Why Hippo is one of the best CMMS Software options for SMEs

A recent study found that small and medium sized businesses constitute 90% of total employer businesses in the United States and Canada. While every business regardless of size and industry faces their own unique challenges, in recent years, small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are reported to be experiencing a pattern of operating struggles.  While some of these are resolved with quick fixes and better planning, other issues tend to be ongoing and in need of comprehensive and long term solutions. Some of the major struggles facing SMEs include among other things, systems and processes, productivity, measuring performance and tracking accountability.

Peter Drucker, known as the founder of modern business management once said, “What gets measured, gets done” when referring to a global view of company operations and activities. With this in mind, it appears that a mistake many SMEs are making is limiting their focus exclusively on measuring company performance solely by profits and revenue. While there is no doubt that profits and revenue are important metrics when measuring success and outcomes, there are other metrics to consider when measuring performance and identified through a process of trial and error and strategic planning.

In spite of the need to seek better measures of performance it is reported that almost 80% facility managers/supervisors still rely on spreadsheets, paper or other manual methods to track and organize data. In today’s competitive market, these methods fall short because they are time consuming, costly due to inaccuracies (i.e., almost 88% spreadsheets contain errors) and provide limited information about overall company operations. The solution for struggling companies is to find ways of identifying useful metrics to guide and improve overall performance and resolve the operational challenges they face. This is where Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) software comes into play.

For those new to CMMS software, they are highly sophisticated systems that utilize thousands of data points which at any given time, can provide a user an overview of a facility’s operation or alternatively, the status of an individual piece of equipment. Maintenance management software represent extremely powerful systems when used to their full potential. The CMMS software industry strives to remain on top of technology and industry changes by continually evolving and being more responsive to the ever-changing needs of their customers. Recent innovations in maintenance management software include secure cloud based interfaces, mobile device accessibility and paperless functionality that further increases ease of use. Because of these capabilities, the CMMS software market has witnessed a steep growth curve, especially during the past year. Maintenance management which was once a labor intensive exercise fraught with errors, can now be done automatically and on the go.