Maintenance with CMMS at Valvex: implementation of QRmaint

In this publication, we present a study of the implementation of the CMMS QRmaint system at Valvex – a leading Polish manufacturer of sanitary and installation fittings (water, gas and heating). In the material, you will learn what challenges the company faced before implementing the CMMS system and what benefits it currently derives from it.

The solutions that are most quickly gaining the favor and trust of manufacturers are the easiest to use and at the same time the most flexible in terms of supporting everyday production processes. One such solution is the QRmaint CMMS system, whose main task is to simplify the maintenance process through automation, mobility and better communication.

You say, “Valvex”, you think, “Power of Quality!”

Valvex SA is a national leader in the ball valve segment. Polish technological thought, over 100 years of heritage, top quality components and modern machinery are the factors thanks to which the brand’s offer has been the embodiment of quality and innovation for years. Thanks to them, Valvex enjoys a reputation not only in Poland but also on Western markets – in the countries of the European Union, North and South America and the Middle East.

Valvex has thousands of items in its product range that make up its sanitary and installation offer, including bathroom faucets, ball valves, pump-mixing groups and a wide range of connecting elements.

CMMS implementation in Valvex

In July 2023, in order to maintain the highest company standards and maintain high quality, Valvex implemented the QRmaint CMMS system. Its task was to organize many production processes and improve communication.

Almost a year has passed since the implementation, which – especially from a financial point of view – gave the company many positive indications to maintain further cooperation based on QRmaint and development plans related to expanding the use of the system to other departments of the company.

Given that the Valvex Maintenance Department covers not only eight dedicated production areas, but also the company’s complete infrastructure located on an area of ​​over 9,500 m2, the operational challenges here are much greater than just those related to the machinery park.

“- We are making progress. It is clear that orders are being carried out more efficiently. A mechanic, seeing that he has another order, first wants to close all the ones he is working on at that moment. This is so that the orders are removed from the system one by one,”  says Tomasz Jaroszewski, an experienced Deputy Head of the Maintenance Department at Valvex, managing a team of almost 30 employees responsible for maintenance.

Valvex Challenges Before CMMS Implementation

The implementation of a CMMS system is often accompanied by specific procedures aimed at a thorough analysis of the current situation of the company. Valvex was no exception in this respect, as it conducted an audit in terms of ISO standards before the implementation.

During the audit, one of the key issues was the need to assess the total cost of ownership of machinery. This is mainly due to the need to record the costs of parts and repairs, where operating costs often exceed the total value of a new machine. As a result, the cost-effectiveness of worn-out machinery is questioned, with the result that it is often more cost-effective to purchase a new machine.

Before implementing the CMMS system, Valvex had to face many difficulties.

• Lack of records of machine maintenance costs in terms of parts purchases and repairs.
• Lack of digitalization of the accounting process: work in MS Excel or with paper documentation (invoices) prevented quick verification of costs and calculations.
• Lack of efficient communication between staff: UR employees delegated to work did not have the possibility of efficient communication between company departments and machine operators on the production floor.
• Lack of process standardization: the specificity and complexity of the UR processes requires a lot of effort from the UR team coordinator.
• Lack of an efficient management system for maintenance staff: their working time was not monitored well enough; some maintenance tasks were not performed or were pushed into the background.

T. Jaroszewski: “- At first we thought about normalizing and stabilizing the situation a bit. And completely changing the communication system between individual departments and mechanics. Up until now, it was based on the principle that people from the production department would call and everyone who had access to the telephone would say to the DUR employees: “this broke down, that broke down”. At some point, together with my supervisor, we came to the conclusion that we were practically unable to carry out our own tasks as the Maintenance Department, especially since the employees in the company, when they saw a mechanic, would bring him to the hall to deal with other failures. Before the mechanic showed up to carry out the assigned task, he would do four or five other jobs. And in the end, it turned out that the most important thing he was supposed to do was not done because he did not have enough time.”

The challenges identified by the ISO auditor indicated the need for contact with the QRmaint supplier. After a 14-day trial period, QRmaint was appropriately accepted by the company’s management. The fruitful cooperation also contributed to maintaining the ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 standards, which Valvex implemented in order to ensure the quality of its products.

CMMS and ERP criteria

The Maintenance Department at Valvex is also a collection of many competencies of employees operating on a daily basis in various groups from electromechanics and technicians to mechanics. In the past, operational work in the company was based more on the implementation of  ad-hoc tasks , i.e. on request, by phone. In addition, Valvex did not have a structured way of managing the Maintenance Department.

The manufacturer uses the SAP ERP system, which has historically demonstrated the value of integrating the QRmaint system with the company’s central database.

Prior to implementation, Valvex identified key criteria for the CMMS system.

• Ease of use  – A CMMS system should be intuitive and easy to use so that users can quickly learn to use its functions.
• Task management  – ​​the system should enable the creation, assignment and monitoring of maintenance tasks as well as the maintenance and repair of equipment and machines.
• Asset management  – ​​the system should enable tracking of assets such as spare parts, tools and personnel to ensure their timely availability.
• Planning and scheduling  – the system should enable the creation of inspection and repair schedules in order to plan ahead and avoid production downtime.
• Repair history tracking  – the system should maintain a history of repair activities to enable trend analysis and process optimization.

Advantages of implementation

In the past, the employees themselves were a valuable source of knowledge at Valvex – they had a basic understanding of the company’s equipment and devices. The problem with this type of management method, however, was that during the absence of key employees, the company was exposed to a lack of organization.  “- Our mechanics and electricians were the ones who knew. And if they used something up, they reported it to our main supplier and he took care of it.” –  recalls T. Jaroszewski.

Today, the value of employees remains unchanged – it is still at the same high level. Experienced employees – such as fitters or technicians – bring invaluable value in solving problems. Despite this, after implementing CMMS QRmaint, the system stores reliable data that improves communication and task transfer. Thanks to this, the company is less dependent on previously prevailing rules, and key information is more easily accessible to other employees. Thanks to this, the organizational culture of the company has changed positively.

What are some other benefits of implementing CMMS in Valvex…?

Availability on mobile devices

The implementation of the mobile CMMS system has enabled the maintenance staff at Valvex to monitor the condition of devices and plan repair actions from any location. Flexibility in management using mobile devices translates into a quick response to failures and minimizing downtime. This in turn results in better work organization and, as a result, more efficient production.

Remote Notification System

Remote notifications integrated with the CMMS provide automatic generation of alarms for failures or planned maintenance. This allows personnel to quickly respond to potential problems and take corrective actions before downtime occurs, improving the reliability and efficiency of production processes.

Improved Communication

Improved communication within the company promotes better coordination and cooperation between maintenance and production teams. Thanks to clear and effective communication using the task planning function, maintenance personnel can identify problems faster and take appropriate corrective actions. This also has a positive impact on the efficiency and synchronization of the maintenance team.

Integration with the Supply Department

Integrating the CMMS system with the Supply Department makes it easier to manage parts and materials needed for maintenance. Communication with the Supply Department allows for faster and more efficient provision of necessary resources, minimizing downtime due to lack of parts or materials.

Integration with ERP

As mentioned earlier, Valvex operates on the basis of the SAP ERP system. The Valvex IT department later sees an easy possibility of integrating it with the QRmaint CMMS system. Thanks to this, the company can benefit in the future from a more centralized management system, which is operated on the basis of a mobile application.

Financial benefits

Tomasz Jaroszewski stated that after 10 months of implementing QRmaint, Valvex’s chief economists see a positive impact of the CMMS application on operations – with financial benefits. For almost a year since implementation, CMMS QRmaint has delivered value to the company through better use of resources and through access to key data from the management reports.

Saving time

This is one of the key benefits of effective resource and process management in any organization. In the context of maintenance management, Valvex generates significant time savings through process automation, planning and task scheduling.

Integration with the warehouse

Integration of CMMS with the warehouse enables automatic management of stocks of parts and materials needed for maintenance. Thanks to this, Valvex can avoid shortages and delays in deliveries and fulfill orders for parts in accordance with machine standards, which has a positive impact on operational efficiency and cost reduction. As T. Jaroszewski adds:  “- Often, densely, it happened that we had many things in definitely too large quantities. If someone could not find a part in the warehouse, we bought new ones. We then generated unnecessary costs. The second thing, when it comes to the warehouse – in a situation where we have a description of the parts and have them catalogued in the program, there is no problem in buying exactly the same ones. You do not have to look for them anywhere. They are saved in the program (editor QRmaint), we have a marked link in the warehouse file either to the website or we have a link to the manufacturer who made it for us. Not to mention that if someone made an electrical cabinet or anything of the kind for us, we also have it catalogued and we know what is in that cabinet.”

Summary

In summary, the introduction of the CMMS system to Valvex’s operations brought significant benefits, including significant time savings. Before its implementation, the company had to face a number of challenges, such as the lack of records of machine maintenance costs or the lack of process digitization. Today, CMMS QRmaint helps in implementing these and many other tasks.

When asked whether he sees any prospects for expanding the use of QRmaint to other departments, T. Jaroszewski says:

“- Right now, with the emergence of the autonomous worker – a new function in QRmaint. I want to use it in the Machining Department. There, operators still have to do some things every day. They have to perform these autonomous actions, which are similar to TPM. And this is what I want to make easier for operators”

—

Following the Valvex case study, we encourage you to implement a CMMS system in your company as well – to achieve tangible benefits, just like Valvex. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you optimize your maintenance management and improve operational efficiency.