Investing in computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software can be an exciting time for a parks and recreation agency.
But it can also be a stressful transition.
Change isn’t always easy, and getting all your staff excited about a CMMS can be challenging. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make the transition easier. Spending time upfront with training, collaboration, and accountability can make your CMMS investment pay off much sooner.
In this article, we explore some strategies to help staff understand the benefits of CMMS software for your agency and how it helps make their jobs easier. Also, learn ways to encourage maintenance staff buy-in during the CMMS implementation process.
Let Staff Understand the Why
As with any new responsibilities, staff are more likely to adapt to the situation when they understand the reasons for the changes.
In other words, staff want to know how it will benefit them while helping the agency. For example, non-maintenance staff may not understand “the why” of creating work requests within the software instead of sending texts or emails. Explaining how a uniform work request system helps ensure nothing gets missed lets them understand “the why.”
Also, administrators may be more interested in data to help with decision-making, but that may not resonate with staff working in the field.
So, how can a CMMS help park maintenance workers?
Here are a few ways to approach the benefits of a CMMS for the maintenance staff:
- Better Organization: Staff can log on each morning and see what needs to be done. With a few clicks, they can report their progress.
- Report Problems Easier: Instead of filling out paper work orders, staff has a quick way to let their supervisors know about issues or repairs needed.
- Less Tedious Administration Tasks: Instead of filling out paper forms, making copies, and filing them in appropriate locations, a CMMS automates the process of dispersing information.
- Data Backing Common Complaints: When the team complains about faulty equipment, vehicle issues, or inefficient staffing patterns, data is available to support those claims. A CMMS has easily accessible work histories, previous inspections, labor tracking, and more.
Clear Up Misconceptions & Fears
New technology and processes can create the fear of the unknown, causing individuals to jump to–sometimes irrational–conclusions.
The software will track my every move, like Big Brother…The CMMS will create even more work for me when I am already swamped…We’ve been doing just fine without software tracking us…
You can explore some other common misconceptions in a previous article.
Educating staff about “the why” of the software and listening to their concerns are probably the two biggest initial steps for successful adoption among staff. The best part: you can do these before purchasing a maintenance management software solution.
Listen to staff’s concerns without judgment. Make them feel heard. Then, provide them with information that may help reduce the resistance to a CMMS platform.
Include Staff in the Implementation Process
You don’t have to get everything set up in a CMMS, and then one day, “flick the switch,” where everyone must start using it.
Every parks and recreation maintenance team works a little differently. Including input from all levels of the maintenance team during the software setup can make a huge difference in usability and buy-in. Not every suggestion will be a viable option, but giving feedback on ideas can help all interested parties better understand the software platform.
Maintenance workers are more open to changing their daily routines when they have skin in the game.
Provide Hands-On Training
Maintenance staff are doers. They get a feel for things by working on it. Having a CMMS implementation specialist drone on about all the features during a video call may be met with inattention and yawns.
Give your maintenance staff an opportunity to play with the system and get a feel for it. Your implementation specialist should have some ideas about how to get staff started engaging with the CMMS.
As staff get more familiar with the software, encourage them to come up with real-life questions and concerns that will affect them.
Hold Staff Accountable
If you’ve completed the previous steps, your team should have a solid foundation to understand and use the software. At some point, supervisors must hold staff accountable for making it a part of their daily routine.
For example, one agency provided training on how non-maintenance staff can create work requests. They set a date for when all work requests must go through the CMMS, not through texts, emails, or phone calls. If non-maintenance staff wanted work done, they now knew they had one option to communicate their needs.
The same goes with the maintenance team. If maintenance staff know the why and understand what is required, then they should be held accountable for reporting their work or any issues they notice.
Accountability doesn’t necessarily mean yelling at or threatening to fire staff. It should involve setting clear expectations and then ensuring they are met. If not, supervisors may provide extra training on the software or pair an individual with someone more comfortable using it.
Take Advantage of Ongoing Support
Your job requires so much more than monitoring a CMMS. You may not have the time and bandwidth to troubleshoot or make changes to the software to improve usability for your agency.
If your CMMS provider offers ongoing support, take advantage of it! Modifications that can take hours to figure out may only take minutes for those who work exclusively with the software.
Plus, software support staff have the advantage of working with multiple parks and recreation agencies. They see the different ways agencies set up and use the software. Something troubling your agency has probably happened to another agency. Lean on the experience of CMMS software support staff for practical solutions.
The Takeaway
Successful CMMS implementation requires more than ensuring your assets, maintenance plan, and inspections get transferred to the software. You also need your staff motivated to use it. Through careful planning and a blend of education, collaboration, and accountability, you can increase the likelihood of your staff adopting new software.