.

It is solely the business’s responsibility to maintain an adequate level of system security, which can have two unfavourable, opposing effects: either a high cost for providing a secure infrastructure or, with low-security investment, the development of security vulnerabilities that could cause the organisation to be paralysed in the event of a hacking attack.

Availability of CMMS systems

While cloud solutions can be accessible from any location with an internet connection, locally installed CMMS systems can only be accessed within the organisation. Additionally, the fact that CMMS data is stored in a distinct location in the cloud increases security in an emergency (fire, destruction of local infrastructure).

Mobile access to CMMS systems

One of the main benefits of the cloud-based solution is the accessibility of a mobile application, which enables the system to be used on smartphones and tablets and enables the usage of these devices’ cameras.

The CMMS’s mobility allows technicians to complete their work while also reporting it right away or checking the location of spare parts. By doing this, they may report more quickly when they go back to the office, where a PC with a locally installed CMMS is located. As a result, technicians’ productivity can rise significantly because they won’t have to spend as much time manually inputting finished work into the CMMS, which they frequently do by transcribing data from a paperwork order.

Implementation and maintenance costs of CMMS systems

Cost should be taken into consideration when selecting the type of system.

Locally installed CMMS systems sometimes cost several times more than a cloud-based solution’s annual subscription charge. The price of acquiring the system and having it installed at the customer’s location must also include the costs of computer hardware updates, antivirus software, and the hiring of IT employees to monitor and maintain various components of the system. Since the CMMS provider handles the aforementioned activities, cloud systems don’t require additional expenses.

Additionally lowering the possibility of failure while installing a CMMS are cloud-based solutions. If the system falls short of expectations, it can be discontinued by ceasing to pay the subscription. The cost of the licence is so high if you buy your machine that ceasing to use the application results in a considerable financial loss.

The convenience of CMMS usage

The primary benefit of customer-installed systems is total data control. But if the security of IT systems is ignored, this could all be a mirage. This is why having internal IT assistance is crucial.

In contrast, cloud-based systems are renowned for being user-friendly and requiring no prior technical knowledge other than the ability to click a mouse for employees to use them. Implementation is facilitated by this and is relatively simple.

What do modern companies choose?

Today, many procedures or tasks that are not directly related to the company’s core business are shifted outside the organisation, following the philosophy of lean management. This enables the business to concentrate more successfully on its primary business. Because of this, more and more contemporary businesses are choosing cloud-based IT systems.

Knowing the benefits and drawbacks of a given system is beneficial because selecting a CMMS is a significant decision. For us, a cloud-based CMMS is the lone victor!

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To suit the needs of our customers, we are continuously developing the QRmaint application. Contact us at contakt@qrmaint.com if you have an idea of how you would like to use our CMMS but haven’t yet found that functionality.