NATIONAL REPORT—A Computerized Maintenance and Management System (CMMS) has the potential to help companies improve the way their manufacturing process impacts the environment around them in addition to ultimately decreasing their production costs. CMMS systems have the ability to track maintenance activities, the costs for the equipment that require maintenance, and work flow, but those are just the benefits on the manufacturing side. The environmental benefits provided by a CMMS make them very worthwhile for a manufacturing business to invest in.
Reduced Material Waste
The amount of materials used and wasted is tragically high in many industries. It is possible to reduce these totals by carefully tracking purchases, inventory, and maintenance. The role maintenance plays in waste reduction is often overlooked. However, it should be one of the key considerations in any environmental and sustainability planning. It is far better for the environment to maintain equipment properly than to replace it due to improper or infrequent maintenance. It is also better for the company’s profit margin.
Tracking inventory prevents items from not being used and repeating purchases. This reduces the energy expenditure required for shipping and production. Additionally, electronic tracking of inventory can greatly diminish the need to purchase resources such as paper and office supplies. A paperless office is far more environmentally friendly than one that sends vast amounts of shredded documents to a landfill each year.
Decreased Resource Consumption
The amount of energy and water consumed by any business is a serious environmental and financial concern. Companies are always looking for ways to reduce consumption, from using more energy efficient lights and equipment to implementing water conservation policies and technology. CMMS software can further help accomplish a reduction in overall consumption of energy and water.
This starts with an increased ability to effectively track the amount of water and energy being used over a predefined period of time. This allows for the comparison of current and historical usage which can provide insight into statistically different changes or trends over time. This can help identify when processes or equipment are becoming less efficient and facilitate responsive maintenance scheduling which can help rectify any spikes in usage and prolong the life of the equipment.
Equipment works more efficiently when it is properly maintained. An easy to understand example is car maintenance. Most drivers will notice an increase in the gas mileage of their vehicle in the weeks after their routine maintenance and oil change. That is because when a vehicle is properly maintained it works far more efficiently and uses gas more efficiently which increases the overall gas mileage by decreasing the gas consumed. With large manufacturing centers, the energy consumption is exponentially increased and the environmental impact can be substantial.
Environmentally responsible companies are pushing themselves to move beyond simply counteracting the negative impact of their daily business practices. Many have set goals to go beyond a net zero impact and become a force to help actively improve the state of the environment. CMMS software can help many companies accomplish this type of goal.
Good stewardship of the environment is not something that is simply trendy, nor is it something that only “green” companies need to focus on. It is a financially sound policy that will become increasingly necessary as resources become more limited and consumers continue to demand a strong sense of environmentalism from those they conduct business with.
