Equipment maintenance systems have been an integral part of production environments for decades.  There is no denying the importance and benefits of well-maintained equipment.  Prolonged asset life and reductions in both downtime and operating costs have turned maintenance from being viewed as a cost of doing business to vital part of being profitable.

Traditional barriers to effectively managing the maintenance process have been in organization and documentation of the system used.  Tracking each piece of equipment by last service date, frequency of service, scheduling of routine maintenance – all on paper – it becomes a full time job to maintain the maintenance system.  Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software was developed to organize this information, and quickly became not only a way of managing upkeep; it has become a tool for improving maintenance performance.
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Healthcare is an industry where time can mean more than just money – it can mean the difference between life and death.   Given the critical and fast paced nature of hospitals, equipment can easily be misplaced.  This means staff must spend valuable time looking for beds, wheelchairs, or defibrillators.  Finding this equipment quickly not only saves the time spent looking for it, but it reduces staff frustration and increases patient satisfaction.
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