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THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES PRESS

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management


System (CMMS) Selection and Practices (2015)

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165 pages | 8.5 x 11 | PAPERBACK


ISBN 978-0-309-43248-1 | DOI 10.17226/22103

CONTRIBUTORS

GET THIS BOOK Pamela Bell, David Jividen, Ted Melnick, Marc Gartenfeld, and Emmy Tello;
Airport Cooperative Research Program; Transportation Research Board; National
Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Table of Contents
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................... 1

PART I: GUIDEBOOK ............................................................................................................................................ 2

CHAPTER 1: OVERVIEW ............................................................................................................... 2

Airport Computerized Maintenance Management Systems ............................................ 3

CMMS versus Enterprise Asset Management Systems...................................................... 5

CHAPTER 2: CMMS AT AIRPORTS ................................................................................................. 7

Current State of the Industry ............................................................................................ 7

Survey Results ................................................................................................................... 7

Case Studies .................................................................................................................... 13

Compliance Requirements .............................................................................................. 14

Budget and Business Case ............................................................................................... 15

System Integrations ........................................................................................................ 16

Hosted Solutions ............................................................................................................. 19

Custom Solutions versus Off-the-Shelf Software ............................................................ 20

Future of CMMS .............................................................................................................. 20

CHAPTER 3: ROLES AND STAKEHOLDERS ....................................................................................... 22

CHAPTER 4: AN APPROACH TO EVALUATING CMMS SOFTWARE ...................................................... 26

Step One. Choose CMMS Assets..................................................................................... 27

Step Two. Decide How To Manage the Selected Assets in the CMMS ........................... 28

Step Three. Identify Integrations.................................................................................... 29

Step Four. Analyze Workflow Management .................................................................. 31

Support for Future Enhancements and Features ............................................................ 35

Evaluation Tool Overview ............................................................................................... 37

CHAPTER 5: SELECTION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN AIRPORT CMMS............................................. 38

The Selection Process ...................................................................................................... 38

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The Implementation Process ........................................................................................... 41

CMMS Support for Part 139 Inspections and Reporting ................................................. 47

Post Implementation....................................................................................................... 48

PART II: APPENDICES ...................................................................................................................................... 50

APPENDIX A: GLOSSARY and RELATED ASSET MANAGEMENT TERMS............................................. A-1

APPENDIX B: CASE STUDY REPORTS ......................................................................................... B-1

APPENDIX C: CMMS EVALUATION TOOL – USER GUIDE ............................................................. C-1

APPENDIX D: CMMS FEATURE, FUNCTIONALITY, AND CAPACITY ..................................................D-1

APPENDIX E: FUNCTIONS CHECKLIST ........................................................................................ E-1

APPENDIX F: SAMPLE CMMS VENDOR ASSESSMENT MATRIX ...................................................... F-1

ii

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

List Figures & Tables


Figure 2-1 Survey Respondent Airport Types............................................................................................. 8
Figure 2-2 Survey Respondent Airport Sizes ................................................................................................. 8
Figure 2-3 Ease of Use Figure 2-4 CMMS Fit for the Airport ................................................................ 11
Table 2-1 Lessons Learned – Support Resources ........................................................................................ 12
Table 2-2 Lessons Learned – Planning & Procurement .............................................................................. 12
Table 2-3 Configuration & Maintenance Support....................................................................................... 13
Figure 2-5 Case Study Airports CMMS Benefits .......................................................................................... 14
Figure 2-6 Airport Operational Database.................................................................................................... 17
Table 3-1 Internal Stakeholders Roles ........................................................................................................ 23
Table 3-2 External Stakeholders’ Roles ....................................................................................................... 23
Table 3-3 Internal Stakeholders’ Roles during the CMMS Life cycle .......................................................... 24
Table 3-4 External Stakeholders’ Roles during the CMMS Life cycle .......................................................... 25
Figure 4-1 Step 1 – Determining and Prioritizing Assets............................................................................. 28
Table 4-1 Prioritization Scale ...................................................................................................................... 29
Figure 4-2 Analyze Existing Workflows ....................................................................................................... 32
Figure 4-3 Sign Replacement Procedure..................................................................................................... 32
Figure 4-4 Typical Workflow ....................................................................................................................... 33
Figure 4-5 Potential integrations for the workflow .................................................................................... 33
Figure 4-6 Simplified Work Dispatch........................................................................................................... 34
Figure 4-7 Simplified Work Details ............................................................................................................. 34
Table 4-2 CMMS Features and Capabilities Checklist Sample .................................................................... 36
Table 5-1 Vendor Assessment Matrix ......................................................................................................... 40
Table 5-2 Asset Data Example 1: Asset Data for Taxiway ........................................................................... 43
Table 5-3 Asset Data Example 2: Asset Data for Electrical Distribution System......................................... 43
Table 5-4 Sample Asset Hierarchy. ............................................................................................................. 44
Table B1-1: DFW Evaluation Summary ......................................................................................................B-5
Table B1-2: DFW Functional Components of Initial Implementation ........................................................B-5
Figure B1-1: Example of DFW Contractor Performance Report ................................................................B-7
Figure B1-2: Example of DFW Fleet Statistics Report. ...............................................................................B-8
Figure B1-3: Continuous Improvement and Expanded Use of CMMS Software .......................................B-9
Figure B2-1. Cityworks – Work Order Sample. ........................................................................................B-18
Figure B2-2. Cityworks – Logbook Entries Sample ...................................................................................B-18
Table B5-1. Airport Users of the CMMS...................................................................................................B-40
Table B5-2. Additional Modules...............................................................................................................B-40

iii

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

AUTHOR ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The research for this Guidebook was conducted by Ross & Baruzzini as the prime contractor, with the
assistance of cismatica, Barich, Inc., and Akadis, LLC. Pamela Bell of cismatica was the Principal Investigator
and primary author of the report. Contributing authors and researchers included David Jividen and Ted
Melnik of Barich. Marc Gartenfeld of Barich performed valuable editing and technical writing support.
Application development is attributed entirely to Emmy Tello of Akadis.

The study team would like to acknowledge the guidance provided by the ACRP 09-05 Project Panel. The team
thanks all the airports that responded to the survey and provided valuable information for this report. We also
thank the following case study airports and their vendor representatives, who provided data and information
valuable to the development of this document:

Dallas Fort Worth International Airport: Jennifer Harris – ITS Project Lead, Keith Pachuilo – SEAM
Manager, Ed Kitchen –SEAMS Coordinator, John Sutten – Sr. Programmer / Systems Analyst, Meryl Fisher
– Senior Database Analyst, Scott Sizemore – Airport Operations, Jim Hewitt – Airport Call Center, Dawn
Delaney – Airport Call Center Trainer

General Mitchell International Airport: Terry Blue, A.A.E. – Deputy Airport Director, Operations &
Maintenance, Timothy Pearson – GIS Coordinator, Kathy David – Airport Operations Manager, Jenny
Tremmel – Airport Control Center Operations, Phillip Crow – Airport Control Center Operations, Neal
Snyder – Electrical Shop, Tony Burger – Electrical Shop, Chris Lukas – Airport Maintenance Manager, Tim
Brown – Assistant Maintenance Supervisor, Ken Skowronski II – Airport Maintenance Supervisor, Holly
Ricks – Assistant Airport Landside Operations Manager , Jackie Boyd – Landside Coordinator, Ed Cyprian –
Landside Coordinator, Kenneth Hanney – Landside Coordinator, Mark Loach – AECOM Project Manager

Seattle Tacoma International Airport: Jennifer Mims – Senior Manager Asset Management & Logistics,
Aviation Maintenance, Valarie Johnson – Planning Supervisor, Aviation Maintenance, Brendalynn Taulelei
– Manager Business Systems, Aviation Maintenance, Krista Sadler – Manager Program Office, Information
& Communications Technology, Delmas Whittaker – Logistics Manager, Aviation Maintenance, Deb
Sorenson – Asset Manager, Aviation Maintenance, Kelsi Pothier – Business Systems Analyst, Aviation
Maintenance, Charles Goedken, C.M. – Manager International Operations, Airport Operations, Dave
Richardson – Airport Communications Center Duty Manager, Airport Operations, Terry Tucker –
Maintenance Manager Field Operations, Aviation Maintenance, David Sanchez – Veteran Fellow SMS
Project Coordinator, Airport Operations, David Crowner - Airport Operations Manager

Southwest Florida International Airport: Marvin Buford – Director of Maintenance Department, James
Hess – Agent, Airport Operations, James Furiosi – Senior Manager, Maintenance Department, Robert
Moreland – Air Traffic Controller, Angie Chestnut – CMMS Manager, Phillip Murray – Director,
Information Technology, Margaret Crame

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport: John Parrott – Airport Manager, Marilyn Burdick – IT
Manager, Martin Pezoldt – Database Analyst II, Jonel Schenk – Analyst/Programmer IV, Zaramie Lindseth
– Airfield Maintenance Manager, Larry Swanson – Facilities Manager, Richard Swoboda – Building
Maintenance Supervisor

Without the assistance of all of the above, this Guidebook would not have been possible.

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Abstract
This Guidebook documents and presents the results of a study of the CMMS practices in airports in the
US at the current time through surveys and case studies. It further delivers evaluation, selection and
implementation guidelines for use by airports of varied sizes and budgets. Features and capabilities of a
CMMS are outlined for reference during the selection process. Good implementation practices and
lessons learned from the research are presented to assist airports in their own implementation. The
findings of the study suggest that the preparation of the airport for an implementation should include an
extensive requirements definition process to assure that the software selection fits the airport’s needs, and
that the configuration of the software be tailored to suit the airport’s business processes.

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Airports are complex entities, with many diverse sets of assets including taxiways and runways, check-
in kiosks, fleets of vehicles, power grids and energy systems, security systems, mechanical systems,
computer systems, baggage handling systems, and signage, just to name a few. Keeping these vital assets
operational and spare parts storage at optimal service levels is a constant challenge. Airport Computer
Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) are tools used to help manage the large number and varied
types of airport assets. A CMMS can simplify and streamline maintenance operations by helping to
schedule work, maintain inventory levels, manage records, track history, and perform many other useful
functions to manage airport assets. There are many vendors of CMMS software and many available
options from which to make a selection. How does an airport know which one and what options to
choose?

With the assortment of features, functions, and capabilities of the CMMS and add-on components
available on the market, it can be an overwhelming task for airport staff to understand and evaluate the
best solution for their airport when selecting a CMMS that will work now and in the future. The choice
of the best CMMS for the airport is a question that drives this Guidebook. There is no best software and
no best option for every airport, since the most appropriate solution depends on an airport’s specific
needs. Until the airport defines those needs, it is impossible to know which software fits best. This
Guidebook is written to help airports understand their own requirements and then match them against
CMMS software to select the most suitable solution.

After an airport selects the CMMS to implement, the question of determining how the airport wants to
implement the CMMS needs to be addressed. Questions could include, for example, what assets does the
airport want to manage? How does the airport want to communicate data between the CMMS and the
procurement system? What about the scheduling system, financial systems? The implementation section
of the Guidebook addresses these and other issues, and sheds light on the decisions the airport needs to
make to carry out a successful implementation.

It is important to focus on the right factors for success in an implementation of this kind. To help
understand what those factors are, a survey and various case studies of airports that implemented CMMS
were conducted. Successful implementations of CMMS revealed factors that were commonly cited as
important to the implementation’s success. Lessons learned from those airports are cited in this report so
that other airports can learn from their experiences. Some of the observations from that research may be
surprising, including the fact that internal support, adequate budget and resource allocation, development
of requirements, and executive support all were considered more relevant than the specific functionalities
of a particular software package.

This Guidebook is accompanied by an evaluation tool and a User Guide to the tool. The evaluation
tool can be used to help airports define their requirements for a CMMS program. Those requirements can
be used in a Request for Proposal, other procurement efforts, or in an internal development/
implementation process.

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

PART I: GUIDEBOOK

Chapter 1: Overview

The objective of this Guidebook is to provide guidance to airport staff in selecting a Computerized
Maintenance Management System (CMMS) that best meets an airport’s individual needs, and in
successfully integrating it into airport processes, procedures, and other information technology systems.
An additional purpose of the Guidebook is to provide guidance for development and implementation of a
CMMS program and serve as a reference for the airport professional.

This Guidebook is intended to serve large, medium, and small airport audiences. It discusses
opportunities to achieve efficiencies and cost benefits of individual CMMS program components, as well
efficiencies and benefits of the implementation of a complete CMMS program. A complete full-featured,
integrated, CMMS program can be the right solution for a large airport; yet it might not be feasible for
smaller airports or budget-constrained airports. For those airports with limited budgets and/or resources,
the Guidebook provides assistance towards a suitable program start-up as well as with implementing
specific program components that can be beneficial given the airport’s unique situation. For those
airports that might choose to implement CMMS program components, the Guidebook provides guidance
for a phased approach towards a complete CMMS program as an ultimate goal. For example, it might be
advantageous for such an airport to begin accumulating asset data into an asset catalog as part of regular
maintenance activities.

The Guidebook defines the components of a CMMS program. It can assist the airport in making
informed decision about the feasibility of CMMS. Furthermore, the Guidebook intends to supply the
information that an airport professional would need to understand the concepts of CMMS, and to have a
high-level understanding of their issues and benefits.

Some key strategies are identified in the Guidebook with a special marker.

Key strategies will be identified with this marker. They may be stand-alone
initiatives with independent benefit, antecedents to a successful
implementation, or building blocks to implementing a larger-scale CMMS.

In addition, the Guidebook provides a review of current approaches to CMMS programs in practice at
airports. This includes considerations and decisions made during CMMS program selection and
implementation. Lessons learned from airports’ experience are included to help guide the CMMS
evaluation and implementation processes. Good CMMS implementation practices and benefits are also
included.

Finally, the Guidebook is accompanied by an Evaluation Tool and User Guide to help airports define
their requirements for a CMMS program to use in a Request for Proposal, other procurement efforts, or in
an internal development/implementation process.

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Airport Computerized Maintenance Management Systems


Maintenance planning and execution is a critical aspect of a facilities management organization within
an airport. Airports, in general whether large or small, have a substantial number of assets, many with
high dollar values. Managing the maintenance of these assets proactively protects them, allows planning
of resources to maintain them, and facilitates budgeting for replacement. A CMMS can track
maintenance activities, provide automation for activities and data exchange, and provide reporting for
executives. CMMS can include financial review and analysis for cost of asset maintenance and
replacement, physical tracking of the asset, and tools for maintaining data about the assets managed by
the CMMS.

Despite all that a CMMS can do for the airport, it is difficult for decision makers and maintenance
professionals at airports to plan a CMMS project. They need tools to help explain the benefits and costs,
provide an overview of CMMS, and provide guidance for the airport staff in selecting and integrating the
CMMS into airport processes, procedures, and other airport systems. This applies to airports of all sizes.
A small airport might not have the budget to do a CMMS implementation with the same scope and scale
as a large airport, but there are aspects of a CMMS that most airports can adopt.

Airports need guidance, not just on the selection, but also on how to implement a CMMS. Vendors
will imply that success depends on the software, yet there is evidence of successful (and not so
successful) implementations of each particular software commonly on the market. Therefore, the reasons
for success are probably not linked to a particular software. More likely, success is linked to the airport’s
understanding of how a CMMS fits within its maintenance practices and how the use of a CMMS can
improve those practices. It is also likely that implementation of a CMMS will cause changes within those
practices.

The potential for improvement in maintenance functions and processes, and in the ability to predict and
manage assets drive most airports towards an adoption of a CMMS. Many did so early in the history of
CMMS, replacing manual practices with some automation and better record keeping. Some of those
airports have moved to full asset management systems, taking benefit of life-cycle analysis and planning
for their resources. Many airports without budget and/or identified return on investment have not yet
done so. While a full-blown CMMS might not be economically feasible for some of those airports, many
could still benefit from a roadmap for a phased implementation of CMMS, or from specific modules from
a CMMS that meet budget and specific needs.

In general, the main driver for the successful adoption of technologies in airports is the need for
improvement of some element of the airport’s business. In the case of CMMS, these drivers would
include creating greater operational effectiveness, enhancing of preventive maintenance scheduling,
enhancing service delivery, optimizing asset life while minimizing asset cost, improving budgeting and
planning capabilities, enhancing resource management, minimizing downtime, increasing reliability,
enhancing environmentally sound operations, improving management decision-making, and enhancing
productivity.

In many cases, management of airport infrastructure is distributed across airport departments, with the
responsibility for assets also distributed, which in turn leads to the evolution of department-centric
systems and methodologies for maintenance programs. This is also likely to lead to duplication of efforts
across these departments. Generally, these department-centric stand-alone systems create the following
inefficiencies and problems within the airport:

• Separate silos of information are not shared with other airport departments
3

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Difficult information exchange among departments and systems


• Lack of timely coordination
• Applications which are difficult to support
• Redundant data entry for different systems
• Insufficient distribution of relevant data across departments and systems
• Impede establishment of standards within the airport
• Duplicate and non-standard physical infrastructures (e.g., servers, databases, networks, cable
plants, etc.)
• Lack of cost effectiveness in supporting multiple systems
• Difficulty in inter-departmental communications
• Difficulty in achieving common organizational goals
Department-centric systems also leave the airport without the “big picture” perspective of airport assets
and maintenance that is critical to operations and planning. The integration of these disparate systems
would allow the airport both an overview of the asset maintenance requirements and the detail to manage
each asset optimally. Airports need to create an integrated business process to support the integration of
CMMS programs.

From this, systems that might be considered for integration include: Geographic Information System
(GIS), Resource Management Systems (RMS), Common Use systems, Pavement Management Systems
(PMS), Gate Management Systems (GMS), Asset Information Management Systems (AIMS), Airport
Operational Databases (AODB), Automated Vehicle Identification (AVI) systems, runway incursion
systems, airfield systems, airport procurement and financial systems, airport capital planning systems,
airport safety systems, pavement maintenance systems, building management systems, Building
Information Management (BIM) systems, Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems,
airport help desk, airport Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems, human resources systems, other
airport back-office systems, and potentially all airport operational systems.

The Guidebook assists airports to determine which of these systems should be integrated to provide
optimal data use and the resulting efficiencies for their airport. The benefit of integrating each system
should be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, in order to produce a roadmap that allows the airport to
systematically approach integrations and make decisions about which ones have the required/desired cost-
benefit to support a decision for such an integration.

The airport will need to decide the level of application integration that is desired based on practicality
and budget? For example, GIS integration can pull information from underlying databases to spatially
display and visually analyze asset infrastructure. The level to which this is taken will drive the cost of
implementing GIS integration. The airport might want to click on a specific camera in a terminal map,
and see the maintenance history for that camera as well as its specification and upcoming preventive
maintenance.

An airport-wide CMMS program can allow airport executives a better insight into how the airport
maintains assets in real-time, and can enable the creation of real-time monitoring of key performance
indicators (KPIs). Convergence of the silos of information contained within departments is an essential
way for executives to reach into the departments’ information resources in order to better manage airport
assets from an overall airport perspective. Historical data can be analyzed to identify opportunities for
improvement and to develop a better ability to set and meet or exceed performance benchmarks, including
preventative maintenance and management of assets.

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

A challenge in implementation of an airport CMMS, as with any system, is cost. There are options,
which range from a custom system developed natively within the airport over time, implementation of
some modules of a full CMMS implementation, a "vanilla" implementation of a CMMS without
customization, to a full-scale off-the shelf and highly-customized CMMS. Each of these has advantages
and disadvantages. Budget and resources are factors in determining what kind of implementation will
work at any given airport. A full-scale off-the shelf and highly customized CMMS can be a multi-million
dollar expenditure. And the successful execution of a CMMS program requires many airport resources.

The dependency of a CMMS on a reliable asset catalog (also referred to as asset inventory or asset
dictionary) is vast. Some large airports have implemented airport-wide Asset Information Management
(AIM) systems. Some others have implemented custom solutions. But in all cases, an asset catalog is
critical to a successful implementation of a CMMS. Although a comprehensive asset catalog is needed to
manage all assets, most airports start with particular types of assets and include additional ones as their
program matures.

There is little in the current available literature about airport CMMS. However, efforts to identify and
locate relevant materials are currently underway in the airport and other industries, within organizations
such as the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), the Airports Council North America
(ACI-NA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), American Water Works Association (AWWA),
Institute of Asset Management (IAM), The Airport Association for Benchmarking (TAAB), and others.
Airports, obviously, also have investigated solutions to CMMS and are good sources of information for
this study.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) has an American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) subcommittee on asset management. The subcommittee supports a
Transportation Asset Management Today website, and the TRB sponsors a transportation asset
management conference. The National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) funded a
recently published report on Analytical Tools for Asset Management and another on An Asset-
Management Framework for the Interstate Highway System. These and other industry sources can
provide a wealth of information on asset management and CMMS that is considered for, or can be
extrapolated to, airports.

CMMS versus Enterprise Asset Management Systems


What is the difference between a CMMS and an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system?
CMMS have been in use for more than thirty years. Generally, a CMMS tracks the maintenance activities
and costs for assets. It can also track workflow and cost for maintenance activities. Typically, a CMMS
provides management of work orders, preventive maintenance, inventory, and asset history.

An EAM system includes those components as well as functionalities addressing inspection and
monitoring of assets. Monitoring is done with regular periodic condition assessments of the assets, and
the system attempts to maintain a desired level of service at the lowest life-cycle cost.

EAM systems can be defined as managing infrastructure capital assets to minimize the total cost of
owning, operating, and maintaining assets at acceptable levels of service. These systems touch the entire
organization and manage the interdependencies of maintenance, operations, asset performance, personnel
productivity, life-cycle costs, and capital planning.

A first step in any EAM plan is for an organization to conduct a needs assessment to understand what is
required to accomplish its asset management goals. In the past, many organizations managed their
5

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

activities by capital and operating expenditures found in their accounting systems. However, airports are a
capital “asset” intensive business, so they are “asset-centric” by definition because assets are central to
their business purpose. Just as with a CMMS, one of the first tasks for any EAM plan is compiling
existing assets into an inventory, an “asset catalog”. Both EAM and CMMS require a commitment to
maintain such an asset catalog.

CMMS can be the starting point for an airport EAM. CMMS planning
should include EAM as an eventual goal. Therefore, the CMMS program
should be structured with that in mind. One approach might be that an
airport procures an EAM software and only implements those modules
relevant to CMMS. The scope of the data required for an EAM includes the
total life-cycle cost of an asset, and not just its maintenance costs. The initial
cost data can be captured in the CMMS.

It is important for the airport to understand the long-term goal for the CMMS. If that goal includes a
full EAM system with life-cycle costs for assets across the entire airport, the procurement of the CMMS
should be approached with that goal in mind. Airport case studies, as provided in Appendix B, describe
the progress of five airports, two of which began a CMMS program and have evolved it into a full EAM
system.

Copyright National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.


Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Chapter 2: CMMS at Airports

There is only limited published information available at the time of this writing (both on the Internet
and in print) that addresses airport-specific implementations of CMMS. Most of the available literature
on CMMS evaluation and implementation, however, is general across industries, with much of the focus
on plant maintenance management. Some of the more recent studies are focused on best practices and
standards development for asset management. This leaves the airport operator without good guidance for
the specific issues and implications of maintenance management for airports, such as regulatory issues
concerning FAA regulations for Part 139 discrepancy maintenance and safety management requirements.
There are some resources on maintenance and asset management from the (ACI-NA), Operations and
Technical Affairs Committee. This committee meets twice a year at the ACI-NA Annual conference.
There are additional efforts by ACI-NA within the Business Information Technology Committee, who
also conducts conferences, including presentations focusing on asset and maintenance management.

A new international family of standards was published by the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO), superseding the British Standards Institute (BFI) Publicly Available Specification
(PAS) 55 in January 2014 for asset management standards. The ISO 55000 family of standards is the first
set of International Standards for Asset Management. It is comprised of:

• ISO 55000, which specifies an overview, concepts, and terminologies;


• ISO 55001, which defines the requirements for an asset management system; and
• ISO 55002, which provides an interpretation and implementation guide for the management
system.

Current State of the Industry


The content presented in this section is based on survey data received from selected airports in the first
phase of this project, as well as on the results from the case study research phase (see Appendix B for the
case study reports). Pertinent findings from the case studies and the survey are summarized here to
provide relevant information about current considerations in regard to evaluating and implementing a
CMMS.

Survey Results
The goal of the survey was to build a foundation for the development of this CMMS Guidebook and
the accompanying tool. The research was focused on the methods that airports currently use to
successfully select and implement a CMMS, as well as their lessons learned from their experiences. The
survey and the case studies collected data from airports of different types, sizes, and geographic diversity.

The survey indicated a great maturity in CMMS implementations in use at airports. Many of those
airports have incorporated not just asset maintenance functionality, but also FAA Part 139 inspections and
reports, in addition to safety management system capabilities within their CMMS. Although asset
management functionality has not yet been achieved very successfully in many CMMS implementations,

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

airports are, however, actively working towards asset management capabilities to effectively manage
assets through their life cycle, from selection to end-of-life.

Airport Profile
The survey was sent to hub, origin & destination (OD), and general aviation (GA) airports; small,
medium, and large airports; and airports located east and west of the Mississippi River. The sample was
not representative and it comprised about 2% of the more than 5,000 airports open to the general public in
the U.S. Thirty-four (34%) percent of the airports contacted responded to the survey. Figure 2-1, shows
the airport breakdown by type, whereas Figure 2-2 provides the breakdown by size.

Figure 2-1 Survey Respondent Airport Types Figure 2-2 Survey Respondent Airport Sizes

Data from the survey provided the following results:

• Of the responding airports, about half had a CMMS or Asset Management System. Of the
responding airports with a CMMS, 60% were large hub airports, indicating that budget and size
are likely predictors of the feasibility of implementing a CMMS. Only about 7% of the
responding large airports did not have a CMMS.
• Eighty-one percent (81%) of the responding airports that implemented a CMMS or Asset
Management Systems were Hub airports. Nineteen percent (19%) of these airports that
implemented a CMMS or Asset Management System were Destination airports.
• Fifty-nine percent (59%) of the Hub airports that reported implementing a CMMS or Asset
Management System were of Large size. Thirty-two percent (32%) of the Hub airports that
reported implementing a CMMS or Asset Management System were of Medium size. Nineteen
percent (19%) of the Hub airports that reported implementing a CMMS or Asset Management
System were of Small size.
• Ninety-three percent (93%) of the Large Hub airports reported implementing a CMMS. Seventy-
eight percent (78%) of the Medium Hub airports and 31% of the Small Hub airports reported
implementing a CMMS. Similar to the Small Hub airports, 29% of the Destination airports
reported implementing a CMMS.
• Of the airports that reported implementing a CMMS or Asset Management System: 35% began
their implementation in the last five (5) years; 26% of them started in the last five to ten (5-10)
years; and 39% began their implementations more than ten (10) years ago.
• The types of software implemented varied. Costs, therefore, ranged from less than $100,000 to
$2,000,000. The largest cost factor for many of the airports was identified as professional
services. It has been noted by responding airports that in addition to the initial software licensing

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

costs, budget should include training, annual maintenance, support, and license renewal fees. It
should also be noted that the reported costs did not include internal staff costs.
• Most airports reported more than 100 users of the CMMS. One of the smaller airports
responding to the survey reported more than 350 users of their CMMS. This is because of the
varied airport functions incorporated into their CMMS.

Evaluation
The survey asked the airports to list and evaluate the CMMS in use. A total of 15 different CMMS
software types were reported as implemented. Many different reasons, as listed below, were given for
choosing particular software. The reasons are presented in order of ranked importance:

• General functionality and features


• Price
• Ease of use
• Compatibility with hardware/operating system
• Integration with other software
• Availability of local support
• Ease of implementation
• General reputation of software and software vendor
• Availability of training
• Employs latest technology
• Compatibility with previous CMMS and/or Asset Management software
• Other
Under “Other”, these additional reasons were cited:

• GIS centric solution that worked well with the airport’s existing GIS
• Selection was influenced by or mandated by the airport’s prevailing authority (City or State
government)
• Ease of incorporation with NOTAMS and CFR 139 regulations
• Flexibility to use for multiple departments (Facility, Security, Safety, and Transportation)
• Requirements for maintenance of pavement funded by the Airport Improvement Program (AIP)

Cost of the Implementation


Almost half of the airports reporting that they implemented a CMMS or Asset Management System
used only internal staff for the implementation. These airports also reported lower costs for the
implementation, but did not report internal staff time as part of the cost.

The remaining airports used a consultant, a vendor, or both. Interestingly, only 70% of the respondents
reported that airport internal staff was involved in the implementation. Reported costs were typically
higher when airports used consultants and vendors.

About half of the reporting airports implemented the CMMS in a single phase; the others implemented
CMMS over multiple phases. In great part, airports that reported a multi-phase implementation tended to
have higher budgets, and they reported greater benefits from their CMMS. They also generally reported
managing more types of assets.

Note: No conclusion can be drawn about the relation of cost to multiple phases for airports that
developed a custom CMMS because of the previously stated lack of data for internal staff cost.
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The use of internal staff in implementation of a CMMS can delay other


projects that the airport might deem critical. That should be considered in
the decision to do the implementation with in-house staff or in getting some
additional assistance in the implementation.

Managed Assets
All of the airports that have implemented a CMMS or Asset Management System reported managing
the following facilities or pavement areas:

• Ramp Tower • Ramp Are


• Administration Buildings • Roadways
• Cargo • Runways
• Hangers • Taxiways
• Maintenance Facilities • Bridges
• Aircraft Parking
The following assets were maintained in the CMMS by some of the airports in the survey:

• Passenger Terminals • Elevated Bridges


• HVAC • Instruments
• Lighting • Information Technology
• Plumbing • Electrical Car Charges
• Electrical • Seawall
• Baggage • Janitorial
• Parking Garages/Lots • Assets
• Signage • Vertical Transportation
• Drainage • Ground Service Equipment
• Fuel Infrastructure • Boilers and Chillers
• Navaids • Automated and Roll-up Doors
• Utilities • Fire Suppression Systems
• Security • Alarm Notifiers
• People Mover Stations • Landscape
• Tanks • Buses for Rental Car Facilities and
• Communication Employees

Benefits from the Implementation


After CMMS implementation, airports stated benefits to the airport as a result. More than half of the
airports reported:

• Improved business intelligence / key performance indicators


• Improvements in equipment reliability
• Improved cost controls
• Improved spare parts control
• Reduction in labor costs
• Improvements in equipment availability
• Reduction in materials costs
• Reduction in other costs

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Ease of Use & Features and Functions


Airports rated the ease of use of their CMMS and the fit of the features and functions to the airport
similarly. This suggests that there might be a correlation between the two. The majority of the results
were midrange: satisfactory, good, or very good. Figures 2-3 and 2-4 show the results in percentages (%).

Figure 2-3 Ease of Use Figure 2-4 CMMS Fit for the Airport

Lessons Learned
Airports reported lessons learned from their implementations of CMMS in their survey responses.
They can be grouped into three categories:

• Initial support and resources needed, for those comments that impact the budgeting, critical
support, and initial strategies needed to get the CMMS program started,
• Planning, for those comments that impact the evaluation and procurement of the CMMS, and
• Configuration and ongoing maintenance support, for those that impact the implementation,
configuration and longer-term maintenance and support for the CMMS.

Tables 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 provide the lessons learned in regard to support resources, planning and
procurements, and configuration and maintenance support, respectively.

Initial Support and Resources Needed


Budget support is critical.
Strong executive management sponsorship is critical to the program’s success.
Senior management, sponsors, and subject matter experts buy-in is essential.
Buy-in and support from upper management is critical.
Be prepared to invest the time and money initially to upload airport assets into the system.
IT has to be dedicated to support software and hardware both during and after the implementation.
Establish a partnership between stakeholders: sponsors, subject matter experts, and the airport’s
technology services organization (IT).
A collaboration between senior management, technology services, and the end users will help insure the

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

best results.
Prepare user community for increased technology use.
Hire a consultant to assist in justifying the cost of the software.
Have open, clear, continuous communication with all stakeholders. Leave no one behind.
Invest in immersion training for implementation team prior to requirements gathering workshops.
Have business processes and resources in place before immersion training.
Table 2-1 Lessons Learned – Support Resources

The lessons learned cited from airports responding to the survey talk about
support from management and collaboration among stakeholders as key to
starting the CMMS program. Identifying program sponsors and selling
executive management on the benefits can be key to finding the budget
required for a CMMS implementation.

Planning and Procurement


Create a well-defined requirements document.
Determine how you plan to use the system—develop a use case.
Focus on asset data structure with reporting in mind.
Thoughtfully, map out an implementation plan that coincides with business process change management.
Develop a communication plan for stakeholder community.
Develop a strong implementation plan that meets the requirements of the airport.
Create policies and procedures within the application to support your organization’s processes.
Verify data maintenance routines to meet records retention needs.
Evaluate any new system thoroughly before procurement.
Ensure the Business drives the procurement and implementation, and that it is not done by solely by IT.
Knowing that you will be using the system for many years, ensure you have selected the right system for
the long haul. It is difficult to switch software mid-stream if the right selection is not made initially.
Make the implementation user friendly and ensure it will suit your users’ individual needs.
Carefully select data fields for the assets.
Spend the time on a good implementation plan with buy-in and feedback from end users.
Select a competent vendor/consultant partner committed to a successful implementation.
Table 2-2 Lessons Learned – Planning & Procurement

Requirements for a CMMS are developed during the planning phase of the
project. While it is possible to embark on a CMMS implementation without
adequate planning, many organizations find that the outcome is not what was
expected. Establishing the airport’s specific requirements is key to achieving
the hoped-for goals of CMMS implementation.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Configuration and Maintenance Support


It is important to consider the needs of management, work control and technicians in the implementation.
The software must be capable of being tailored for each, and the configuration should be adapted for ease
of use by each group.
Ensure that the implementation team has CMM/EAM implementation expertise - we hired a consultant to
assist us.
Include ongoing technical support in the procurement.
Be prepared to dedicate personnel to maintain inventory control.
Seize opportunities where CMMS can be leveraged into other areas of the enterprise.
Dedicated personnel will be required to manage the system on a daily basis.
Select a knowledgeable and competent vendor to assist with upgrades.
User training is critical.
Use your airport’s data for end-user training instead of using a generically configured system. It will help
if the users are familiar with the assets and processes they are being trained on.
Airports must be willing to invest the time required to administer the system in order to maximize its
potential.
Table 2-3 Configuration & Maintenance Support

It should not be forgotten to plan the resources needed to maintain the system after it
is implemented. That includes maintenance cost and staff to manage the application.
Not just IT staff, but an airport should plan for system administrators to manage new
users, new requirements definitions, including new assets, and system improvements.

Case Studies
Case study airports were chosen for their diversity, as well as for a successful CMMS implementation.
Two of the airports have implemented IBM Maximo, a small and a large airport to illustrate the
differences were chosen. Another large airport implemented Infor EAM. Two additional medium-sized
airports were chosen: one developed a custom solution; the other implemented Cityworks, a GIS centric
system usually regarded as a solution for cities instead of for airports. The airports chosen were
geographically diverse: located on the east coast, west coast, and in the country’s midsection. The airports
included two southern airports, a far north airport, a northwest airport, and a central airport. All except one
were hub airports. The geographic diversity was considered to add both cultural and climate diversity to
the case study effort.

The airports selected for case studies were:

• Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport


• General Mitchell International Airport
• Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
• Southwest Florida International Airport
• Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
The case study reports are presented in Appendix B. No assessment on the suitability of a particular
software is included in these reports. The success of the implementation of the CMMS at any airport does
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

not seem related to the particular software chosen, but on other factors including the successful definition
of requirements, the airport’s support for the system, and the right resources on the implementation and
maintenance team. The case study airports reported more significant benefits overall than the larger pool
of airports. The only CMSS implementation that was expected, but not achieved, was a reduction in
materials costs. Figure 2-5 shows the benefits achieved from CMMS implementation as reported by these
airports.

Figure 2-5 Case Study Airports CMMS Benefits

Of particular interest to this Guidebook is the fact that three of the five case study airports used the
CMMS across multiple departments utilizing workflow to automate processes. Part 139 reporting is
automated in two of the airports, eliminating manual reporting and duplicate data entry and providing
electronic records for FAA inspection through the CMMS. In two of the airports, some safety
management system functions are also incorporated in the CMMS. One of the airports has integrated the
airport GIS with CMMS. Four airports are using mobile tools.

Compliance Requirements
There are many regulatory requirements on U.S. airports from federal, state, and local governments.
While state requirements vary across the U.S., federal requirements are imposed primarily by the FAA
certification of airports, and secondarily by the requirement for grants received under the Airport
Improvement Program funds. Additionally, there are compliance regulations from the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The costs of
complying with these regulatory requirements impact both airport capital and operating costs.
Maintenance records play a large part in compliance and reporting requirements to these agencies. These
agencies (primarily the FAA) provide some funding for new regulatory initiatives, but ongoing
compliance costs typically are the responsibility of the airport. Although not all regulations have impacts
on maintenance of assets, the record keeping inherent in a CMMS can be leveraged to address many of
these regulatory requirements.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The CMMS system can be a tool in the Part 139 compliance by providing maintenance records for the
inspection reports. Two of the case study airports have achieved FAA approval of automated inspections
reporting by integrating their CMMS systems that have other data needed for the reports. The automated
inspections reports save time and provide accurate records to document the airports’ compliance.

An FAA’s anticipated circular will mandate airports to implement safety management systems (SMS).
An SMS can also be integrated with a CMMS to provide maintenance data for assets involved in
incidents. Again, some of the case study airports have already initiated workflow within their CMMS to
assist in compliance with the airport’s risk management plan and the anticipated regulation. Airports
considering an SMS implementation may want to include integration language in any SMS procurement.

Budget and Business Case


Implementing a CMMS can enable an airport to manage assets more efficiently, saving time and
money. A well-researched business case can help persuade the budget-makers at the airport of the benefits
of CMMS software and its utility for the airport. Many of the reasons that an airport might want a CMMS
are not directly related to cost. A good strategy for a business analysis is to begin with a discussion of the
role of the maintenance department and its responsibilities at the airport. Then it should be discussed
where improvements can be made by implementation of a CMMS, such as:

• Increased efficiency of the maintenance work order response times


• Improved planned maintenance scheduling
• Optimized asset life by better preventive maintenance
• Administrative savings by elimination of manual processes
• Improvements in contractor and SLA management
• Longer asset life because of better maintenance
• Better reporting
• Better risk management
• Improved stock control
• Improved facility scheduling
• Fewer breakdowns because of better maintenance
• Reduction in overtime costs because of fewer breakdowns
For each item in the list an airport should be specific about how the CMMS will help improve it.
Included should be an assessment of the Impact that continuing “business as usual” will have, as a
contrast to the outline of improvements that the CMMS implementation will give. In addition, a cost
benefit analysis should include costs for the CMMS implementation and the savings expected from the
implementation of CMMS software. The cost components should include:

• Infrastructure
• End-devices (including mobile devices)
• Software purchase
• License costs (whether per seat, concurrent users, or enterprise licensing)
• Ongoing support costs
• Annual or monthly subscription costs
• Data migration costs
• Configuration and customization of the software
• Internal staff costs for system administration and management
• Training costs

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Consulting costs
While the costs of the CMMS implementation are possible to estimate, it is sometimes difficult to get
good estimates for configuration, data migration and customization costs. Assigning dollar values to
benefits is even more difficult. The benefits are often intangible and provide efficiencies that are difficult
to quantify. In addition, the benefits are often improvements in capabilities that have no direct cost
benefit, but provide the ability to better manage the airport and its assets. For example, a calculation on
the time that can be saved through elimination of redundant data entry and automation of manual steps can
be quantified, but the improvement in an airport executive’s ability to gauge performance through the use
of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) is not.

To calculate a return on investment, these values will need to be determined. That is commonly done
by taking the your reduction in maintenance costs, subtracting the cost of your CMMS and dividing the
result by the cost of your CMMS. The reduction in maintenance costs might include:

• Any quantifiable savings based on extending asset life


• Resource efficiencies due to decreased downtime
• Energy usage improvements due to proper maintenance
• More efficient scheduling of work force
• Less waste in inventory

A business case should state the business objectives for a CMMS implementation, summarize the costs
and benefits, give recommendations and explain the criteria for them, and provide the next steps towards
the goal. The analysis might conclude with steps and benefits beyond the initial implementation of a
CMMS, including automation of work processes with an integrated CMMS. Citing examples of other
airports’ improvements might also be effective.

System Integrations
A general definition of systems integration is to combine elements (data or processes) of one system
with elements of another system. The result is an enhanced system with subsystems (the original systems)
that provide improved functionality over the original independent systems.

Integration of a CMMS with other systems should be undertaken as part of


a phased approach to implementation. It is important to get the CMMS up
and running, configured properly and stable before integrating it to other
systems. This approach simplifies troubleshooting of problems that might
arise during each phase.

An airport can realize benefits by sharing information between a CMMS and other airport systems.
Systems integrations can provide additional functionality and eliminate redundant processes. Some
benefits of systems integrations might include:

• Time savings by elimination of redundant data entry into multiple systems


• More accurate data by eliminating errors caused by redundant data entry
• Better information by the accumulation of additional data
• Streamlining of workflow by allowing processes to continue between systems
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Improve capabilities of the independent systems


• Eliminate unnecessary paper flow
• Decrease the average time it takes to execute standard processes
• Streamline and improve reporting processes
• Improve the ability to audit data through verification from multiple sources
• Reduction in resources to process data
• Reduction in time to process data
• Increased confidence in data received
• Potential reduction in time to report data
• Improvement in ease of reporting data
• Improved accuracy in financial analyses and reporting
There are two standard approaches to systems integration. The first is to execute a system that
interfaces directly with other airport systems. Often large software packages, including CMMS software,
will have interfaces already built for other kinds of software that are usually interfaced with the CMMS,
like financial, procurement, or scheduling packages. This can be convenient, even though it adds to the
cost of the CMMS. A vendor-supplied interface has the additional benefit that the vendor is responsible
for updating the interface when the software package versions change.

A second approach to systems integration is to implement a central storage for data that interfaces
independently to each system. Often, airports implement a centralized data store to consolidate data
collected by administrative and operational systems at the airport for sharing and analysis. To take
advantage of the available large amount of data, it can be stored in a central storage location. Sometimes
that central storage location is an Airport Operational Database (AODB). The AODB is a source for the
collection, storage, and distribution of key airside and terminal information across an airport. Data in the
AODB can then be used to feed other systems that require the same data, as well as provide business
intelligence for airport executives and managers. An AODB can be used to store data from unrelated
systems, as shown in the system block diagram in Figure 2-6.

Figure 2-6 Airport Operational Database

Figure 2-6 illustrates only a few of the systems that could be integrated with a CMMS. Additional
beneficial integrations that might include:

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Geographic information system (GIS) • Airfield lighting system


• Operations inspections application • Building management system
• Fueling system • Inspection application (to manage general
• Financial software and Part 139 inspections)
• Purchase requisition system • Safety management system
• Lease management system • Scheduling system
• Inventory system • Property management system
• Security access system • Pavement management system
• Facility management system • Other CMMS system
• Baggage handling system • Inventory control system
• Payroll system • Automatic vehicle identification system
• Resource management system • Computer-aided dispatch systems
• Gate management system • Electronic log books
• Common use systems • Incident management systems
• General ledger updates • Any other system at airports that hold or
• Human resources system use data about assets
• Time and labor system
Data integrations with CMMS should use standards and best practices identified in the larger context of
aviation data systems to facilitate data sharing between other systems and the CMMS. The data that is
used by each system will need some translation from one system to another. An interface between the
two systems will provide that translation. For example, seconds may be represented to one decimal place
in a system requiring precise timekeeping; however in systems that do not require such precision, seconds
may be represented as whole numbers. An interface control document should be developed that records
the communications protocols, the data exchanged, and other relevant information about the
communications between two systems. This interface control document will be needed as reference for
any updates to the interfaces between the systems that are integrated.

CMMS integrations can provide a more thorough, accurate, and automated maintenance management
solution as has been demonstrated in some airports. Those airports have expanded the system capabilities
of their CMMS to automate Part 139 inspections reports, procurements, safety reporting, and scheduling
based on data from the CMMS. Additionally, as airport’s integration of its GIS with its CMMS can
provide an ease of use for airport users of the CMMS that leads to greater use of the system by airport
staff. It could be advantageous to integrate the CMMS with a property management system that is used to
track airport rental space. Interface to the property management system can allow the airport to track
maintenance of items for lessees. The integration might be particularly useful if done in conjunction with
GIS integration, which would view the property management system data. Another potential integration
for CMMS is an integrated document management solution to store operator’s manuals and maintenance
manuals for assets.

In the case study reports in Appendix B, all the airports had integrated, or planned to integrate, other
systems with their CMMS. Some of the airports have already extensive integrations. Part 139 report
automation, GIS integration, requisition system integrations, scheduling system integrations, and safety
incident reporting are among the airport-specific integrations cited in the case study reports.

Centralized maintenance planners may be employed to optimize resourcing. If scheduling will be done
in a third-party software, that can also be integrated with a CMMS. More efficiency between shops in the
maintenance department, as well as within particular crews, can be achieved by using centralized

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

scheduling. Centralizing the reporting structure for the maintenance planners will make integration,
standardizing of processes, and sharing resources between the shops essential.

Hosted Solutions
A hosted solution is a software delivery model in which software and associated data are centrally
hosted in the cloud by independent software vendors or application service providers (ASPs). Hosted
solutions are also referred to as Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). SaaS is typically accessed by users using a
web browser or a client application that is installed on a local computer. SaaS has been a significant
software deployment and delivery model for most of the leading enterprise software companies.

CMMS software is available as hosted solution from a number of vendors. There are both advantages
and disadvantage of using a hosted solution for CMMS. A hosted solution can provide a quick
implementation of a full-featured CMMS with a low up-front cost. This is particularly advantageous to an
airport needing most or all of the features of a CMMS, but with a smaller budget and small staff to
support the software. And with a hosted solution, the airport does not have to procure and manage the
hardware or the software. Many hosted CMMS solutions also offer mobile applications that run on smart
phones and tablets.

In marketing hosted solutions, vendors claim better reliability, better security, and better performance
than airports can provide internally. That can be the case if airports are not rigorous in their own
technology performance. However, hosted solutions are generally located in data centers with the ability
to provide the a level of service that will meet the most stringent performance and security requirements.

When discussing a hosted CMMS solution with vendors, airports should not
forget to involve the IT department, or a consultant to talk about the technical
details. It’s not just the features that matter. The details can make or break
the implementation. For example:
• Are there redundant computing platforms co-located at data center?
• How will the vendor implement integrations of other systems with the CMMS?
• Are there different environments for production, development, training?
• Is there frontline user support 24/7?
• How often does the vendor do database back-ups?
• Do your users have unlimited connect time?
• What are the service level agreements for availability and performance? And
what are the specific penalties for not meeting those SLAs?
• Who does the user and license administration?
The biggest disadvantage of a hosted CMMS is the dependence on an Internet connection for access to
the CMMS software and database. The retrieval time for data will be slower than if the CMMS were on
servers at the airport, no matter how fast the airport’s Internet connection might be. In addition, there is
always some possibility that the Internet connection will fail, or will become degraded, impacting the
performance of the CMMS. Slow performance can greatly affect the acceptance of the CMMS
application by users.

It is important, when selecting a hosted CMMS, to discuss the vendor’s


capability of integrating other applications with it. Some vendors provide
good interfaces to allow integration with other airport systems. Airports
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should identify the systems to be interfaced up front and ask if the vendor has
interfaces to those systems.

Custom Solutions versus Off-the-Shelf Software


Some airports have developed custom solutions to CMMS. In great part, custom solutions arise
organically, over time, without an understanding of the overall airport requirements for an enterprise-wide
CMMS solution. These custom solutions have advantages and disadvantages. In the best cases, the
custom-developed solution fits the airport’s needs because it was developed for very specific
circumstances. The ability for an airport to develop custom software also implies a competence within the
organization in software development, so the custom software may be very well integrated into both
airport processes and other airport applications. A custom application as discussed in Case Study Report
5 in Appendix B, was driven by specific needs and is very well adapted to the airport’s processes.

Building a complete full-featured CMMS from scratch is a large task. If that


is the desired, needed solution, a custom CMMS is not likely to be the right
choice. It is much more likely that customization of an off-the-shelf CMMS
will be more economical.

In other cases cited by surveyed airports without a CMMS, development of partial solutions using
spreadsheets, checklists, and email contribute to their ability to manage assets. The transition to an off-
the-shelf software can be aided by these efforts in that records of work and assets can often be imported
directly into an off-the shelf system thereby retaining much of the history that is useful in determining
life-cycle and predictive maintenance.

The disadvantages of a custom solution are usually in the maintainability of the software because
documentation, both at the system level and for the users, can be overlooked due to workload for the
development team. Maintaining integrations with other applications can also be problematic when other
applications are upgraded, requiring adaptation of the custom software. Another disadvantage of custom
software, stemming from the usual lack of documentation, is the reliance on specific individuals for
maintenance and support of the software. However, for airports without budget for a commercial CMMS,
custom software can provide benefits that can also be accrued from an off-the-shelf software package.

Future of CMMS
The direct evolution of a CMMS for an airport is to apply the data that exists within that CMMS to
promote life-cycle management of the airport’s assets. However, there are other trends to watch when
evaluating and implementing a CMMS. If these fit the needs of the airport, it would be beneficial to plan
for them when evaluating and implementing a CMMS. Some future trends include:

• Coupling of CMMS with asset on-board diagnostics as assets become more intelligent
• Integrations with systems to improve work flow and provide better situational awareness
• The need for reliable maintenance and facility data to achieve and maintain LEED and other
sustainability certifications
• The use of CMMS tools to analyze which tasks, processes, or functions to outsource
• Mobile applications for CMMS. Work orders is the leading mobility application in use
• Better adoption of CMMS by newer workers who are more digitally savvy

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Business intelligence to evaluate performance, efficiencies and areas for improvement


• Better tracking and reporting
• Hosted solutions for smaller or budget-constrained airports
• Support for regulatory compliance with maintenance records

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Chapter 3: Roles and Stakeholders

Today’s airports are large-scale facilities comprised of complex systems and many types of
infrastructure, including buildings, bridges, seawalls, underground utilities, mechanical systems, electrical
systems, baggage handling systems, plumbing systems, drainage, roadways, vehicle fleets, and many
other diverse assets. It is inefficient to manage these many types of assets in traditional manual methods
with the vast amounts of asset data required to do so. Maintenance management systems built on
databases are well suited to manage the volume of data associated with maintenance activities. High cost
labor and decreasing availability of resources exacerbate the issues for airport maintenance managers. The
incentive for a CMMS for maintenance managers is clear, but there are other stakeholders within the
airport for CMMS.

This section identifies the CMMS stakeholders and describes their functions and their involvement in
the CMMS evaluation, selection, and implementation processes. Airports are similar to other large-scale
facilities, however, they have the added responsibility of needing to provide a safe environment for the
millions of passengers who pass through these facilities each year.

Thus, while the roles and stakeholders for an airport CMMS are similar to the roles and stakeholders
for a CMMS for any large-scale facility, the airport facility, as an open environment, can be subject to a
higher level of scrutiny and oversight. One difference is the immediacy of safety issues at an airport;
hence a more focused approach to situations that can pose potential dangers to the traveling public and
work staff exists. Airports have the additional requirement of compliance with FAA Part 139 rules to
retain certification.

In the airport environment, typical stakeholders of the CMMS can be divided into two groups: internal
and external. Tables 3-1 and 3-2 provide typical roles for both internal and external stakeholders,
respectively, although specific roles may vary from airport to airport.

Internal
Organizational Role
Stakeholders
Deploy, manage, and account for the results and effectiveness of the CMMS.
Airport Facilities
This group has access to the skill sets needed to perform the work orders needed
Maintenance
at the airport.
Acquisition of new assets and the commissioning of new facilities. Data from
these activities are needed to populate the CMMS so that these new assets can be
Airport Construction
managed properly. This group will enforce the airport policies, procedures, and
standards needed to keep the CMMS data up to date and accurate.
Assurance of safety at the airport. This includes proscribed inspections,
Airport Operations regulated reporting requirements, activity logs, and due diligence. Initiate work
orders to the CMMS and utilize historical information for reporting purposes.
Integrate information sources and assure quality of data, timeliness of
Airport Information information, accuracy and availability of the system. The CMMS in an airport
Technology environment will be active 24 hours a day 7 days a week. High availability and
support is crucial for the successful operation of an airport CMMS.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Internal
Organizational Role
Stakeholders
Group responsible for accurate recording and portrayal of cost information
related to the operation of the airport maintenance function. Cost information
Airport Finance &
gathered in the CMMS must be processed carefully for the airport rates and
Accounting
charges process in order to assess airlines as part of operating and maintenance
expenses.
Airport Business & Group responsible for management of airport property spaces for lease to tenants
Property and other revenue sources. Accurate understanding of the levels of maintenance
Management and costs associated to facilities factor into the calculation of the lease rates.
Group responsible for the future layout of the airport, the planning function
Airport Planning would be supplemented with accurate maintenance and cost information
associated to the current facility layout in order to determine future requirements.
Group responsible for the tracking and the remediation of environmental
concerns particularly as they relate to the facilities. The CMMS provides a
Airport
record of maintenance to areas that may be affected by environmental mandates,
Environmental
particularly for asbestos locations and areas that have underground
environmental plumes to manage.
Group responsible to deal with potential liability issues arising from accidents
Airport Legal and and accusations of insufficiently maintained assets. The CMMS should provide
Risk Management accurate accounting of ongoing maintenance schedules; preventive and well as
reactive that is compliant to a prescribed industry accepted schedule.
Table 3-1 Internal Stakeholders Roles

External
Organizational Role
Stakeholders
Airport travelers are stakeholders in the sense that they are affected by how well
Traveling Public the airport is able to maintain its facilities in a safe manner. The traveling public
is the reason that an airport exists in the first place.
Group responsible for the direct oversight of safety and proper procedure
Government execution particularly in the airside operating areas of the airport. FAA
Regulators mandates are minimum requirements necessary to operate the airport for
certification purposes and best practices.
Group that provides materials and equipment to the airport. Historical
experiences, reliability records, warranty applications, and expected life cycles
Airport Vendors
that are all managed within a CMMS in part determine specifications needed by
the airport.
Group that can initiate and demand service requests that are contractually
obligated from the airport by virtue of the relationship. Tenants will track
Airport Tenants
requests and are affected by any assessed charges that may arise from a work
order request.
Group that is contracted by the airport as an extension of the services being
provided and subject to oversight by the airport for compliance to the contracts
Contracted
and any service level agreements that may be in place. A contracted company
Companies
will have a connection to the CMMS if their contract demands services that are
dispatched through work orders that are either reactive or preventative in nature.
Table 3-2 External Stakeholders’ Roles

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

With respect to CMMS evaluation, selection, and implementation, each stakeholder has specific roles
at various stages in the CMMS project. These stages are defined as:

• Define requirements (evaluate)


• Select a solution
• Implement a solution
• Maintain and support the solution (post implementation)
Tables 3-3 and 3-4 use a RACI matrix (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed) matrix to
define roles for the stakeholders in a CMMS project. This is a common methodology used to assign roles
within a team to clarify responsibilities. In the RACI matrix, for each stage of the project, every
stakeholder is assigned to be accountable, consulted, responsible, or informed for the work in that stage.
The terms accountable, consulted, responsible, and informed are defined as:

• Responsible – Those who do the work to achieve the task.


• Accountable – The person or role ultimately answerable for the correct and thorough completion
of the specific deliverable or task, and the one who delegates the work to those who are
responsible.
• Consulted – Those whose opinions are sought, typically subject matter experts. There is a two-
way communication between the consultants and the project’s responsible staff.
• Informed – Those who are kept up-to-date on progress, often only on completion of the task or
deliverable. There is generally just a one-way communication to those informed.
In addition to the RACI assignments, certain stakeholders are considered primary in a role while others
are considered secondary. The assigned responsibilities for the CMMS by stakeholder for each stage are
shown in Tables 3-3 and 3-4.

Define Implement Support


Internal Stakeholder Select Solution
Requirements Solution Solution
Airport Facilities Primary Primary Primary Primary
Maintenance Accountable Accountable Accountable Accountable
Airport Construction Consulted Consulted Informed Consulted
Secondary
Airport Operations Consulted Informed Informed
Accountable
Airport Information
Responsible Responsible Responsible Responsible
Technology
Airport Finance &
Consulted Consulted Informed Informed
Accounting
Airport Business &
Consulted Consulted Informed Informed
Property Management
Airport Planning Consulted Consulted Informed Informed
Airport Environmental Consulted Consulted Informed Informed
Airport Legal and Risk
Consulted Consulted Informed Informed
Management
Table 3-3 Internal Stakeholders’ Roles during the CMMS Life cycle

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Define Implement Support


External Stakeholder Select Solution
Requirements Solution Solution
Traveling Public Consulted n/a n/a n/a
Government Regulators Consulted n/a n/a n/a
Airport Vendors Consulted n/a n/a Informed
Airport Tenants Consulted n/a n/a Consulted
Contracted Companies Consulted Informed Informed Consulted
Table 3-4 External Stakeholders’ Roles during the CMMS Life cycle

While it is important to have active participation from stakeholder groups across the airport, it is also
relevant to consider the impact of the optimal size of the stakeholder group. Smaller groups tend to take
less time to organize and act more quickly. Larger groups allow more representation and allow the work
of the group to be spread among more staff. Although there will most likely be a minimum number of
staff required to represent all stakeholder groups, it is important to keep the group size in mind when
forming the stakeholder committee. A good rule of thumb is that ten to fifteen members is a manageable
committee size.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Chapter 4: An Approach to Evaluating


CMMS Software

This section introduces a suggested evaluation approach to choosing a CMMS. This approach does not
begin with looking at the software packages available on the market, but starts with identifying the
requirements for a CMMS. It focuses on identification of the airport’s needs so that software can be
matched to fit those needs. The airport should first identify the assets to manage, determine what asset
data will be managed, identify features needed in the CMMS, and then determine anticipated support for
future enhancements. This evaluation approach is implemented in the CMMS Evaluation Tool
accompanying this Guidebook. A User Guide for this tool is provided in Appendix C. Following the
steps discussed in this section will give the airport a roadmap to evaluate CMMS software solutions. But
first, it is important to assemble the team of stakeholders discussed in Chapter 3 and devise a plan to
evaluate CMMS requirements.

The airport manages assets across many categories including facilities, airfield, fleets, pavement,
systems, airside structures, and landside structures. A CMMS that can be used for the variety of asset
types will be required if the airport decides to manage all its assets with the CMMS. If an airport decides
to manage only one type or a limited number of types of assets, a system that is specifically designed for
that kind of asset type might be a better choice. Therefore, the first step in evaluating a solution is to
identify the assets that will be managed by the airport.

By limiting the requirements for a CMMS to specific types of assets, the


initial cost of the CMMS implementation can be substantially reduced. That is
true even if the software costs are not lower, because the configuration and
implementation costs scale to both the type and number of assets to be
managed. So it is important to have a list of required assets for management,
as well as a list of assets that might be managed in a later phase. The software
chosen must meet the long-term need for capabilities, but the initial cost will
only include cataloging the required assets and configuring the software to
manage those assets.

This is an important aspect for airports with limited budgets. It is possible that a small airport might only
choose to implement a CMMS for its fleet of vehicles, for example. While the airport will not enjoy the
benefit of a full-featured CMMS program, there are benefits to be gained from any limited implementation
of a CMMS.

It is also likely that most airports already have a pavement management system and will not choose to
include pavement management in the requirements for their CMMS. Since January 1, 1995, airports have
been required to have an effective pavement management system, if they accept AIP funds for pavement
replacement or reconstruction. The required pavement management systems has only four basic elements:

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• A pavement inventory with dimensions, locations, and maintenance history of the airport’s paved
surfaces.
• An inspection schedule with detailed annual assessments and monthly drive-by observations.
• Inspection records with dates, findings, locations of pavement distress, and remedial actions.
• A method to retrieve data at FAA request.
Two pavement management systems that were developed under contract with the Army Corps of
Engineers are Micro-PAVER and PAVEAIR. They have been implemented broadly at airports and fulfill
these basic requirements.

The following sections address the four asset selection steps for purposes of determining the best CMMS
solution for the airport. These steps are:

 Step One: Choose the Assets to Manage in the CMMS


 Step Two: Decide What Management Functions to Incorporate into the CMMS
 Step Three: Identify Initial Integrations
 Step Four: Analyze Workflow to Incorporate into the CMMS

Step One. Choose CMMS Assets


To determine the best CMMS solution, the airport should begin by choosing which assets they want to
accumulate into an asset catalog for management in the CMMS, and the functions that a CMMS is to
support in management of those assets. The list of categories of assets that are managed by CMMS at
airports can be found in the Managed Assets Section of Chapter 2. For each of those categories of assets,
the airport will decide what functions to include in the evaluation criteria for the CMMS. That first step to
defining requirements for a CMMS not only catalogs those assets and their functions, but also prioritizes
them. The process flow for this first step is shown in Figure 4-1.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Figure 4-1 Step 1 – Determining and Prioritizing Assets

Step Two. Decide How To Manage the Selected Assets in the CMMS
After identifying the asset categories in Step One, now in Step Two an airport should identify how the
airport wants to use the CMMS to manage the assets. CMMS functions that can be used to manage assets
include:

• Work orders
• Preventive maintenance
• Condition assessments
• Condition-based maintenance
• Inventory management of spare parts and supplies used in maintenance
• Information database for suppliers of spare parts
• Tracking maintenance for work through other entities (outside contractors, other departments, other
organizations within the state, city, etc.)
• Documentation of warranties
• Work Scheduling
• Maintenance cost history
• Chargebacks – cost for parts, labor, asset use, and contractors
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Reliability and cost history (Track outages and costs by work order; by machine; by department)
• Resource scheduling
• Reporting, with rollups by system and/or by facility
• Mobile applications

For example, if an airport decides to manage passenger-loading bridges with its CMMS, it should then
determine which of the functions in the list are required to manage the passenger-loading bridges at the
airport. Perhaps chargebacks are not needed. Work orders, however, are probably needed for all asset
categories.

The airport should then have a list of assets to manage and the related management functions. Budgets,
time, and resources may limit the scope of the implementation, so prioritization of the list of assets and
functions is important.

A prioritization scale should be chosen for selecting the functions that an airport wants to manage in a
CMMS implementation. A possible four-tiered scale is shown in Table 4-1.

High Mission critical requirement


Medium Required eventually but could wait
Low A enhancement that would be nice to have when resources permit
NR Not required
Table 4-1 Prioritization Scale

It should be noted, that alternately, it might be advantageous to the airport to prioritize based on planned
phases of implementation. Assets to be included in the first phase would have high priority, assets to be
added in phase two would have medium priority, assets in later phases would have low priority. Assets that
are not planned for inclusion within the expected implementation phases (and budget) would not be
required.

Primary functions of a CMMS include the various functions listed earlier. Appendix E provides a detailed
checklist showing all primary functions grouped by asset types. In this checklist the airport should prioritize
functions to implement for each type of asset. Functions prioritized as “High” will be included in the
CMMS requirements. The “Medium” priority functions will be included as a consideration based on budget.
The “Low” will be listed in the nice-to-have considerations. The “NR” categorized functions will not be
included in the requirements.

To summarize the process for this first two steps:

1) Identify the assets to manage


2) Identify how to manage each asset (the functions) and prioritize.

Step Three. Identify Integrations


As discussed in Chapter Two, CMMS can be integrated with other systems that use asset data, such as
building management and SCADA systems, financial systems, procurement systems, scheduling systems,
inspection systems, safety management systems, GIS, and CAD systems. Some of those integrations might
be particularly beneficial. For example, integration with a purchasing system, may be very beneficial if the
maintenance management system has an inventory management feature, allowing automatic receipt of

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

inventory into the system. Integration with a purchasing system can trigger generation of a purchase request
when spare parts inventory reaches a minimum level, based on the requirement requisition of a part on a
work order. Also, scheduling systems can flag the need for additional resources when loads are high.

There are other beneficial integrations with other systems, including:

• GIS
• Logbook
• Computer aided dispatch (CAD)
• Incident Management System
• Procurements
• HR/Payroll
• Scheduling software
• Safety management system
• Document management system
• Building management systems (please specify)
• Warehouse / Inventory
• Building Information Management (BIM) Systems

There should be consideration for any future integrations that might be desirable including data
integration with Building Information Management (BIM) Systems to populate your CMMS with
information collected during design and construction. The use of BIM for construction projects is
emerging. There is movement towards development of open formats for data, and that should be specified
in all design and construction projects on the airport to facilitate data exchange with existing and new
applications.
Benefits of integrating these systems with a CMMS may include:

• Elimination of double entry of data


• Faster to update information
• Improved data quality
• Automatically generated reporting
• Up-to-date data improves processes
• Easy retrieval data
• Greater efficiency of work processes
• Automatic generation of work orders
• More efficient work practices
• Near-immediate access to data gives a better situational awareness
• Less hard copy documentation required due to electronic storage and up-to-date data
It is difficult to generally gauge the cost of integrations with CMMS software because the costs depend
somewhat on the choice of the CMMS. Specifying important integrations will require that RFP responses
include the integration cost. However, specifying integrations that are not necessary might cause the
implementation costs to be higher than expected. Careful consideration to what integrations are required
should be done.

If the airport chooses all systems for potential integrations for inclusion in the RFP or the requirements
for development, separate pricing should be requested for each integration so that a cost benefit analysis of
each can be undertaken. Often, integrations are reserved for later phases in a CMMS implementation, but

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

identified in the original procurement to preclude difficulties with a chosen CMMS in the later phase. It is
important to list integrations as future enhancements in the original procurement documents for that reason.

There are many potential difficulties when integrating systems from different sources, including
proprietary software, outdated applications, and siloed applications (running on networks that are not
physically available). Discussions with the airport’s IT department, support staff, and/or vendors supporting
the applications can help understand what the particular difficulties of integrations might be. Those
problems can be addressed in planning, since they address larger problems that must be solved by
organizational strategic thinking.

Step Four. Analyze Workflow Management


Airports have business processes or workflows that map out how people work in your to accomplish
airport operations. These workflows identify what is expected of staff for particular procedures.
Workflows are used for work management, operations checklists and standard operating procedures,
materials management, and other functions on the airport campus. Understanding these workflows is critical
when implementing a CMMS because automating them is one of the main advantages of a CMMS. 

Documentation of workflow will outline procedure steps and descriptions, desired outcomes, specific
responsibilities and accountabilities, and criteria for completion.

Workflow is certainly followed within the maintenance organization for routine procedures. Those
procedures may be documented and kept up-to-date, or they may be not formalized but just rely on
organizational knowledge passed to team members when they are trained in their roles. Whatever the
circumstance, those procedures are the basis for the day-to-day operations of the maintenance department.

For automation within a CMMS, those workflows must be examined, starting with all documented
standard and emergency operating procedures (SOPs and EOPs). It is not uncommon for those procedures
to deviate from the way business is really done, and for some portion of operating procedures to be
undocumented. Interviews with maintenance staff can help fill in those gaps. After the operating
procedures of the maintenance organization is understood, there may also be events that happen outside the
maintenance organization that are included in the workflow for a particular procedure. It is important to
understand the entire process including the work done outside of the maintenance department. It is the
complete workflow, from beginning through to the desired outcome at completion that needs to be evaluated
for inclusion in the CMMS. While it is possible to automate part of a workflow, it might be possible to
achieve greater benefit at little cost by considering the process start to finish. This evaluation process is
depicted in Figure 4-2.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Figure 4-2 Analyze Existing Workflows

Each of the identified workflows should be analyzed for potential for automation in a CMMS. Some
workflow automations that might benefit the airport include:

• FAR Part 139 inspections, reporting and record-keeping


• NOTAM and field condition reporting
• Internal and external safety reporting procedures
• Requisitions based on inventory levels
• Scheduling preventive maintenance
• Sign replacement procedures (see Figure 4-3 below for an example)

Figure 4-3 Sign Replacement Procedure

Source: Washington State DOT State-Managed Airport Handbook. February 2011. Chapter 4.
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

There is no question that automating workflow in a CMMS can bring efficiencies and benefits to any
airport. There is really no question of whether to automate in a CMMS. The question is rather what
processes to automate and to what extent. The assessment of workflows at an airport assumes: (1) that the
airport understands the point at which the organization will be mature in its implementation of a CMMS,
and (2) that the organization understands what a full-featured CMMS can provide. Often, for this reason, an
airport (at the start of a CMMS effort) will engage an industry subject matter expert in order to help address
any knowledge gaps.

There are two kinds of automation. The first is using an internal workflow that is built in to the CMMS;
workflow for work orders is a common built-in function.

A second kind requires integrations with other systems. For example, some airports have successfully
implemented a workflow arrangement between the FAA Part 139 inspection process and the generation and
remediation of work orders for areas found deficient in the inspection. That workflow process could require
integrations with a computer-aided dispatch system and an inspection (or inspection reporting) system. At
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, the Operations Airside inspection crews use a PC in their
vehicles to track their real-time location on the airfield in performing their shift inspections. The system
allows them to indicate whether there are Part 139 discrepancies on the airfield. As shown in Figure 4-4, in
the case of a discrepancy, a sub work order is automatically generated that is linked to the inspection, which
is then dispatched to the appropriate work crew to perform the remediation. Once the work is completed, a
record of the inspection, the work order, is generated and the completion of the work is available as a
system record. These records can then be presented to the FAA, if required.

Crew Completed Asset


Ops Airside finds WO Work order
dispatched repair is returned to
discrepancy generated closed
to repair inspected service

Figure 4-4 Typical Workflow

This workflow requires data from one system to be distributed to additional systems, and control of the
process to flow with the data. A representation of the data flow between the systems is shown in Figure 4-
5.

CAD CMMS Inspection System

•Ops Airside reports •WO generated •Completed repair


discrepancy to •Crew dispatched to is inspected
dispatch repair •Asset returned to
•Records available for •Records available service
FAA review for FAA review •CMMS
•Work order closed
•Records available
for FAA review

Figure 4-5 Potential integrations for the workflow

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Two of the case study reports presented in Appendix B have a similar process for Part 139 discrepancy
reporting. Each airport has implemented the automation in the way that is most useful to them. The data
flow required depends on the other supporting systems. In some cases, the integrations can require minimal
cost and effort. In other cases, the cost and effort might prevent the feasibility of the integration.

Even though some workflows requiring integrations can be expensive, some online commercial tools
could help achieve workflow automation at a relatively low cost. For example, the Google Map Coordinates
feature, as shown in Figures 4-6 and 4-7, allows a company to assign work orders to remotely located staff
who can easily be located using Google Map services. Field staff could accept/reject the work orders,
update work order status, and notify the dispatcher when work orders are complete using online services.

Figure 4-6 Simplified Work Dispatch

Figure 4-7 Simplified Work Details

This simple solution could allow an airport to electronically dispatch work assignments to field staff
located throughout the airport, with assignments made to optimize locations and with the ability to track
progress and maintain records of the assignment. This very elementary application for a 10-person
operation is available in a subscription-based model at a relatively low annual cost, although there is some
additional cost for smart phones and their ongoing airtime costs. While many of the details inherent in a
CMMS would not be available, this could enable a small organization to go paperless from a paper-based
system. Hence, an initial foray into an automated system can be made at very low cost with some level of
benefit. Alternatively, more comprehensive, hosted solutions are available at somewhat higher costs. At the
other extreme, overall costs can easily reach in the millions of U.S. dollars for a large-scale enterprise level
system with many data sources.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The examples are given to help the airport understand the options available for automation. Although
automation of workflow will be accomplished in implementation and configuration of the CMMS, during
this evaluation process the airport will decide the requirements for the CMMS. Those critical workflows
should be identified at that time, so that the CMMS purchased will support the airport requirements.

Each candidate workflow should be prioritized for inclusion in the CMMS requirements. Processes that
support regulatory compliance might be prioritized “High” because they have significant impact on
operations and because automated documentation provides the airport with a record for compliance.

After examining documented procedures for candidate workflows, it would be beneficial to develop use
cases for the CMMS by interviewing targeted maintenance staff. A use case is associated with a particular
function of the system. It describes the way that the CMMS is to be used by the staff, and for what purposes
it is used. The use cases could be presented as addenda to an RFP or development requirements.

Support for Future Enhancements and Features


In specifying the CMMS the airport plans to implement, there should be consideration for the following
features, functions, and capabilities, each having an impact on implementation costs:

• Inventory Database • Warranty Tracking


• Inspections • Management Reports
• Preventive Maintenance (PM) • User Customization
• Predictive Testing & Inspection • Ad Hoc Query
• Proactive Maintenance • Data Sharing and Integrations With Other
• Work Request (WR) & Work Order (WO) Systems
• Trouble Calls • Presentation Graphics
• Work Orders for PM, Repair, ROI • Warranty
• Work Order Estimating • Transaction Recording
• Maintenance History • Data Import and Export
• Material Management • Bar Coding Data Interface
• Tool and Equipment Management • Archive
• Scheduling • Back-up
• Backlog for Maintenance and Repair • Licensing
• Contract Administration • Capacity
• Utilities • User Documentation
• Environmental Tracking • Menus/User Interface
• CAD Support • Error Handling
• Priority System • Password Protection

The complexity of the implementation greatly influences its success and cost. However, a tiered
approach to implementation and a specification by the airport that certain features, functions, and
capabilities are desired in the future will avoid a dead-end implementation in which the eventual goal
cannot be achieved. An airport should include any high priority eventual goal as a future enhancement in
the initial RFP or development requirements.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

A detailed checklist, providing individual features and functionalities for each of the items in the list
above is provided in Appendix D. The checklist should be used by the airport not only to define its
requirements but also be utilized in the development of an RFP or specifications document for the
development of a CMMS. A sample section of the checklist is shown in Table 4-2.

Feature/Functionality/Capability Required
1. Inventory Database
a. Recording of data for each facility, system, vehicle, and all collateral equipment and
inventory
b. A unique identifier for each maintained item
c. Grouping items by systems and subsystems
d. Provide for storing of make, model, location, custody, facilities maintenance
standards reference, facilities maintenance requirements reference, financial
information, maintenance manuals, and standard reports
e. Develop policies, procedures, manual or mechanized to facilitate new data coming
from various sources to be added to the database as new facilities are built or
modified
2. Inspections
a. Permit each item to have an explicit and unique inspection schedule and frequency
b. Inspection checklists and guides, with linkages to work orders to account for any
remediation needed as a result
c. Storage for, or link within the system, to maintenance standards and drawings, prior
inspection results, safety, current or pending work orders, and work requests for the
system being inspected
d. Storage for, or link within the system, to information on plans and coordination
requirements
e. Provide the means to report on inspections, their results, and the associated work
orders generated to remediate issues found to assess the efficacy of the inspection
program
3. Preventive Maintenance (PM)
a. PM scheduling
b. PM work order preparation based on maintenance requirements
c. Multiple levels of scheduling based on criticality, use, condition, or calendar term
d. Coupling of inventory data, maintenance checklist, parts, safety requirements and
special environmental concerns, coordination/outage requirements results of the last
PM, diagnostic and maintenance references, drawings, special tool or equipment
requirements, and special skill or trade requirements
e. Schedule reporting for each week to provide planning for resources and summary
schedules
f. Capability to schedule future PM dates for increments based on actual completion of
a previous PM
Table 4-2 CMMS Features and Capabilities Checklist Sample

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Evaluation Tool Overview


The CMMS Evaluation Tool (“Tool”) provides a step-by-step guide through the selection process,
including selection of modules and/or features of CMMS for implementation using prioritization and
budget. It therefore, requests input from the user about characteristics of the user’s airport, and needs for
the CMMS. Industry research was incorporated into the Tool’s specifications and development.

The Tool is based on the concept of a decision tree, using high-level questions and the respective users’
answers to document the specific needs of the airport. Based on these answers, the Tool generates a list of
requirements that can be used for evaluating software options or for using in a procurement document.

The Tool has implemented the evaluation approach in this chapter. In order to ensure the output is
meaningful and useful, it is highly recommended that the user not only be familiar with this approach, but
also to do the required research, data collection, and decision-making prior to using the Tool. The output
of the Tool suggests requirements to be considered for use, but should be modified to fit the airport’s
actual requirements.

The User’s Guide is provided in Appendix C.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Chapter 5: Selection and Implementation of


an Airport CMMS

This chapter describes a process for selecting and implementing a CMMS at an airport. Since the
CMMS impacts multiple departments or business units of the airport, this process should involve
stakeholders across the entire airport and the CMMS should provide support for functions across all
business units. Success should be measured by the degree to which the CMMS meets all business needs.

The Selection Process


The selection process uses the requirements gathered during the evaluation process. Ideally, the
process of gathering asset data and understanding workflows should already be underway. The selection
process should now formalize the procedures for matching the gathered airport requirements to
capabilities of available software.

The stakeholders involved in the selection process were defined in Chapter 3. Many of the
stakeholders who are now focusing their efforts on the selection process were previously involved in the
requirements-gathering process.

There are many full-featured CMMS software solutions, incorporating many features and capabilities.
Selection of a full-featured CMMS will ensure that an airport will be able to add options that are not
implemented initially. But an optimal selection of a CMMS is specific to the requirements of the airport
and the environment in which the CMMS will be deployed. Selection of a CMMS involves more than
merely evaluating the capabilities of the software. It also requires determining whether the software is
within the airport’s budget and then analyzing the requirements of the airport against the features and
capabilities of the software. In addition, it requires vetting the software vendor and the performance of
the contractor providing installation services.

Researching (other airports, vendors, consultants) CMMS costs is important.


If the CMMS budget is small, the airport should consider a hosted solution or
starting small, with the most critical department or area where the greatest
cost savings can be achieved in the shortest time.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The first step in the selection process is to research available software in the market. CMMS software
is widely available, so the larger issue will not be to find a software, but to narrow down candidate
CMMS software based on the prioritized list of airport requirements. Research can be done in-house
through the Internet or with the assistance of an industry expert knowledgeable in the maintenance/asset
management field.

It is sometimes difficult to compare software from demonstrations by


vendors. A script can make that comparison easier. It should focus on some
of the particular business processes at the airport. Then, after the mandatory
elements have been covered in the script, a vendor can demonstrate
additional features of the software.

If procurement rules allow it, the airport might request a demonstration of the software from vendors.
In addition to demonstrations, airport staff might also visit vendor labs for hands-on experiences with live
CMMS systems. Selected airport staff might attend training sessions or review course materials to
determine the suitability of specific CMMS training for their airport.

A tour of other airport CMMS implementations can offer very good information about its
functionalities when deployed in an airport setting.. The organizations and associations mentioned in
Chapter 1 can provide contacts and relevant information..

Other software/vendor information is available through publically accessible user groups. For example,
SAP has an annual SAPHIRE event, where SAP Plant Maintenance and Material Management users can
request new features, get information about best practices, and exchange ideas with peers. Other large
vendors conduct similar events.

Depending on the rules of the procurement process, the airport might then choose one of several
procurement options. In some cases, based on the research, a short list of candidate solutions might be
created and assessed for suitability. In others, the procurement process will be publicly bid. But the
assessment process is essentially the same, focused on the software’s suitability of meeting the
requirements gathered during the evaluation phase. Additional requirements stemming from the research
during the procurement phase should be expected to be added to the requirements list.

Regardless of the procurement mechanism, a software solution should be chosen that best meets the
business needs of the airport. Additional considerations might need to be made in the following areas:

• Ease of integrating existing system data during the conversion period (initial implementation) or
on an ongoing basis if the existing system will remain.
• Capabilities of the airport to manage the CMMS, including but not limited to server maintenance,
networks, backend software such as databases and their administration, workstation deployments,
and client software.
• The extent of configuration required versus customizations (which are much more difficult to
implement and maintain) and the work required either by in-house or outsourced staff.

Sample CMMS Software Assessment Matrix


A suggested method for assessing the requirements gathered by the airport is to provide each vendor
with a list of the requirement so that the vendor can illustrate the capabilities of the software to provide

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

the required functions. The airport can rate each software option based on how well it meets the
functional requirements, and tally the results for a comparative score.

An extract from a sample of the Vendor Assessment Matrix is shown in Table 5-1. The full sample is
included in Appendix F. This matrix is a ranking scorecard with sample requirements used to rank
software from multiple vendors in a software selection process. It uses a rank scale of 1-10 and tallies
scores for a total comparative ranking at the end.

Requirement 1 2 3 4
Work Request & Work Order Tracking. The CMMS shall provide the capability
to track requests for facilities maintenance work or other work requirements
received from any source from receipt through final work completion. This
includes tracking its progress through planning and estimating, scheduling,
execution by in-house shops or contractor forces, and while any administrative
or planning actions are undertaken such as waiting for funding or incorporating
the work into a capital project.
Trouble Calls. The CMMS shall permit receipt and issue of Trouble Calls (TC).
It also shall provide the status of TC tickets pending action, underway, and
completed.
Work Orders for PM, Repair, ROI, etc. The CMMS shall provide for the
preparation of specific or one-time work orders for Repair, PGM, ROI and other
work that is of fixed duration and scope. This shall be integrated with work
order estimating and scheduling. The CMMS shall be able to identify the work
order by customer, funding source, and work breakdown structure.
Work Order Estimating. The CMMS shall provide for an integrated work order
estimating system. The system shall provide planners and estimators with
assistance in preparing work order craft, time, and material estimates. It shall
permit including local labor and material rates, local unique cost factors, or
standard work tasks.
Preventive Maintenance (PM). A CMMS shall provide complete PM scheduling
and PM order preparation based on inventory and facilities maintenance
requirements including multiple levels of scheduling based on criticality, use,
condition, or calendar time. The system shall track inventory data, facilities
maintenance checklist, parts required, safety requirements and special
environmental concerns, coordination/outage requirements, results of the last
PM, diagnostic and maintenance references, drawings, special tool or equipment
requirements, and special skill or trade requirements. It shall permit scheduling
to the week, be able to give resource requirement reports and summary
schedules. It shall include the capability to adjust future PM dates based on the
actual completion date of the latest PM is a valuable feature.
………………………
TOTAL
Table 5-1 Vendor Assessment Matrix

Based on the airport’s procurement rules, the outcome of the comparison of software to the airport’s
requirements, any other criteria adopted by the airport during the procurement process, and the cost of the
CMMS, the airport will decide the best fit CMMS for its requirements. Whether the selected CMMS is
in-house, hosted, large or small, the next step is critical to making certain that the benefits of the CMMS
are realized.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The Implementation Process


At this stage, the airport will need a plan for a implementing the selected CMMS software. This section
discusses how to plan that implementation process.

Implementation planning should include stakeholders previously identified in Chapter 3. These


stakeholders are even more critical to the success of the project at this stage, as they will provide an
interface between the project and the other staff at the airport. And as the implementation progresses,
they will provide valuable feedback to the project so that the process can be adjusted if the plan does not
achieve the desired results. At a minimum, that plan will advise all of stakeholders of how the project will
proceed, what the tasks are in the project, who is responsible, what things outside the project that success
is dependent on, when tasks will complete, and how the project will be judged successful.

During the selection process, it was decided whether the implementation is to be done by the airport
staff in-house, or by a team including the software vendor or consultants (or both). Whether the
implementation is done entirely in-house or not, should be determined in the project plan. This, and other
elements of the plan, including specific tasks that are unique to CMMS, are discussed in the following
sections,

The Project Plan


Using the general project management best practices, a project manager should draft a project plan for
approval that would include:

• A communications plan, to discuss meeting, expectations for reporting, time allotted for review
of documents and other communications protocols for the project
• A quality plan, to set the standards for quality assurance and control throughout the project to
ensure that the submitted work is of the highest caliber
• A project schedule, to establish the time frame for the project tasks and a completion date for the
project, including tasks, work breakdown schedule, milestones, resources, dependencies, costs
loading, testing, transition to operations, and closeout
• A testing plan, which should be started early in the project
• A training plan, to ensure that training is executed just before transition to operations so that the
training is fresh for staff when they are expected to use the new system and procedures.

Identify Asset Data


At some point, the airport may want to develop an Asset Management Plan to provide full life-cycle
management of their assets. The ACRP Report 69 Asset and Infrastructure Management for Airports –
Primer and Guidebook (published in March 2012) is a valuable tool to use in devising such a plan. For
the purposes of evaluating a CMMS, the airport will need some elements of asset management in place.
At a minimum, the airport will need to assemble its assets into a central data warehouse, commonly called
a data dictionary or catalog.

To facilitate the capture of the data, some consideration should be given to the following questions:

• What (and where) is the existing data? Identify the asset data that currently exists in multiple
formats – electronic, paper, in people’s heads, on as-built drawings, etc. That data may include
condition data, either recently collected, outdated, or original with scheduled (or unscheduled)
updates. Asset information might include:
o Asset construction dates
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

o Original project/asset costs


o Features
o Location
o Maintenance history
o Inspections
o Preventive maintenance
• Who are the decision makers for the assets? Identification of an executive sponsor, a project
champion, a project manager, and support personnel will facilitate capture of data about the
assets.
• What is the current process for managing that data and who is responsible for it? Who owns the
process? Is the process schedule maintained?
• Who owns the available data?
• What is the reliability and quality of the data?

Some asset data from other systems might be available at the airport. The IT
department or a consultant can assist in identification of data sources. That
data might then be imported into the CMMS database. This migration might
establish most of the records (the assets) in the database, although the records
might be incomplete (without location and other information).

Before beginning the evaluation process, stakeholders should discuss how this data can be collected.
This can be a daunting task, and is often done in phases. It could be done as airport staff execute work
orders, or it could be done by contracting third parties to collect all airport asset and condition data - or a
hybrid approach of the two. Often airports have previous systems already populated with asset data.
Usually, this data can be migrated to a new system. Other times, data exists in spreadsheets and it can be
imported into the CMMS. Many times data is available only in hard copy format and must be manually
input into the new system. However, the data collection phase is usually time consuming because data
exists in many places and in many formats.

The availability of asset data often drives the phasing of CMMS implementation. However, planning
for data collection by requiring construction projects to provide electronic asset data in an open format as
part of the project close out, and working with vendors and IT staff to migrate asset data from
procurement and financial systems, can help close the gap.

If there is no asset data catalog in existence at the airport, there are decisions about the data that will
need to be decided moving forward in the process. For example, the type of data that is stored for each
asset is one of these major issues. A second issue is regarding data hierarchy, i.e. the way to store the
data so that it is easily located and accessible to the user. Those two issues are addressed in more detail
the next sections.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Asset Data Types


After determining the assets that the airport wants to manage, and locating any other data sources,
additional data on the assets will need to be collected and be captured in the data dictionary or data
catalog. An example of the asset data that might be collected, is shown in Table 5-2. It should be noted
that not all fields that are identified for asset data are relevant for all assets. In this case, units are ”N/A”
because they are not relevant for taxiways, while they would be very relevant for other kinds of assets,
such as transformers, elevators, etc. Attributes for each asset will also vary. A second example is
provided in Table 5.3, for an Electrical Distribution System comprising a high level asset with many
lower level components (generators, distribution panels, transformers, etc.) for comparison. These
examples illustrate the complexities that have to be handled by the underlying data structure in the data
catalog.

Attribute Data Type Unit Domain / Range of Values


Taxiway ID Var N/A System generated unique id for the attribute / barcode
FAC ID Var N/A ID used to reference Asset
Taxiway Description Note N/A A description of the attribute
Taxiway Type Combo N/A Way, Lane
Criticality Number N/A 1-5 low-high
Legacy Names Var N/A Previous name of the attribute
Date Entered Date N/A Date record was entered into the database
Condition Rating Number N/A Condition rating of the attribute
Inspection Date Date N/A Date of the last inspection for the condition rating
Year Built Date N/A Year that the asset was constructed
Design Life Number N/A Design life
Remaining Useful Life Number N/A Estimate of remaining useful life
Table 5-2 Asset Data Example 1: Asset Data for Taxiway

Attribute Data Type Unit Domain / Range of Values


System ID Var N/A System generated unique id for the entity / barcode
Asset ID Var N/A ID used to reference Asset
FAC ID Var N/A Unique id for the entity
System Description Text N/A Description of the asset
Legacy Names Var N/A Previous name of the attribute
Date Entered Date N/A Date record was entered into the database
Condition Rating Number N/A Condition rating of the system
Inspection Date Date N/A Date of the last inspection for the condition rating
Year Built Date N/A Year that the system was constructed
Design Life Number N/A Design life
Remaining Useful Life Number N/A Remaining useful life estimate
Original Construction Cost Number $US Cost of initial construction or purchase cost
Replacement Cost Currency $US Current replacement value of the system
Replacement Year Date N/A Anticipated year the asset will need to be replaced
Warranty Period Date N/A End of the warranty period
Location ID Var N/A GIS Coordinate, Building ID, or other location
reference
Table 5-3 Asset Data Example 2: Asset Data for Electrical Distribution System

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The number of data attributes that an airport wants to store and maintain for assets depends on the
needs of the airport. More data can help in making appropriate business decisions about life cycles of
assets; unless the data is maintained it will not be useful. More data takes longer to collect and maintain.
Deciding how much data is useful is, therefore, important. If that decision is reevaluated after the initial
data collection, additional budget may be required to add more data records to the database.

Asset Data Hierarchies


The type of data to be collected about assets is relevant, but equally important is the way that that data
is structured within the asset registry. A framework, or hierarchy, for finding a single one of the
thousands of assets must be assigned within the asset registry. In fact, multiple hierarchies for finding
that asset are probably desirable. How the data is organized within the asset registry determines the ease
with which the maintenance staff finds specific assets. When walking through the terminal, it might be
important to browse the assets by location. When repairing a specific piece of equipment, it might be
important to browse the assets (and spare parts) by system.

An example of an asset hierarchy is shown in Figure 5-4.

Facility Group Facility System Component

Table 5-4 Sample Asset Hierarchy.

In this example, the facility group might be a terminal building; the facility, a specific terminal; the
system, an HVAC system; the component, an air-handling unit (AHU). The purpose of the asset
hierarchy is to logically structure the asset data for ease of use.

Asset Data Conversion and Migration to the New CMMS


It was pointed out earlier in the Guidebook that nowadays maintenance departments are rarely doing
completely manual management of asset maintenance. Whether they are using spreadsheets to track
warranties, or a homegrown database to manage maintenance data, many maintenance departments have
some data in electronic format. It would be beneficial to take that electronic data and import it into the
new CMMS. If there is existing electronic data at the airport, data migration will likely be one of the first
tasks in the project schedule after an initial installation of the new CMMS.

The data migration process might entail capturing data from an older database or from a spreadsheet or
series of spreadsheets. However, no matter where the data resides, there is almost certainly a required
change in format between the old data and the way format is needed in the new CMMS. Therefore, there
is not only the need for the data to be moved into the new database, but the data will also have to be
converted into a format required by the new CMMS.

In the event a data conversion is necessary, a data conversion plan should be developed. This plan
should identify the source data locations, formats, and definitions, and map the data schema of the
existing system into the new system. The conversion plan is typically done with subject matter experts
who are knowledgeable about the legacy system and with the vendor of the new system. This assures that
the legacy data will be migrated and properly represented in the new system. In addition to the details of
the migration mapping, the data conversion plan identifies:

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Who will be involved in the conversion


• What the conversion strategy will include (e.g., timing of the conversion)
• The effects of the conversion on the existing system (e.g., will there be a need for a system
outage on the legacy system during the conversion process?)
• What happens in the interim period between the conversion and commissioning of the new
system (how is data updated?)
• How the airport will continue CMMS functions during the interim period
• What necessary communications are required between the legacy and new system, and the timing
of those communications
• Contingency plans, including back-out procedures, that are needed should the conversion be
unsuccessful
• The retention requirements for the data in the legacy system?
• Scripts and their execution schedule are needed to perform the conversion
The scripts/programs and/or manual procedures needed for the conversion need to be developed and
tested. Therefore, a test plan that identifies the business processes that are supported by data to be
migrated from the legacy system, should also be developed. That data is likely to include material assets,
security data (e.g., names of staff able to receive work orders), contacts, work schedules, hourly rates,
facility names, and locations. Work in progress items, such as open work orders and parts on order are
also typically migrated. A decision must be made about which historical information needs to be migrated
to the new system. Airports have reporting requirements that impact this decision. As an alternative, the
legacy system might need to remain accessible post implementation of the new CMMS for reporting
purposes, if history is not migrated.

After testing of the data conversion procedures, operations can be cut over to the new system according
to the schedule and methods identified in the conversion plan. The data conversion should be validated
and any problems should be identified and logged. If the identified data conversion issues significantly
impact the ongoing operations of the CMMS, a go/no go decision must be made. Data that is converted
may need to be backed-out according to the back-out procedures listed in the contingency plan. One good
way to validate the converted data is to run reports from both the legacy system and the new CMMS and
compare the results. For example, one can prepare control totals for the number of material items;
compare the number of open work orders for a period; or determine the average time needed to complete
a work order.

Configuration of the CMMS


As discussed in earlier sections, the selection of a CMMS should be based on the value of the features
and functions of that CMMS that best support the business needs of the airport. Sometimes this just
requires a detailed configuration using features and functions of the CMMS to support the business
processes of the airport. In other cases however, a CMMS might need customization, either because of a
statutory requirement, a legacy processes, or other general (to airports) or specific (to a particular airport)
requirements. Changes to an “out-of-the-box” solution, particularly when the solution addresses a
complex and important business area, are not uncommon. However, any customization should be
evaluated on a long-term cost basis.

Configuration and customization are terms that refer to changes in the CMMS software. There is a
major difference between the two. Configuration refers to the process of setting up the software, using its
built-in parameters to fit the airport business processes and environment. Customization is a change to
the CMMS that requires writing additional code to add features or modify features of the CMMS.
Customization is costly, both initially and to maintain, and will likely have to be repeated each time
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

upgrades are released by the CMMS vendor. A CMMS that is a good fit for the airport will not require
customization. It will, however, require configuration.

Configurations to the CMMS allow the airport to fit the software to the organizational needs. Some
configurations are simple, for example the form of the asset keys or its starting point; or could be more
sophisticated, such as how to prioritize a work order based on its attributes. Such adjustments are
supported in the future vendor software upgrades.

During the implementation process, staff responsible for configuration typically reviews a
configuration plan with the airport in order to document the configurations that support the airport’s
business processes. The revised, finalized configuration plan then becomes part of the project
implementation plan and is retained for inclusion in the testing plan and for system documentation.
Configurations may be modified after the implementation, however post implementation configuration
changes should be examined carefully for impact to the system.

CMMS Customization
A customization is necessary when a particular base functionality of the software does not have a good
enough fit with the requirements of the airport, and when those requirements are of high value. This
occurs when the software is chosen because of its overall good fit for other requirements. Some CMMS
systems handle customization better than others. If the CMMS has an open architecture, programmers
can develop special code that is linked to the features or functions. In more sophisticated systems,
vendors supply an application program interface (API) that enables the use of code to access specific
features of the system and develop customizations. CMMS vendors typically publish their APIs and
allow programmers to extend them. Moreover, CMMS vendors publish and make available data
dictionaries allowing programmers to understand the data structures behind the CMMS. To the extent
that this is available, an organization can perform modifications to standard “out-of-the-box” software to
provide added functionality. By publishing an API and/or data dictionary, the CMMS vendor has agreed
to support the published functions with new revisions and upgrades, but takes no responsibility in their
implementation. However, API classes may become depreciated over time requiring reviews of these
items by the airport IT support organization.

When deciding if and what functions to customize, there are several factors to keep in mind. First, the
decision to customize will require specialized IT and business skills to specify, develop, and test each
customization. This adds time and budget to the project and makes it more complex. Second, the
customized code must be tested for each CMMS upgrade, and modified if required. Many organizations
have to delay version upgrades to assess the impact on customized code; or if impacts have been assessed,
they might be unable to remediate those customizations because of budget constraints. Testing a system
with no customizations is far less expensive and time consuming than one with customizations.
Moreover, there is often a conversion needed for a version upgrade, which is provided by the vendor.
Customizations can preclude applying the standard conversion supplied by the vendor. In that case, a
customized conversion for the airport would need to be developed by the vendor at cost to the airport. A
customized conversion also makes the upgrade process more risky to perform.

When the CMMS vendor does not have a published API and/or data dictionary, it may still be possible
to enhance features and functions with sophisticated IT programming skills. Under these circumstances,
the CMMS vendor has no role in the customization of the system and the airport is on its own. As a result,
an airport should undertake such a customization only under circumstances where there is a critical need
to determine if procedures may be further optimized.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Integrations
Integrations are not likely to be in the first phase of the airport’s CMMS implementation. Integrations
are likely to be in later phases, as the CMMS matures, and as users understand its features and capabilities
and how they can be used to better manage assets and work at the airport. One of the ways that users see
that the CMMS improved is usually by eliminating manual data entry. Data that is being generated by the
CMMS can be shared with other departments. This eliminates manual data entry into the CMMS, or into
other systems by sharing common data between those systems. Another logical step to improve
operations is to share business intelligence that is available through information from the CMMS. In both
cases integrations are required. In the CMMS evaluation process, initial integrations were specified for
inclusion in the procurement documents. The selection process took those requirements into account, so
it is possible that the CMMS may have provision for desired integrations.

Additional enhancements, including incorporation of mobile tools including laptops, tablets, bar code
scanners, GPS receivers, digital cameras, distance measuring devices, and RFID can extend the utility of
the CMMS into the workplace. Integration with financial and procurement systems can eliminate
redundant data entry, improve the quality of the data, and save time. Each airport will need to assess the
areas of greatest benefit, and evaluate the difficulty of any particular integration as discussed in Chapter 4.

Considering integrations during a second or third phase of an implementation can improve the utility of
the CMMS for the airport. The integrations that were most reported as beneficial in our surveys included
Part 139 report automation, GIS integration, requisition system integrations, scheduling system
integrations, and safety incident reporting. The integrations led to better reporting capabilities, but Part
139 reporting was reported as one of the most beneficial of all the integrations accomplished.

CMMS Support for Part 139 Inspections and Reporting


Airport safety, and more specifically airfield safety, is a critical consideration to the operations of an
airport. Part of the self-inspection program at an airport is the effective reporting system to ensure prompt
correction of unsafe conditions and the maintenance of inspection records showing the conditions found
and the corrective actions taken as a result. The self-inspection program is codified in 14 CFR 139.327
and includes mandated daily inspection procedures, processes for resolution of discrepancies, notification
requirements, and a reporting and archival system.

The CMMS system must have a robust reporting structure, be capable of rapid and efficient
communications, and have the capability to retain necessary data to comply with the Part 139
requirements, and to show due diligence in the airport’s assurance of a safe environment for travelers.
The choice of a CMMS can, in addition to managing maintenance for the airport, also support the
airport’s legal duties as they pertain to satisfying the Part 139 safety requirements.

In a modern CMMS, characteristics desired for the specific support of the Part 139 requirements
include:

• A rich reporting environment, with features such as work orders details that can be recalled at
various points in the work order life cycle, and the capability to provide work order analysis to
determine problem areas for larger scale remediation.
• A rapid dispatch capability with the option to dynamically change work order priorities sent to
field staff. A CMMS should be able to use mobile devices for work orders with all necessary
data needed. For example, a smart phone could be used to receive and acknowledge work orders,
act as a telephone and text message center, as well as receive photos, schematics, and manuals
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

associated to the work order. The mobile device should receive all information needed so that a
return to the maintenance shop is not required.
• The capability to generate reports or extract information needed for Part 139 inspections.
Ideally, a CMMS specific to an airport would have integrations to an airport GIS containing the
geospatial inventory of runway configurations, pavement management systems, airfield lighting, signage
and markings, emergency evacuation paths, buried underground assets, and airport-specific service
equipment such as jet ways.

CMMS work orders in an airport environment would need to include the ability to link inspections with
preventative maintenance work orders. Ideally, inspection checklists should be embedded into scheduled
preventative maintenance work orders issued on a periodic basis with the ability to create work orders
when there is a deficiency found in the inspection process. The CMMS would then show a record of the
entire inspection process from scheduling the work to inspect, the actual execution of the inspection with
the results, and any resulting work orders needed to address the inspection problems. In this manner,
metrics can be taken for the time needed to perform the process and analysis can be made.

The case studies in Appendix A cite methods that two airports used in incorporating Part 139
requirements into their CMMS workflow to provide automated reporting to satisfy FAA requirements.

Post Implementation

The CMMS is implemented. Perhaps planning is underway for the next phase. Staff is learning the
system. Training is ongoing. The airport has to provide resources for maintenance of the CMMS itself,
and the CMMS data.

In Chapter 3, the stakeholders involved in maintaining CMMS were identified. These stakeholders all
have a role in the operations of a CMMS both during and after the initial implementation. This group is
responsible for the operations of the maintenance functions that the CMMS is used to manage on a daily
basis.

Often, though not always, multiple departments are responsible for maintenance functions at an airport.
For example, noise and flight tracking equipment, repairs and upgrades may be the responsibility of a
noise reduction team outside of the facilities group. Environmental wells and measuring equipment may
be the responsibility of a planning group. All assets could still be part of the CMMS, even though the
maintenance procedures are managed by different business units. Each of the business units have
different requirements and judge success of the implementation based on different requirements. An
ongoing working group comprised of members from each business unit should meet regularly to assess
that the needs of each business unit are being met. Planning for upgrades and additional functionality
could continue through the working group.

The group could assemble and determine standard rates, metrics for evaluation of actual performance,
distribute reports and establish that the policies and procedures for the CMMS. This group would decide
on business metrics from data collected in the CMMS, distribute information about the system, provide
the means to distribute training, and receive feedback on the operation of the CMMS. All stakeholders
should be given the opportunity to feedback to the working group.

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The airport will need to dedicate resources to the ongoing maintenance and operation of the CMMS.
The level of resources needed will depend on how the CMMS is implemented, whether it is a hosted
solution or whether it is deployed and managed internally. If mobile devices are part of the solution, there
needs to be a mechanism to manage the distribution of those devices. If the number of end users is high,
the management of the end devices can be a major task. Many organizations are now beginning to
struggle with corporate policies on mobile devices, whether and to what extent must these mobile devices
be locked down in terms of capabilities, the extent of geolocation, even including access to the internet,
type of phone calls being made and other policies unique to mobile device security. Depending on the
device being deployed and the intention of the airport, there are many factors involved in the management
of the core CMMS and those devices that are distributed in the field to staff. Limitations on the
distribution of data often affect the ultimate effectiveness of the CMMS..

IT support will be required as new functionality is implemented regardless of whether the CMMS is on
a hosted platform or is managed by the airport. Version changes typically are preceded by database
conversions and these conversions must be examined to determine whether there is any adverse impact.
As previously discussed, any specialized customizations are particularly vulnerable and it is important
that a proper testing environment be maintained and used.

When implementing a full scale CMMS, adequate budget and staffing must be allocated to the system
once it is live. The ongoing responsibilities go beyond merely supporting the CMMS and must include
how the CMMS becomes part of the cultural fabric of the airport.

As with any system implementation, benefits are realized with maturity and realization of the system’s
capabilities by the staff. An evaluation of the airport’s requirements and a selection of a good-fit solution
for those requirements is a very good start. But the implementation will take time, and will progress in
phases that bring more benefit over time. The realization of the benefits of a CMMS will grow as the
airport matures in its implementation.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

PART II: APPENDICES

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APPENDIX A: Glossary and Related


Asset Management Terms

A
Alias
An alternative name used instead of a primary name.

Acquisition
The process by which the airport comes into possession and ownership of a fixed asset (examples:
purchase, donation, construction, eminent domain or foreclosure).

Airport Property
All property owned by the airport, whether purchased, leased, confiscated, donated received by
eminent domain, constructed or annexed. Airport property may include supplies, real property, police
property, capital assets and controlled items.

Area
The way the airport subdivides the airport campus into areas. The combination of campus designation
and area designation may define the general location of a facility.

As-Built Documents
Final documents and records of the assets as installed.

Asset
Capital investments maintained by the airport’s accounting system. The maintenance department
typically refers to an asset as any item of physical plant or equipment. It is used to describe items such as
buildings, facilities, systems and components that are controlled by the airport and from which a benefit is
derived. For industry purposes these items are considered fixed assets deployed or intended to be
deployed in an operational environment. It is also the manageable object in a computerized maintenance
management system (CMMS).

Asset Life cycle


The asset life cycle is the time span from when the asset is placed in service through its eventual
replacement or disuse. How the asset’s life cycle is managed is dependent on the strategies and goals of
its management. These strategies normally include training, maximizing utility, preventive maintenance,
evaluation and when use will stop.

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Asset Management
The systematic planning and control of a physical resource through its life cycle. This may include the
specification, design, and construction of the asset, its operation, maintenance and modification while in
use, and its disposal when no longer required.

Asset Register
A list of all the assets in a particular workplace, together with information about those assets, such as
manufacturer, vendor, make, model, specifications etc.

Assignment
A labor requirement on a work order record that has been matched to an appropriate laborer.

Attribute
A characteristic or feature of a facility, system or component.

Auto Generation of PM Work Orders


Work Orders are automatically created based on some frequency (# of weeks, meter, etc. - whichever
comes first).

Auto Generation of Purchase Orders

Purchase Orders are automatically created from a list of parts that have dropped below the minimum
stock on hand quantity.

B
Backlog
Backlog is the work that has not been completed by the nominated 'required by date'. The period for
which each Work Order is overdue is defined as the difference between the current date and the 'required
by date'. All work for which no 'required by' date has been specified is generally included on the backlog.
Backlog is generally measured in "crew-weeks", that is, the total number of labor hours represented by
the work on the backlog, divided by the number of labor hours available to be worked in an average week
by the work crew responsible for completing this work.

Bill of Materials (BOM)


A list of all the parts and components that make up a particular asset.

Blanket Agreement
A blanket agreement is a purchase contract that specifies a vendor, a total dollar amount to be spent,
and the dates between which the agreement is valid.

Blanket Contract
A blanket contract is a contractual agreement to spend a pre-determined amount of money with a
specified vendor over a predefined period of time.

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Breakdown
A breakdown is a specific type of failure, where an item of plant or equipment is completely unable to
function.
Break Down Maintenance (BDM)

"Unplanned" corrective maintenance performed on equipment after the equipment has suffered a
failure and has to be corrected during a break down of the equipment. Break down maintenance indicates
a lack of planning.

Building
A building is a facility that has a roof, walls and a defined location.

Building Automation System (BAS)


This is a general term to describe a system used to monitor and control individual room temperatures,
lighting and/or security. The system optimizes the start-up and performance of HVAC equipment and
alarm systems. A BAS greatly increases the interaction between the mechanical systems of a building,
improves occupant comfort, lowers energy use and allows off-site building control.

Building System Scorecard (BSS)


Assessment tool used to grade building systems based on established criteria.

Business Process
The defined set of business activities that represent the required steps to achieve a business objective. A
business process includes the flow and use of information and resources.

C
Calendar-Based Maintenance
A maintenance strategy where specified activities (typically preventative in nature) are undertaken on a
pre-determined schedule at fixed intervals of time.

Capital Spares
Usually large, expensive, long lead time parts that are capitalized (not expensed) on the books and
depreciated. They are often deemed as a "protection" against downtime.

Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM)


Computer aided facilities management system uses computers to provide facility managers with the
ability to track, plan, manage, maintain and report on facilities, systems and components.

Change Order
An update to a purchase order that is already approved or printed and that changes information such as
quantity or vendor.

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Charge Rate
This is the rate that is charged for a mechanic or engineer's time. In addition to the direct wages, it
includes provision for benefits and overhead (such as supervision, clerical support, shop tools, truck
expenses, and supplies).

Claim
A request for reimbursement, replacement, or repair for an item or an asset that is under warranty.

Clearance
The control and positioning of plant equipment for providing protection for personnel and equipment
during work on plant devices.

Component
Element of a system that is managed, monitored or maintained separate from the system.

Component Renewal
Component renewal is the financial requirement associated with the replacement or renewal of a
system or component that has reached the end of serviceable life and with an intended design life less
than the design life of the entire facility. The capital/component renewal cost includes the deconstruction
of the existing system or system components and replacement with a new system of equal capability and
performance.

Component Renewal Index (CRI)


Indicates the relative funding required for identified component renewal and renovation/modernization
needs. CRI is derived by dividing projected component renewal by current replacement value.

Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS)


A computerized system designed to assist with the effective and efficient management of maintenance
activities. It generally includes features such as work order management for the planning, scheduling and
monitoring of work orders and maintenance needs.

Condition Assessment
Architectural and engineering due diligence assessment of an existing building and site that informs the
property acquisition process. Evaluates physical condition, general code compliance, capacities/
adequacies, repair and maintenance issues, recommended replacements, capital expenditures, and
provides corrective action probable costs opinions. It is also used to compare the conditions of facilities,
systems or components to determine the effectiveness of maintenance practices, and compare the long-
term functionality of specific facilities, systems and components.

Condition Index (CI)


An indicator of the actual physical condition of a facility, system or component. Each building system
is scored based on a predefined condition scale (i.e. Excellent, Good, Average, Poor, and Fail) with a
coordinating numerical scale and is totaled to determine the building’s overall CI.

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Consignment
A classification type for inventory materials that are stored on-site but that are owned by an external
vendor. The vendor retains ownership of the consignment items until they are used and paid for by the
organization that is storing them.

Contracts
A written legally binding service maintenance agreement that defines what is to be worked on, how
often, the costs, hours of service, what is covered (parts and/or labor), emergency service and limitations.
Contracts are necessary as a method of managing airport vendors and costs.

Corrective Maintenance
Any maintenance activity that is required to correct a failure that has occurred or is in the process of
occurring. This activity may consist of repair, or replacement of components.

Craft
A work activity performed by a labor category such as "plumbing."

Craftsperson
Alternative to Tradesperson. A skilled maintenance worker who has typically been formally trained
through an apprenticeship program.

Current Replacement Value


The total expenditure in current dollars required to replace any facility, including construction costs,
design costs, project management costs and project administrative costs.

D
Data Dictionary
A centralized repository of information about data such as meaning, relationships to other data, origin,
usage and format.

Data Type
A category of data. Typical data types are logical (true/false), numeric, alphanumeric (character) and
dates. When data are assigned a type, they cannot be treated like another type. For example, alphanumeric
data cannot be calculated and digits within numeric data cannot be isolated. Date types can only contain
valid dates.

Dead Date
The date past the due date plus the grace period, at which point the component becomes inoperable.

Deferred Maintenance
Deferred maintenance represents curable physical deficiencies that are present on an existing facility,
system or component and that have been deferred from the time frame that they were intended to be
accomplished.
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Demolition
Removal of a facility, system or component that has been determined to be unsafe or no longer meets,
or is not required to meet, mission goals.

Design Life
Period for which a facility, system or component is expected to function at its designated capacity
without major repairs.

Direct Issue Item


An ordered item that is issued immediately upon receipt to a work order, equipment, or location rather
than stocked in the storeroom.

Disposition
The process by which the airport relinquishes possession and ownership of an asset or a facility, system
or component.

Documents
Documents refer to the paper trail to support CMMS functions. These may include blueprints, receipts
and contracts as well as PDF, pictures and other computer based images.

Downtime
The time that an item of equipment is out of service, as a result of a fault within the equipment or
within the environment. The time that an item of equipment is available, but not utilized is generally not
included in the calculation of downtime.

Downtime Control

Tracking causes of asset failures to determine whether the PM program is effective and making
adjustments to it if found lacking.

E
Economic Order Quantity
The optimum reorder quantity of an item, in the specified units of order, to be used as the default or
standard reorder amount. The economic order quantity is a calculation of the optimum reorder amount
that balances the costs of keeping inventory in stock and the costs of reordering inventory items.

Emergency Maintenance
A maintenance task carried out in order to avert an immediate hazard or to correct an unexpected
failure.

Emergency Work
Maintenance work that requires immediate response from the maintenance staff. Its urgency is usually
associated with safety, operational, health, or environmental effects. Emergency work is often performed
without a requisite work order issued in advance.
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Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)


EAM refers to the management of assets to the benefit of the organization as a whole and not limited to
a specific area such as a department, location or division. It includes the entire process of managing the
airport’s assets throughout its life cycle from initial planning, designed use, installation, training,
operations, maintenance and eventual replacement.

Escalation
A course of action that is taken when a task is not completed satisfactorily within a specific period of
time.

Escalation Point
A condition or threshold that must be met in order to trigger an escalation.

Exception
A condition or event that cannot be handled by a normal process.

F
Facility
A structure or installation serving a specific function. A facility is a permanent, semi-permanent, or
temporary commercial or industrial property such as a building, plant, or structure; built, established or
installed for the performance of one or more specific activities or functions.

Facility Condition
Represents the current physical state of the facility, system or component. It is used to evaluate the
conditions facilities, systems or components to determine the effectiveness of maintenance practices, and
compare the long-term functionality of specific facilities, systems and components.

Facility Condition Assessment (FCA)


An inspection and assessment of facilities producing a complete account of system and component
deficiencies and a list of remediation scenarios. FCA results inform maintenance and capital renewal
planning.

Facility Condition Index (FCI)


A comparative indicator of the relative condition of facilities expressed as a ratio of the cost of
remediating maintenance and repair backlog to the CRV.

Facility Fixed Asset


Any asset with a significant original value and will be capitalized. A “Facility Fixed Asset” can be a
single facility or groups of facilities, a system or group of systems, a component or group of components.

Facility Group
The common features or characteristics by which a facility and its subordinate systems and components
are categorized.
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Facility Hierarchical Levels


A facility management best practice is to organize and maintain a hierarchical relationship between
facility, system and component, sometimes called a parent–child relationship. Facilities have systems and
systems have components. A facility can exist without related system records but a system cannot exist
without a related facility. Likewise, a system can exist without components, but a component cannot exist
without a parent system.

Facility Management (FM)


Primary function is to make sure buildings operate at maximum efficiency through the optimal
integration of people, processes and technology. Includes HVAC, electrical, plumbing, lighting, cleaning
and security.

Facilities Management Information System (FMIS)


The integration of several computer systems that are each designed to perform a specific function. An
example would be the integration of an electronic document management system and a Computerized
Maintenance Management System (CMMS) to manage facilities and the associated information.

Facility Registry
The database of information about airport facilities, systems and components and their location,
attributes, characteristics and condition.

Facility Criticality:
The ranked importance of a facility to an airport’s mission.

Failure
A breakdown or decline in the performance of a facility, system or component. Note that "failure" is an
event, as distinguished from "fault" which is a "state."

Failure Class
The highest level of a failure hierarchy.

Failure Code
An alphanumeric code typically entered against a work order in a computerized maintenance
management system (CMMS), which indicates the failure cause (e.g. lack of lubrication, metal fatigue,
etc.). These codes are employed to facilitate analysis of plant history.

Failure Hierarchy
A tree structure that shows relationships between identified problems, causes, and remedies for asset
and operating location failures. Failure hierarchies are built from the top level, the failure class, down.

Feature
A physical object, such as a guardrail or mile marker, that is associated with one or more linear assets,
but which does not have a unique ID.

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First Cost
The cost to acquire (construct or purchase) a facility, system or component.

First-in First-out Costing


A method of cost accounting that can be used to make an inventory valuation, based on actual receipt
costs. First-in first-out costing uses the "first in" (oldest) item cost for inventory transactions.

G
GIS
Geographic Information System (GIS)
The combination of cartography and technology to create and analyze spatial information about
geographic features. Mapping data can be accessed, transferred, manipulated, overlaid, processed and
displayed.

Geospatial
Geospatial is a term most often associated with advanced mapping techniques by merging imagery,
maps, charts, and environmental data into sophisticated 3d images.

Global Positioning System (GPS)


The Global Positioning System is a U.S. space-based worldwide radio navigation system made up of
three parts: satellites, control stations and receivers). Receivers are then able to provide a three-
dimensional location (latitude, longitude, and altitude).

H
Hard Reservation
A firm request for items from a storeroom that is defined by the need for the items within a specific
time frame. A hard reservation reduces the available balance of items. Hard reservations are prioritized
and cannot be superseded by other reservation types.

I
Incident
An event that is not part of the standard operation of a service and causes or can cause a disruption to
or a reduction in the quality of services and customer productivity and results in an emergency service
request that must be addressed immediately. An incident report is entered into as a high priority service
request.

Inspections
An inspection is the act of examining assets in order to determine their condition by checking on
known issues, answering checklist questions, observing and documenting changes and making
recommendations or scheduling maintenance. Inspections are a form of preventive maintenance.

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Inventory
In accounting terms, inventory is a record of current assets, which includes property and equipment
owned (counting parts in stock, value of work in progress, and work completed but not sold). In
maintenance terms it is frequently used to describe the list of equipment and spare parts currently held in
stock.

Inventory Management

The process by which inventory is controlled. Typically, this includes tracking usage of stock items,
Optimization of stock levels and Control of costs.

Invoice
The bill for services or products provided to a customer. The invoice includes all charges associated
with the services or products provided.

Issue Unit
The quantity of an item that is considered a single item; for example, gloves are issued in pairs. The
issue unit might be different from the order unit.

Item
Inventory that might be part of an asset, but which is not strictly monitored, and whose cost is less than
an asset.

J
Job Plan
A detailed description of how to implement or undertake a maintenance activity. The description
includes a list of work steps (tasks) and the typical resources (labor, material, equipment) needed to
perform the work steps.

K
Key Performance Indicator (KPI)
A measurement of specific actual performance that will be compared to a specific targeted performance
criteria.

L
Labor
A person who carries out a specific job (a labor performs a craft).

Laborer
A human resource within a crew.
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Labor Record
A document that contains information about a worker, such as craft, skill level, hours worked, and
certifications. A labor record cannot exist without a corresponding person record.

Last-in First-out Costing


A method of cost accounting that can be used to make an inventory valuation, based on actual receipt
costs. Last-in first-out costing uses the "last in" (newest) item cost for inventory transactions.

Lead Time
The amount of time between placing an order and receiving the items.

Legislatively Mandated
Deficiencies that must be corrected in response to regulatory or code requirements. These activities
include retrofitting for code compliance, accessibility and removing hazardous materials such as asbestos
and underground storage tanks.

Linear Asset
An asset that is maintained in segments, such as a road, pipeline, or railroad track. Measurements are
made along the linear asset to specify work, monitoring, metering, or placement of signs.

Linear Segment
The span of a linear asset that is defined by a start and an end measure. The span can be the entire
length of the linear asset or any continuous part of it.

Location
A place where assets are operated, stored, or repaired. The coordinate, name or address that uniquely
locates a facility, system or component.

Lockout-Tagout (LOTO)
A safety procedure used with dangerous machines to ensure machines are properly shut down and
started to prevent injury or death.

M
Maintenance
Any activity carried out on an asset in order to ensure that the asset continues to perform its intended
functions, or to repair the equipment. Note that modifications are not maintenance, even though they may
be carried out by maintenance personnel.

Maintenance Categories

Maintenance categories describe the primary function of the maintenance activity. Examples of
maintenance categories may include the following: inspection, condition monitoring, non-destructive
testing, overhauls, and faultfinding.

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Maintenance Contractor Expenses

Cost of labor and material for contracted maintenance services. This does not include contract labor for
capital projects.

(Total) Maintenance Cost

All direct and indirect costs regarding maintenance activities. Direct costs are costs charged to a
maintenance budget as fixed costs (e.g. personnel, materials, subcontractors, and overhead). Indirect costs
are related to loss of revenue due to unavailability.

Maintenance Engineering

A staff function whose prime responsibility is to ensure that maintenance techniques are effective, that
equipment is designed and modified to improve maintainability, that ongoing maintenance technical
problems are investigated, and appropriate corrective and improvement actions are taken.

Maintenance Labor Expenses

Direct pay for maintenance labor including overtime premium.

Maintenance Management

All activities of the management that determine the maintenance objectives, strategies, and
responsibilities, and implement them by means, such as maintenance planning, maintenance control and
supervision, improvement of methods in the airport, including economic, environmental, and safety
aspects.

Maintenance Material Expenses

All materials, spare parts, supplies, etc., consumed for maintaining equipment and facility including
materials purchased for maintenance by contractors and excluding materials for capital projects.

Maintenance Repair and Operations (MRO)


Maintenance Repair and Operations is the fixing of broken or damaged physical items. This includes
any mechanical or electrical device.

Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF)


The predicted elapsed time between inherent failures of a system or component during operation.
MTBF can be calculated as the arithmetic mean (average) time between failures of a system.

Mean Time To Repair (MTTR)


A basic measure of the maintainability of repairable items. It represents the average (mean) time
required to repair a failed component or system.

Metadata
Information about data; for example, a text document's metadata may contain information such as:
document length, author, creation date and summary.
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Meters
A PM Task Work Order can be triggered by some meter frequency (Miles, millions of units, hours,
KM)

Mission Critical
Activity, component, service or system whose failure or disruption will result in the failure of business
operations.

Mobile Computer
The use of a computing device while in transit. Mobile computers with CMMS systems generally refer
to the use of handheld devices (handheld computers).

N
New Construction
Construction that adds to an existing footprint or creates a new facility, system or component.

Non-Operational Downtime
Downtime that occurs when an asset is not normally in use.

Non-Routine Maintenance

Any maintenance task not performed at a regular, pre-determined frequency.

Non-Scheduled Maintenance
An Equipment Maintenance Strategy, where no routine maintenance tasks are performed on the
equipment. The only maintenance performed on the equipment is Corrective Maintenance, and then only
after the equipment has suffered a failure.

O
Operating Location
A location type that indicates the presence of operating assets (as opposed to a storage or repair
facility).

Operational Downtime
Downtime that occurs during a period in which asset is normally in use. The outage causes a facility,
system or component to be out of service that results in operational time to be lost.

Operator Based Maintenance


Basic maintenance tasks performed by operations/production personnel. Typically such activities
include cleaning and subjective inspection. Sometimes referred to as Operator Maintenance.

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Order Unit
The standard unit by which an item is ordered that can differ from the issue unit.

Outage
Term used in some industries that is equivalent to a planned shutdown. A period of time during which
there is a complete planned production stoppage.

Overrun
A situation where a planned event takes longer to complete than was planned. For example, an overrun
occurs when an asset was planned to be in maintenance for 5 days but it actually takes 6 days.

P
Physical Deficiencies
The presence of conspicuous defects or deferred maintenance of facilities, systems or components as
observed during the field observer's walk-through survey. Physical deficiencies specifically exclude
deficiencies that may be remedied with routine maintenance, miscellaneous minor repairs or normal
operating maintenance.

Planned Downtime
Time when equipment is scheduled to be down and available for maintenance work. The calendar of an
asset is used to calculate downtime.

Planned Maintenance

Any maintenance activity for which a pre-determined job procedure has been documented, for which
all labor, materials, tools, and equipment required to carry out the task have been estimated, and their
availability assured before commencement of the task.

Planning

The process of determining the resources, methods, and processes needed to perform maintenance
work efficiently and effectively.

Predictive Maintenance
An equipment maintenance strategy based on measuring the condition of equipment in order to assess
whether it will fail during some future period, and then taking appropriate action to avoid the
consequences of that failure. The condition of equipment could be monitored using Condition
Monitoring, Statistical Process Control techniques, by monitoring equipment performance, or through the
use of the Human Senses. The terms Condition Based Maintenance, On-Condition Maintenance and
Predictive Maintenance can be used interchangeably.

Preventive Maintenance (PM)


Maintenance that occurs on a pre-determined schedule. Typically includes inspection, testing,
lubrication and minor adjustments. Equipment maintenance strategy based on replacing, overhauling or
remanufacturing an item at a fixed interval, regardless of its condition at the time. The purpose of
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preventive maintenance (PM) is to increase efficiencies by reducing the amount of reactive work in
relation to planned maintenance thus increasing the ability of management to manage work more
efficiently and with greater flexibility. PM allows for the early identification of problems and
significantly increases the life cycle of equipment, lowers capital expenditure requirements and allows for
better planning of capital budgets.

Preventative Maintenance Alert


A message that indicates that a preventive maintenance work order is about to become due for an asset
or location.

Preventative Maintenance Record


A template for scheduled preventive maintenance work. PMs can contain job plan and corresponding
safety plan information that the system copies to work orders.

Primary Failure
A failure not caused either directly or indirectly by another failure or fault.

Priority
The relative importance of a task in relation to other tasks. Used in scheduling work orders.

Proactive Maintenance
Any tasks used to predict or prevent equipment failures.

Project Record Documents


Also known as As-Built Documents, these are the final installed and/or acquired asset construction
records, including, but not limited to: record drawings and specifications, product data, samples, spare
parts and tools, technical manuals, permits, certificate of occupancy, miscellaneous and record submittals.

Property Condition Report (PCR)


The work product resulting from completing a Condition Assessment in accordance with the Condition
Assessment Policy. The PCR incorporates the information obtained during the walk-through survey, the
document review and interview portions of the Condition Assessment, and includes opinions of probable
costs for remediating the physical deficiencies identified.

Purchase Order
An authorized order to an external vendor or internal supplier.

Purchase Requisition
A written request that is issued internally to the purchasing department to purchase items, materials, or
services.

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R
Reactive Maintenance
Maintenance Strategy to equipment malfunctions or breaks downs after they occur. Maintenance is
mainly performed during irregular non-planned stops. It may be undertaken where equipment is
knowingly assigned a Run-To-Failure (RTF) strategy, or No Scheduled Maintenance strategy.

Recurring Maintenance
Work activities that recur, based on normal wear patterns, on a periodic cycle of greater than 1 year and
less than 10 years. Typical work includes painting, caulking, sealing, carpet replacements, tree trimming,
sprinkler head replacements, curb painting, etc.

Release Purchase Order


A purchase order for a portion of the total amount or lines specified on an associated volume contract.

Remaining Useful Life


An estimate made by a qualified inspector, based upon observations and experience, on the number of
remaining years that a facility, system or component will be functional before needing replacement.

Reorder Point
The point at which an inventory item should be reordered so that its in-stock balance does not fall
below the level designated as safety stock during the lead-time for the order.

Repair
Any activity which returns the capability of a facility, system or component that has failed to a level of
performance equal to, or greater than, that specified by its functions, but not greater than its original
maximum capability. An activity that increases the maximum capability of a facility, system or
component is a modification.

Requisition
A request for an asset, item, tool, or service. The requested entity can be procured from a vendor, or it
can be acquired by an inter-departmental transfer.

Reserve Item
An item is placed on hold in a storeroom for a given work order, GL account, asset, or location.

Room
A space that can be accessed by a door and is enclosed by a floor, walls and a ceiling.

Root Cause Failure Analysis (RCFA)


Generally stands for a systematic procedure to investigate the root causes of asset failures (failure
diagnosis). The diagnosis results are used in maintenance tasks as a proactive way to prevent repetitive
failures.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Rotating Asset
A non-perishable asset that is tracked in inventory through its association with a specific rotating item.

Rotating Item
An inventory item for which each instance of the item is also tracked by its own asset number. Rotating
items are typically repaired or refurbished, not discarded.

Rotating Tool
A tool for which each instance of the tool is also tracked by its own asset number.

Routine Maintenance Task


Any maintenance task that is performed at a regular, predefined interval.

Run-to-Failure (No Scheduled Maintenance)

An Equipment Maintenance Strategy, where no routine maintenance tasks are performed on the
equipment. The only maintenance performed on the equipment is Corrective Maintenance, and then only
after the equipment has suffered a failure. Also described as a No Scheduled Maintenance strategy.

S
Safety Stock
The minimum inventory level of an item that should always be available at the associated storeroom
location.

Scheduled Downtime
A period of time when the equipment is not available to perform its intended function due to planned
downtime events. These include maintenance delay (delay after an interrupt is reported, but before anyone
arrives to repair it); production test; preventive maintenance; change of consumables; set-up; and
facilities-related downtime.

Scheduled Work Order

A Work Order that has been planned and included on an approved Maintenance Schedule.

Segment
A defined section of a linear asset.
Service Level Agreement (SLA)
A contract between a customer and a service provider that specifies the expectations for the level of
service with respect to availability, performance, and other measurable objectives.

Service Request
A request for work to be performed. A high priority service request is also known as an Incident
Report. Service requests are used to track requests for work that comes into the Airport Response

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Coordination Center. If the request for service requires cannot be resolved on the first response and
requires additional resources, then a work order is created.

Shipment Receipt Record


A record that contains information about the receipt of materials at a location, for example, at a site or
storeroom within an organization. A shipment receipt record contains details such as the quantity of items
that are received, the date of receipt, and the locations of the source and destination storerooms.

Shipment Record
A record that contains information about the transfer of materials between source and destination
storerooms, such as between two sites within an organization. A shipment record contains details such as
the delivery method, the quantity of items, the date of the shipment, and the storeroom locations.

Shop Work Order


A work order that is created ad hoc by a shop for a discovered problem, as opposed to being created as
a result of a service request or planned maintenance.

Shutdown
Outage scheduled in advance for maintenance or other services. Sometimes called planned outage.

Site
A work location, such as a plant or facility.

Soft Reservation
A request for items or tools that is not yet defined by the need for the items within a specific time
frame. A soft reservation does not reduce the available balance. When a reservation is classified as soft,
the item is available for eventual issue from the list of reservations.

Spare Part
Any component or equipment intended to restore a corresponding one in order to restore the original
required function of the component or equipment.

Standby Node
A device that assumes the identity of a primary node if the primary node fails or is taken out of service.
The standby node runs the primary node's workload until the primary node is back in service.

Subassembly
An assembled unit that is incorporated with other units into a complete assembly. A subassembly is a
child asset.

Sub-Room
Rooms that can only be accessed from another room and have no doors directly off of a corridor (i.e. a
room within a room).

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)


A computerized system often used to collect real-time maintenance information for monitoring and
control of assets.

Sustainment Cost
The total of costs required to operate, maintain, preserve and renew the facility, system or component
on an annualized basis.

System
A collection of components performing a specific function for a facility. Systems are logical elements
of a facility that are unique in their life cycle and/or function.

T
Tag
A physical label that is applied to an asset to indicate the device, its position, and the controlling
authority.

Tag Out Procedure


The procedure for taking work assets out of service or placing them back in service to ensure a safe
work environment.

Task List
In a maintenance inspection context, a task list provides directions about what to look for during an
inspection. Tasks include inspecting, cleaning, tightening, adjusting, lubricating, replacing, etc. Tasks are
specific, complete, and have a performance standard.

Technical Record
A record that maintains information that is related to an externally published directive or bulletin, such
as an airworthiness directive or a customer service notification. Technical records are used in highly
regulated industries to ensure that all regulations are properly implemented.

Telemetry
Telemetry is defined as the science and technology of automatic measurement and transmission of data
by wire, radio, or other means from remote sources to a monitoring device recording and analysis. For
CMMS this means the remote transmission of maintenance information.

Ticket
A record, such as a service request, incident, or problem report that can be routed and assigned a status.

Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)


The sum of the expenditures required to construct, operate, maintain, preserve and renew the facility,
system or component over its intended design life with acceptable functionality.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Total Cost per Acre (or Square Foot)


A benchmark per grounds (for acre) or facility (for Square Foot) to track total expenditures relative to
the size of the facility. It is the ratio of total maintenance, repair and replacement costs divided by total
gross acre or square footage, respectively, of the facility.

TCO Ratio
The ratio of first cost to sustainment cost.

Total-Productive Maintenance (TPM)

TPM is an airport-wide management program that emphasizes production operator involvement in


equipment maintenance, and continuous improvement approaches.

U
UNIFORMAT II Code
UNIFORMAT II is a format for classifying building elements and related site work. Elements are
major building components that perform a given function, regardless of the design specification,
construction method or materials used.

Unit
A unit (of measurement) is a definite magnitude of a physical quantity that is used as a standard for
measurement of the same physical quantity.

Unplanned Maintenance
Any maintenance activity for which a pre-determined job procedure has not been documented, or for
which all labor, materials, tools, and equipment required to carry out the task have been not been
estimated, and their availability assured before commencement of the task.

Unscheduled Downtime

A period of time when the equipment is not available to perform its intended function due to unplanned
downtime events. These include maintenance delay, repair, and change of consumables, out-of-spec
input, and facilities-related downtime.

Unscheduled Maintenance
Any maintenance work not included on an approved maintenance schedule prior to its commencement.
Note: this is not necessarily a breakdown, rather a break in the schedule of maintenance.

Uptime

The opposite of downtime. It is defined as being the time that an item of equipment is in service and
operating.

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V
Vendor
A person or company that supplies materials or services to another person or company.

W
Workflow
The structured sequence of activities and tasks that are used to implement a specific change, release, or
other process, including automatic routing and tracking of records for approval and other tasks.

Work Inspections
Either a situational review of the work site during preparation for an existing work order, or
performance of a scheduled inspection as a work order.

Workload
The amount of labor hours required to carry out specified maintenance tasks.

Work Order (WO)


An instruction with the accompanying details and information needed to perform a defined scope of
work. Work Orders are created when a service request cannot be resolved on the first response, or are
created automatically for planned maintenance. A Work Order contains a description of the task, details
of the asset, tracking number, date requested, due date, who it is assigned to, a priority, time spent on,
inspection notes, and general notes/remarks section.

Work Order Criticality


Work order importance rating based on the sum of asset criticality and work type criticality.

Work Order Priority


Ranking of a work order based on allowable work initiation time.

Work Plan
A list of the operations, labor, materials, and tools that is required to complete a work order.

Work Request (WR)


A document/online form used for making the initial request for maintenance. Once approved, the
document is normally converted into a work order.

Work Type
Classification of work based on business need, such as legislatively mandated or unplanned corrective
work.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Work Type Criticality


The importance of the work in maintaining functioning facilities, systems and components.

Sources of Definitions:
• http://www.mintek.com/eam-cmms/glossary/#top
• http://www.promaintainer.com/Glossary.html
• http://www.cmmssoftwareguide.com/cmms-glossary.htm
• LAWA FM Handbook
• IBM Maximo Asset Management Manual

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

APPENDIX B: Case Study Reports

Case Study Report 1: Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport

Case Study Report 2: General Mitchell International Airport

Case Study Report 3: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

Case Study Report 4: Southwest Florida International Airport

Case Study Report 5: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport

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Case Study Report 1:

Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport


CMMS Implementation & Use

Synopsis
Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) is a large hub operating a mature CMMS platform that
is widely accepted and used by diverse stakeholder groups. The functional use of the system has
expanded and continues to expand since the initial implementation in 2004. It is used to manage assets
pertaining to: aircraft parking, ramp area, roadways, runways, taxiways, bridges, people mover vehicles,
shuttles, drainage, fuel infrastructure, lighting, tanks, baggage, HVAC, plumbing, elevated bridges,
parking garage/lots, passenger terminals, passenger-loading bridges, administration buildings,
maintenance facilities, pump stations, wastewater treatment facilities, and signage. The airport actively
manages all airside assets, but contracts out most of the maintenance functions inside terminals B and D.

Interviewees
• Jennifer Harris – ITS Project Lead
• Keith Pachuilo – SEAM Manager
• Ed Kitchen –SEAMS Coordinator
• John Sutten – Sr. Programmer / Systems Analyst
• Meryl Fisher – Senior Database Analyst
• Scott Sizemore – Airport Operations
• Jim Hewitt – Airport Call Center
• Dawn Delaney – Airport Call Center Trainer
The airport provided a tour of the fleet maintenance shop and the airport EOC and call centers to
demonstrate the use of Infor EAM in the operations.

Operational Assessment
DFW uses Infor EAM to generate and track work orders, schedule preventive maintenance, track
maintenance history, monitor asset health, track FAA Part 139 discrepancies and maintenance history,
and provide safety management entries and workflow for maintenance. The Part 139 tracking and safety
management entries are tied to work orders and are viewed within the context of work orders. The
captured information is used for regulated reporting. Additionally, Infor EAM is integrated, either
directly or indirectly, with the following airport systems:

• C3 Portal for Airport Operations and Status Board


• Oracle Financials
• GIS
• PropWorks Property Management System
• Skire Program Management System

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Airport Description
DFW, the world’s third busiest airport by aircraft movements, serves the Dallas/Fort Worth, TX
metropolitan area. In terms of passenger traffic, it is the eighth busiest airport in the world serving
approximately 60M passengers annually. DFW is the largest hub for American Airlines. At 18,000
acres, DFW is the second largest airport campus in the United States. The airport is the only one in the
world with seven active runways. DFW achieved 200 nonstop destinations in 2013, including 52
international and 148 U.S. domestic destinations.

DFW has its own police, fire protection, and emergency medical services. DFW manages Terminals D
and E, whereas Terminals A and C are managed by American Airlines.

CMMS History at DFW


DFW began using an in-house developed CMMS in the late 1970s. The system was used until 2002,
when the airport purchased and implemented DataStream’s 7i asset management software. The airport
upgraded to Infor EAM after the purchase of DataStream by Infor Software Solutions in 2006.

The original need for replacement of the in-house software came after the airport took over
management of Terminal D. The planning for implementation was started in 2002 and completed about
two years later.

Business Case
The system upgrade in 2008 was undertaken to better manage the airport’s assets in support of the
Asset Management Departments mission:

“The Asset Management Department manages the airport board's multi-billion dollar physical
infrastructure by providing services necessary to ensure the safe and efficient operation of a
world- class airport through core business activities of maintenance, repair, renewal, operation
and special support.”
The objectives targeted for accomplishment by the Asset Management Department were:

• Development of the organization consisting of infrastructure planning and systems performance


functions teaming with engineering and sustainability
• Development of work standards and criteria
• Improvement in work practices and work order management
• Development of KPIs that track the maintenance of critical systems and infrastructure renewal
funding levels for benchmarking to industry standards
• Development of a five (5) year project-planning instrument

CMMS Implementation

Driver(s)
The Director of Airport Development identified and championed the need for DFW to have a cradle-to-
grave asset management system. An in-house developed system had served adequately for several years,
however, it was limited in accommodating the airport growth that was occurring. Both passenger volume
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and physical space (Terminal D under construction) was increasing and future expectations were that
DFW needed to prepare for that trend to continue. Also, assets previously supported by the airlines were
transitioning to DFW control for ownership and maintenance. The increasing cost in labor resources to
manage the larger number and greater scope of assets was significant. Better management of those assets
required better tools for asset maintenance, repair, and replacement.

Selection Process
In early 2002, a Selection Committee of stakeholders was assembled to investigate the opportunity to
recommend a new CMMS solution to replace the existing system. The highest-level requirement was to
select a system superior to the current platform with enhanced functionality.

Requirements were captured to support DFW operational processes for asset management. Resources
in developing the requirements included the VP of Information Technology, VP of Airport Maintenance,
ADE (Airport Engineers), and resources from Asset Management and Information Technology.

Research and surveys of other airports were conducted to discover what CMMS software and
applications were in use and successful. The research results were presented to the Vice Presidents.

An RFP was developed and released in mid-2002.

Evaluation of CMMS Solutions


Using the business requirements, an evaluation matrix was prepared to determine the merits of one
CMMS solution versus another. The evaluation was grouped by requirement categories and then detailed
requirements within each category. Table B1-1 provides the highlights of the factors used by DFW to
conduct the evaluation.

Evaluation Category Factors


Maintenance Management • asset maintenance capability
Functions • preventive, predictive, proactive maintenance features
• work order management
• inception to close with scheduling, tracking, and material/tool
inventory management
CMMS Program Features • user customization
• ad hoc query
• data import/export
• data and transaction archive
• user friendly system interface
• security and password flexibility
CMMS Operating Environment • data points from proposing vendors on:
• hardware platform
• operating system
• network requirements
• storage requirements
• supporting software
• end-device requirements and options
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Evaluation Category Factors


CMMS Vendor Data • background of the vendor’s CMMS experience years in business
• customer base
• support & upgrade policies
• training
• ability of the vendor to produce an evaluation copy of the software
Table B1-1: DFW Evaluation Summary

DataStream 7i (now Infor EAM) was selected as the system of choice and the contract award was
completed by September, 2002.

Implementation
The implementation process began in September, 2002 and the estimated plan initially targeted
implementation by November, 2003. Production “go-live” was achieved in December, 2004.

Table B1-2 presents the services and functions provided by the vendor and the initial software
implementation.

Service or Function Description


Base Administration System administration functions
Asset Management Asset identification and management
Work Management • Repair order
• Routine maintenance
• Response maintenance
• Preventive maintenance
Materials Management Material allocation to repair orders
Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Fleet management functionality
Data Collection Data import capability
Barcode Ability to record asset identification through barcode scanning
Mobile Capacity Access to information in CMMS through handheld devices
Workflow Track progress and status of work and task process sequences
Reporting Ad hoc reporting capability
Commercial Maintenance work cost input
Data Conversion Data migration service
Data Integration External data access through application program interfaces
Table B1-2: DFW Functional Components of Initial Implementation

The implementation activities were developed by the vendor, reviewed with DFW project team, and
then executed through planned tasks. The tasks were used to establish the project implementation plan.
Some of the key tasks listed below were planned to be replicated as a secondary tasks or as multiple
iterations as necessary to achieve successful start-up.

• Future State Business Process Review


• Configuration Analysis
• Component Configuration/Testing
• Integration Planning/Install/Test
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• Data Mapping/Migration Planning/Validation/Testing


• Reporting Tool Training
• Standard Operating Procedures Planning/Training
• End-user Training
• Train-the-Trainer Class
Data migration was a challenge during the implementation. Even though new naming conventions
were put in place for new asset data entry, the legacy system asset data maintained the naming and
descriptive information when transferred to the new system. In the Infor EAM system, naming
conventions are in two formats, one for mobile assets and another for fixed location assets. The
implementation contractor conducted the validation of the data.

In addition to the system vendor/contractor resources, DFW applied approximately 6 resources at a 70-
80% allocation during the 2-year implementation effort.

Key Points
The configuration of the organization/security table proved later to be an obstacle to allowing
contracted maintenance providers use of the system. External users of the system were not considered in
the initial security model. That critical decision was one that the airport would like to change, but the
change requires a significant amount of work. DFW built the security table based on the existing
organization structure that had all stakeholders and users under a single organization. When maintenance
was subcontracted, the single organization model did not adequately support the airport’s processes. The
configuration originally implemented has limited the flexibility needed to address the roles of
subcontracting maintenance organizations. DFW is currently considering a reimplementation to address
the single organization configuration installed.

Also, the development of the asset hierarchy will be investigated for the need to adjust. For example,
DFW chose to identify and roll up costs by facility with lighting, electrical, and plumbing assets
comprising the facility assets.

Airport Use of CMMS

Organizations and the Use and Benefits of CMMS

Asset Management
Asset Management controls approximately 25,000 assets with more assets continually added. Most
airfield assets (lighting, pavement, signs, etc.) are in-house maintained while a majority of other asset
maintenance is contracted out. Terminals that are exclusive to American Airlines are maintained by the
carrier.

When the CMMS selection process was conducted, most maintenance tasks were in-house resourced.
Since that time, DFW has adopted the use of contracted resources to manage and conduct maintenance
tasks beginning with the custodial areas and progressing into other maintenance shop duties. In some
cases, a contractor may be responsible for multiple maintenance contracts. Where contract resources are
applied, the vendor is required to use the DFW CMMS system to enter and maintain work order
information appropriate to the access and security level provided. The DFW Contract Coordinating
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Group manages contractor service levels. Figure B1-1 provides a sample of a DFW Contractor
Performance Report.

Asset and parts inventory tracking and procurement is not managed through CMMS. While some asset
analysis is conducted through the CMMS system, true life-cycle analysis is not currently accomplished
through the system.

Figure B1-1: Example of DFW Contractor Performance Report

Fleet Management
Fleet assets are primarily controlled by internal resources. Contractors may be used to conduct some
repair and service tasks, but the asset management process is controlled by the Fleet business operation.

The ability to enforce processes through management support and a business user champion has
enabled Fleet to maximize the use of the system and to continue to introduce new functionality that
benefits Fleet asset management.

All vehicles are commissioned through Fleet. No vehicle is commissioned for use by DFW if it has not
met Fleet commissioning requirements. Commissioning includes the registration of the asset in CMMS.
Fleet inventory includes not only vehicles such as buses, cars, trucks, and motorcycles (police), but also
trailers, construction equipment, lawn mowers, landscape equipment, etc. DFW currently has over 1,000
assets in the Fleet inventory.

Vehicles are measured for usage through metrics appropriate for the asset (mileage, fuel usage, usage
hours, etc.) The assets are monitored for Preventive Maintenance through supervisor reports and Work
Orders are initiated automatically for the required PM tasks. The Work Orders are monitored for status
and completion.
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The ownership and authority of Fleet’s control on the PM processes has enabled Fleet to be the front-
runner at DFW in using and maximizing CMMS functions and capabilities. The task management of
CMMS has also enabled Fleet to streamline processes, reduce paper work, reduce hard-copy archived
data, and produce analytical reports. Figure B1-2 provides a sample of a DFW Fleet Statistics Report

Figure B1-2: Example of DFW Fleet Statistics Report.

Airport Operations Call Center


All calls coming into the Airport Operations Call Center (AOC) are entered into Infor EAM using a
defined set of categories to identify the appropriate nature of the call. Basic information collected at the
time of the call includes the customer identification plus some call record information. The AOC handles
approximately 1,000 trigger points per day, of which 10% become Work Orders.

AOC reports are usually generated automatically, but can be generated on-demand, and made available
for distribution to predefined user groups.

The use of the CMMS Tool for recording call data information is a critical part of the training that
AOC resources receive. When call volume gets too high so that data entry of an operator falls behind,
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they are expected to record information as needed and follow up as soon as possible with updating the on-
line system.

Thick binders of paper documents and manual reviews have been replaced by the efficient functionality
of the Infor EAM system. It is estimated that at least 100 man-hours per week are saved between the
previous, manual method of call logging versus the current automated system.

Continuous Improvement and Expansion of CMMS Use


Since the 2004 initial implementation of Infor EAM and the replacement of the legacy in-house
developed asset management tool, the growth of airport assets and diverging methods for asset
management and maintenance have resulted in multiple ways of leveraging CMMS. In addition to
enhanced asset management functionality, in 2006 the AOC has used CMMS to replace the Call Center
Logbook (a PowerBuilder application) and has moved forward in applying the functionality to address
Part139 compliance tracking as well. Figure B1-3 highlights the continuous improvements and expanded
use of the CMMS over time.

Asset Fleet Airport Call Airfield Ops


Management Management Center (Part 139)
2004 2013

Implementation Continuous Improvement


Figure B1-3: Continuous Improvement and Expanded Use of CMMS Software

The interaction between the business resources using Infor EAM and the technology support resources
has generated a synergy that, through the use of user defined fields and system capabilities, has produced
enhanced functionality providing benefits of efficiencies and streamlined processes.

Technical Support of CMMS

Implementation
DataStream (Infor EAM) and a contractor implemented the Infor EAM system in Development
environment first. The implementation into the Test platform was also conducted primarily by the
contractor at that time. DFW technical resources then engaged with the contractor in the move to the
Production platform. After the first upgrade of the system was done by a contractor, the DFW technical
and DBA team became responsible for conducting the implementation of all upgrades and changes.

The Infor EAM system is established in three technical environments: Development, Test, and
Production. The Production system data can be replicated as needed to the Development or Test
platforms. The three-platform approach enables DFW to manage changes, testing, and training
thoroughly and with tight control.

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Change Management
Software changes and patches, whether to multiple layer servers, the database, or the application, are
applied to Development and proven first. A copy of Production is migrated to Development so that real-
time conditions and data are similar for both technical validation and business user validation of new
functions.

Testing
The Development platform provides the first opportunity to test changes, new releases, and/or
upgrades. Once satisfactory results have been obtained, the move to the Test platform provides enhanced
testing procedures. Business users engage in the Test processes as well as contractors since they must use
the DFW system.

Training
DFW uses the Test environment to conduct the various training programs for Infor EAM. Testing not
only includes the internal business resources, but also is used to train contractors that will be required to
interact with the system. The ability to replicate production data in the Test environment provides those
being trained to use data that will be familiar to them.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning


Databases reside on Sun clusters. Storage and mechanicals are redundant. Failover processes and
capabilities can be accomplished within minutes. CMMS data resides in locations near physical business
user locations.

On the application side, snapshots are conducted nightly as well as transaction logs. Proof of restore
capability is evidenced by the ability to restore Production to the Development and/or Test environments
as needed for testing or training.

Disaster recovery planning practices and exercises are scheduled and executed accordingly.

Regulatory
The Infor EAM system has become a critical tool in the administration of FAA Compliance Part 139
reporting. The organizational structure of the Airfield Operations in place at DFW consists of:

• Assistant Airfield Operations Officer


• Airfield Operations Officer
• Airfield Agents
Inspections are generated as a Work Order through the CMMS Preventive Maintenance process or
through observance by Airfield Agents. Also, AOC events may generate an inspection, if the situation
warrants such. If inspection is required, a Work Order is created. For example, a bird strike requires the
inspection of an airfield location and the removal of unknown debris. An “Inbox” tab presents a view of
all inspections and status including those that have been completed. Through selection, each inspection
record can be viewed in detail. Metrics are also available based on % complete summaries.

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An inspection Work Order status can only be raised to a “Discrepancy” level by an Airfield Officer and
a specific Part 139 discrepancy code is required for data entry. Codes with standard abbreviations enable
consistent reporting for analysis. Maintenance resources can look at Work Orders and find references to
parts, conduct work, add comments, and change the status to “Work Completed Technician”. An Airfield
Operations Officer, using a filtered screen of Inspection Work Orders, will check the repair for
compliance. If it passes inspection, the Work Order status is changed to “Completed”. If the inspection
fails, comments are added and the status is changed to “Release for Rework”.

An FAA inspector can ask for a particular day of inspections information including a history of a Work
Order or a summary of Work Orders on a given day. These audits/reviews are now conducted
electronically through CMMS and have been accepted by the FAA as sufficient, no longer requiring hard
copy, signed documents.

Financial Concerns
No financial concerns were raised at DFW. However, DFW conducted due diligence in determining
the best licensing method for the CMMS platform and to ensure the proper level of availability to the
system users both internal and external (contractors). Licensing of the system is based on concurrent
users in Production. The Development and Test licenses are not charged to DFW. The Oracle database
license is based on CPUs.

Future Enhancements
Airfield Operations currently have 3 hard copy “shift” reports using Excel forms, but are looking to
build these reports within Infor EAM and complete the move to “paperless” capability. Also, Airfield
Operations is researching opportunities to support the Emergency Operation Functions using information
and data available in their CMMS platform.

Lessons Learned
The following lists the major lessons learned:

• Building more granularity inside the configuration parameters causes more up front work, but
will allow unanticipated changes to be accommodated later (this is much like leaving spaces
between house numbers).
• Define data fields at a granular level as much as possible. By going general at first and then
trying to go more granular later, one loses the drill down capability on historical data. It is easier
to start granular and then become more general later if necessary. Example: Closing Code should
be precise and exclude “Miscellaneous”, “Other”, etc.
• System configuration of both the System Security/Access and Asset Hierarchy should be flexible
to accommodate the existing airport business environment as well as potential changes the airport
may incur. As an example, the highest level of the asset hierarchy for DFW was a single
organization. Group and users were defined under that single organization. When contractors
were hired to manage particular assets, it would have been more convenient to put them in a
separate organization, but this requires a reimplementation of the system. It is a significant
enough issue that the airport is considering the reimplementation.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Invest sufficient time to ensure naming conventions and standard methods for identifying assets
are thorough, consistent, and flexible for the future.
• Workflow processes should be established and enforced at roll out or inconsistent data collection
can result. Use the system to enforce compliance to the workflow. While, reports can show
discrepancies or non-compliance issues, the system should embed workflow enforcement where
possible and practical.
• Multiple character sets: Flexibility in design is necessary. You may not be storing data in another
language character set but it may be required to support the system. For example, it became
necessary for DFW to support the system with two databases due to a need for the Chinese
character set which was not recognized at implementation.
• Estimated time frames to conduct upgrades vary, but typically an upgrade with no hardware
changes or platform changes will take two months. Upgrades including hardware modifications
may require a six-month duration.
• The original data validation did not include airport IT support. The contractor was not an
airport-experienced resource and definitely not DFW experienced. Data field terms, definitions,
and expected use could have been better related to DFW business. Data validation should
involve airport asset SMEs to improve the data quality for migrating information from an
existing system to a new system.

Keys To Success

Business Ownership & Stakeholder Engagement


From the inception of the CMMS initiative at DFW, the need for a thorough, accurate, EAM solution
has been driven by DFW leadership and adopted by leaders of the various departments benefitting from
an asset management tool-set. The DFW ownership has enabled the airport business to not only achieve a
successful implementation and sustainable CMMS for asset control, but has also provided the momentum
to broaden the use of system capabilities into other airport business such as Part 139 inspections and
discrepancies as well as AOC control. DFW’s commitment to its 2004 implementation of CMMS has
benefitted the airport in a system that is effective and considered critical to its operation today.

Business & Technical Resource – Collaboration and Expertise


Departments using the CMMS tool-set engage in ongoing collaboration through scheduled meetings,
new initiatives, and brain storming sessions to identify opportunities to improve and enhance the
effectiveness of the system. The airport has dedicated technology support staff to configure, customize,
and develop additional functionality as the needs are identified. CMMS users are extremely comfortable
and confident in presenting problems and possible solutions to IT, knowing that IT resources can quickly
understand business processes and have the necessary familiarity of the CMMS capabilities. In addition
to application support, the technical support for the application includes database specialists. System
upgrades are the responsibility of the database personnel, not the vendor.

Change Management
The airport has three environments for the system; Development, Test, and Production. Changes must
have successfully worked in Development and thoroughly tested by system users (not IT staff) before
they are implemented in production. The investment in hardware cost to establish the Development and
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Test environments, the risk of problems resulting from an upgrade or enhancements are significantly
reduced.

Applicability to Other Airports


Most large airports will align with DFW in the need for efficiently managing the variety, complexity of
assets in their operational environment. Airports will also be similar to DFW in using multiple methods
for managing and conducting asset maintenance and repairs through both internal resources and
contracted vendors.

Airports will be at different stages in the use of CMMS from nothing at all, to limited functionality
through application software, to full-blown CMMS platforms. DFW provides a perspective on a mature
system that continues to implement added and enhanced functionality to their operational users and even
new user groups. Airports will be able to leverage DFW’s experience in not only a successful CMMS
implementation, but also in their approach for a sustainable, continuously improving system that the
DFW system users embrace and depend upon.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Case Study Report 2:

General Mitchell International Airport


CMMS Implementation & Use

Synopsis
General Mitchell International Airport (MKE) is a medium-sized airport. It was chosen for a case study
to provide information on an innovative implementation of Cityworks, a GIS-based maintenance
management system. The implementation of Cityworks at MKE, takes advantage of the airports mature
GIS to locate assets on the airport. The system is used to manage all FAA Part 139 assets, the Terminal's
interior infrastructure, and through a configuration of the application, the system has replaced a number of
paper reports with a digital logbook and automated reporting functions. MKE's Cityworks configuration
is the first of its kind to be approved by the FAA for automated 139 reporting.

Interviewees
• Terry Blue, A.A.E. – Deputy Airport Director, Operations & Maintenance
• Timothy Pearson – GIS Coordinator
• Kathy David – Airport Operations Manager
• Jenny Tremmel – Airport Control Center Operations
• Phillip Crow – Airport Control Center Operations
• Neal Snyder – Electrical Shop
• Tony Burger – Electrical Shop
• Chris Lukas – Airport Maintenance Manager
• Tim Brown – Assistant Maintenance Supervisor
• Ken Skowronski II – Airport Maintenance Supervisor
• Holly Ricks – Assistant Airport Landside Operations Manager
• Jackie Boyd – Landside Coordinator
• Ed Cyprian – Landside Coordinator
• Kenneth Hanney – Landside Coordinator
• Mark Loach – AECOM Project Manager

Operational Assessment
MKE uses Cityworks to generate and track work orders, schedule preventive maintenance, track
maintenance history, provide asset data via an embedded map service, maintain control center logbook
entries, track Part 139 discrepancies, and generate automated reports including but not limited to
incidents, NOTAMS, and Part 139.

Airport Description
General Mitchell International Airport is named for Brigadier General William “Billy” Mitchell, a
leader in establishing the US air force during the First World War. After the war, he was made Chief of

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Air Service of the Group of Armies, the top command post at the time for aviation. General Mitchell was
a tireless proponent of aviation’s future in its earliest days.

MKE provides nonstop flights to more than thirty cities. It serves Wisconsin, Northern Illinois &
Chicago and is the only local regional airport served by all major domestic airlines. MKE is just over an
hour’s drive from Chicago O’Hare International Airport, providing an alternative to Chicago’s airports for
residents of Northern Illinois. The airport also hosts the Wisconsin 128th Air National Guard base.

MKE covers an area of 2,180 acres that contains five runways ranging in length from 4,183 to 9,690 ft.

CMMS History at MKE


Since the late 1980s, the airport managed its work orders with an underdeveloped and underutilized
application (eMaint). In 2010, MKE, as part of an enterprise Geographic Information System (GIS)
development, had evaluated, selected, and started to develop a CMMS based around the Cityworks
software. In late 2011, a catastrophic system failure caused the loss of many work order records and the
corruption of the eMaint application. Fortunately, the airport had already developed the replacement
system and was within weeks of a pilot program and implementation. It took just 4 days for the airports
Cityworks team to put the application into production.

One of the essential requirements for the CMMS was that it would integrate with the airports existing
GIS, which was already a mature system (first implementation started in 1997). The core GIS database is
built on the FAA GIS data standards (AC 5300-18B). It contains everything from lights, signs,
navigational aids, security features, pavement, and other airport-specific features.

The staff utilized at MKE is comprised of a GIS Coordinator, GIS Data Specialist, and a small team of
programmers from AECOM, who were contracted to support the overall enterprise system development
including Cityworks configurations, custom database triggers, report development, and data support.

Business Case
The airport’s Deputy Director of Operations and Maintenance realized the need for better tracking of
maintenance tasks, tenant responsibilities, material and equipment costs, and, in turn, billing amounts.
All of these could be configured and managed in the Cityworks application. Manual tracking was time-
consuming and did not provide efficient reporting and tracking capabilities for the airport.

The Deputy Director’s sponsorship of the project and his continued involvement in the development of
new features is key to the project’s success.

CMMS Implementation

Driver(s)
A group of airport Operations and Maintenance managers along with the GIS Coordinator, identified
and championed the need for MKE to have an integrated GIS and maintenance management system.
eMaint was used only to provide work orders and some maintenance tracking. Work orders were
managed manually. Logbook entries were done manually in a notebook. Part 139 inspection reports
were done manually at the close of each shift, printed, signed, and retained in a binder. Many copies of
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

reports and multiple databases were kept by various departments. As a result, it was difficult to track
events, or even to correlate them. Searches were manual, and descriptions – although similar – might be
different enough to determine that an event in one system was the same as an event in a different system.
The integration of that existing data with a maintenance management system had the potential to improve
operational and maintenance related functions.

Selection Process
MKE assembled stakeholders from multiple departments and disciplines in an effort to clearly define
their needs within a CMMS. Participants included maintenance managers, operations coordinators,
control center operators, property managers, and senior administrative staff. They discussed processes for
events at the airport to determine system requirements to support those processes. The sessions were
often conducted in front of whiteboards and requirements were captured to support MKE operational
processes for maintenance management.

A consultant worked with the airport to capture requirements for a CMMS and match the requirements
to available CMMS solutions. Those requirements suggested that a system commonly used by
municipalities would actually work very well at meeting the needs of the airport. The consultant assisted
the airport in choosing Cityworks for its CMMS. Cityworks provided flexibility towards configurations
and good capability to integrate with the airport GIS, and by repurposing portions of the application, the
airport was able to use a Cityworks module to provide an electronic logbook for the Operations Control
Center (OCC) and automate Part 139 reporting.

Evaluation of CMMS Solutions


A consulting firm was retained to capture and develop the requirements for the airport. The consultant
evaluated software to fit those requirements and provided the most cost-effective solution for the airport.
The Cityworks application was recommended as the solution that could best satisfy the requirements of
CMMS at MKE.

After assessment of that recommendation, MKE decided to procure Cityworks as their asset and
maintenance management solution. MKE was utilizing a second consulting firm (AECOM), to develop
its Enterprise GIS and invited them to assist with the Cityworks implementation. AECOM and the GIS
Coordinator modified the application to meet the specific need of the airport. A large part of this
modification was the conversion of a service request module into an Operational logbook.

Key Points
The success of the system is due to several factors:

• Stakeholder engagement is a critical and essential factor. The stakeholders of the system were
engaged in development of the requirements through many white board sessions to identify
processes and needs.
• The airport has a small technology support staff to configure, customize, and develop additional
functionality as the needs are identified. However, the GIS Coordinator is enthusiastic about the
project and has given unparalleled support to the airport for this project. The consultant has been
instrumental in providing the functionality for the stakeholders.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• The ability to easily configure Cityworks was a deciding factor in selection. The application has
been adapted to use a module (that the airport did not need) as an electronic logbook. It is used
by the control center in lieu of a hand-written logbook. Part 139 asset work orders can be linked
to logbook entries. A major feature of the implementation is that Part 139 inspections reports can
be automatically generated. MKE performs an airfield inspection on each of its 3 daily shifts.
The results of these inspections, associated work orders, discrepancy lists, and NOTAMs are all
recorded in the system. This change to the MKE business processes saves a great deal of paper
and time-consuming report writing.
• The airport has a large number of its assets (>30,000) in its GIS database. Many of those assets
were integrated into the CMMS.
• The implementation was designed, and redesigned when necessary, to make staff functions more
efficient.
• The GIS Coordinator was requested to attend the AAAE Airport Certified Employee (ACE)
Operations courses in an effort to improve his understanding of operations, 139 reporting, and the
daily business processes of the operational staff.
• Care has been taken to improve the efficiency of the user. If a particular form caused a user to
take more time than the process that was being replaced, the GIS Office worked with the users to
understand how to streamline the process and tweak the data entry to make it a faster and easier
process.
• The Deputy Director of Operations and Maintenance championed the need for an improved
CMMS and factored in its success.

Airport Use of CMMS

Organizations and the Use and Benefits of CMMS


The primary users of Cityworks at MKE are Airport Operations and the Maintenance staff. Operations
maintains both the airfield and public spaces, including the terminals. The GIS contains not only airfield
assets but also a number of terminal assets including detailed floor plans, room related assets, and
associated objects such as HVAC equipment and utilities. Multiple map services can be accessed through
Cityworks allowing users to see both interior and airfield assets.

The application is used by the maintenance shops to manage equipment, materials, and track labor, and
at the same time provide a basis for work orders and preventative maintenance tasks, as shown in Figure
B2-1 (next page).

The system is used by the OCC for specifically tracking and logging day-to-day operations. The OCC
also uses Cityworks to record a number of digital logbook entries, as shown in Figure B2-2 (next page),
for items such as incidents, wildlife strikes, airline issues, weather, staffing, and other data reported to the
OCC. The system has been modified to meet airport-specific requirements by the use of custom fields,
customized templates, and renaming of tables and records in the Cityworks database.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Figure B2-1. Cityworks – Work Order Sample.

Figure B2-2. Cityworks – Logbook Entries Sample

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The implementation of the logbook in Cityworks has eliminated two manual logbooks – one for
Airside Operations and one for Landside Operations. In the initial implementation, the airport eliminated
22 paper reports for the Airside Coordination Center and 8 paper reports for the Landside Coordination
Center.

In addition to the Operations and Maintenance staff, Airport Security, Parking Operations, Property
Management, and even the IT Department utilize Cityworks for maintenance requests and tracking or
work. Safety and Security personnel use the system to track security inspections and work orders for
security specific assets. The IT and Properties offices utilize the system to track work performed on
tenant space, monitor tenant issues via the logbook, and communicate projects to the staff. Other users of
the system, primarily for work orders include Parking Administration, ARFF, Noise Management,
Environmental Management, and even MKE’s Accounting office.

A key element to the system is the airport’s mobile components. The Cityworks application is
available, wirelessly, to Airfield Coordinators using laptops and both maintenance and landside
coordinators via tablets.

Continuous Improvement and Expansion of CMMS Use


The airport is planning to invest in the integration of a document management solution that ties to
Cityworks, GIS, and CAD systems.

There is still data cleanup to be done in the database. Camera locations, card readers, electrical panels,
and some other assets are stored in the GIS and utilized in the Cityworks application. The system is still
missing attributes for some of the assets, but the system holds locations for most.

Additional staff has been added to the GIS office in an effort to develop and enhance the CMMS and
GIS data. As part of the asset development process, the Cityworks application can be configured to allow
end users to update both spatial and attribute information. This function allows the GIS office to
concentrate on core assets while utilizing personnel that truly understand the assets to collect information
on them. An example of this is allowing electricians to collect airfield lighting and signage attributes.

Currently, condition assessments are only performed on pavement assets. The Wisconsin DOT
performs an annual assessment of the pavement and provides the data via MicroPaver to MKE. The
airport GIS currently tracks over 46,000 separate slabs of concrete in its pavement dataset.

Technical Support of CMMS


The GIS office at MKE provides primary support to both the GIS and CMMS. MKE staff consists of a
GIS Coordinator, GIS Data Specialist, 2 data technicians, & 2 IT technicians that handle hardware
support. A software programmer is provided via the contract with AECOM.

Implementation
The implementation of Cityworks began in mid-2010 and went live in late 2011. The go-live date was
accelerated due to the failure of the previous system. The CMMS is used for asset and work management,
incorporates airport workflows, and includes operational logs, Part 139 inspections, and multiple special
inspections.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Key Points
The following list the key points:

• Work orders can only be closed by maintenance supervisors or operations coordinators. The
exception to this rule is that work orders for Part 139 work orders may only be closed after
inspection by an airfield coordinator.
• Documenting processes and setting up workflows can save a great deal of time and paper. An
example of implementing a workflow at MKE is the “Alert 4” events.
• If a person falls in the airport terminal and sustains an injury, an OCC coordinator will receive a
call, enter the incident into the logbook, and then place a radio call to the on duty landside
coordinator. A coordinator is dispatched and sends alerts to police and rescue. The landside
coordinator adds detailed incident information to the same log entry including photos, statements,
and private data. The incident is located on a map, witness statements are entered, and when the
logbook entry is closed, emails are automatically sent to Risk Management, Safety, Security, and
other key supervisors. This type of embedded workflow is just one example of how the system
has eliminated numerous paper forms and reports from the airports daily business processes.
• Another example of streamlining work processes is the automation of daily Part 139 airfield
inspections. A process that once involved the tracking of paper work orders, recording of the
information on a paper record sheet, and the maintaining of this and any supporting information
for 12 months is now all digital. The Cityworks application utilizes a custom Crystal Report that
incorporates data from work orders, log entries, and NOTAMS to create, auto publish, and store
the Part 139 inspection automatically.
• Supervisors in the system are super users with rights to create and close work orders.
• All users are allowed to customize their Cityworks Inboxes, so that the opening screen for the
application is tailored to the users’ needs only displaying those log entries and work orders that
are relevant to their job functions.

Training
Training for Cityworks is done through three primary methods:

• Training classes and personal training by the GIS Office


• Customized training documents created by the GIS Office and their consultant
• Peer training

Change Management
The GIS Office and their consultant provide change management for the application.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning


Databases reside on mirrored servers in multiple locations. Servers, storage, and mechanicals are
redundant. Failover processes and capabilities can be accomplished seamlessly. Daily back-ups are made
of the database and all servers.

Disaster recovery exercises are scheduled and executed periodically.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Regulatory
The Cityworks system has become a critical tool in the administration of Compliance Part 139
reporting. A current Safety Management System initiative will develop integration with Cityworks to
attempt to comply with the upcoming release of the FAA Advisory Circular for Safety Management
Systems.

Part 139 inspections are generated through logbook entries by the Airfield Coordinators. If a work
order is generated to address a discrepancy, it is flagged as a Part 139 work order. The asset cannot be
returned to service without inspection and sign-off by the ACO. All non-139 work orders can be
inspected by maintenance supervisors. Once inspections occur, supervisors return the asset to service and
close out the work order.

MKE performs Part 139 inspections for every shift, 3 shifts daily. An FAA inspector can ask for
particular inspection information, including a history of a work order or a summary of work orders on a
given day is indicated in the report. These audits/reviews are now conducted electronically through
CMMS and have been accepted by the FAA as sufficient, no longer requiring hard copy, signed
documents. The report is also configured with embedded links between the report and live logbook or
associated work orders allowing the FAA inspector a quick and direct way to evaluate any item on a
report.

Financial Concerns
No financial concerns were raised at MKE. However, MKE conducted due diligence in determining
the most financially effective CMMS platform and to ensure the proper level of configurability required
to meet the airport’s needs, in the context of the available applications.

Future Enhancements
MKE plans to develop more workflow to support the maintenance processes at the airport, including
addition of tracking maintenance costs (labor, asset use, inventory, etc.), as well as additional statistical
and analytical reports for management. The Airport hopes to incorporate licensing and permitting into the
Cityworks application and is currently in the process of tying their SMS developments to the Cityworks
data.

Document management integration will likely be with the County’s OnBase EDMS for plan reviews.

Lessons Learned
The following list the lessons learned:

• Disaster recovery is a key element of system planning.


• Training for staff is critical.
• Correct entry of information is essential in maintaining the underlying database and in turn, the
reports and processes that come out of the system.
• Processes will change with the adoption of new workflows. Everyone must buy-in to those
changes.
• Get as many users as possible involved early in the requirements process.
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Keys To Success
The following list the Keys to Success:

• Stakeholder engagement was essential. The stakeholders of the system were engaged early on in
the development of the application requirements. The team utilized many white board sessions
and workflow process developments to identify processes, needs, and any additional data
required.
• The airport has a small technology support staff used to configure, customize, and develop
additional functionality as needed. However, the GIS Coordinator is enthusiastic about the
project and has given unparalleled support to the airport for this project and the consultants have
been instrumental in providing any additional support to stakeholders.
• The application has been configured to make use of an unneeded module as an electronic
logbook. These log entries can be directly linked to additional entries and, in turn, to work orders.
• A major feature of the implementation is that Part 139 daily inspection reports can be
automatically generated. Work orders, airfield discrepancies, and any associated 139
requirements can all be recalled from the database and used to generate the report.
• At the behest of the Airports Deputy Director of Operations and Maintenance, the airports GIS
Coordinator was certified in ACE to ensure a thorough understanding of the stakeholder needs.

Business Ownership & Stakeholder Engagement


From the inception of the CMMS initiative at MKE, the need for a thorough, accurate, integrated
maintenance management solution has been driven by MKE leadership and adopted by various airport
departments to support their processes and eliminate manual data flow. The MKE ownership has not only
enabled the airport business to achieve a successful implementation, but also has provided momentum to
expand the system capabilities to automate Part 139 inspections reports, and to provide workflow and
centralized data for numerous business processes. MKE’s integration of its GIS with its CMMS provides
ease of use for airport users that encourages the use of the system.

Business & Technical Resource – Collaboration and Expertise


Departments using the CMMS engage in dialog with the GIS Office on a near daily basis in an effort to
improve and enhance the effectiveness of the system. Therefore, CMMS users are extremely satisfied
with the efficiencies that the system provides, and are complimentary of the support from the GIS staff.

Change Management
The small staff supporting the system makes the change process simple to manage. The GIS Office
maintains testing and documentation of configuration changes. Any new functionality is tested on the
production system, after prime hours of use. Daily back-ups are available for rollbacks in the case of
issues with changes.

Applicability to Other Airports


Airports with mature GIS will be more likely to see the possibility of integrating a CMMS with GIS.
The initial investment in GIS at MKE was started 16 years ago, and the maturity of that system was a key

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

factor in the selection of a CMMS. The airport users universally applauded the mapping capabilities
within the CMMS.

The opportunity for MKE to develop an integrated solution for Part 139 was enhanced by the lack of an
electronic logbook for the OCC. There was no need to consider the implications of integration, or to
retrain users to different logbook software for the OCC. The benefits of an electronic logbook were clear
to most users, but did there was some resistance to change in processes within the OCC. That resistance
was overcome early and all CC users were enthusiastic about the improvements. The applicability to
other airports that are manually recording logbook entries is high. Airports with stand-alone logbook
applications will likely also find the automation and tracking for Part 139 discrepancies to be compelling.

MKE is providing for a best effort Safety Management System integration, although it is not yet
regulated. Other airports considering a Safety Management System implementation may want to include
integration language in any SMS procurement.

MKE provides a perspective on an innovative implementation of a system, specifically tailored to


provide functionality not provided by other applications, and to integrate with existing systems to
eliminate redundant data and processes.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Case Study Report 3:

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport


CMMS Implementation & Use

Synopsis
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac) is a large West Coast hub airport, with a mature
implementation of a CMMS. Maximo, the software that was implemented at Sea-Tac, is prominent in the
airport industry for managing and maintaining assets.

The system is used to manage: wastewater treatment plants, pump stations and ancillary systems,
maintenance facilities, administration buildings, passenger-loading bridges, ramp tower, auto shop,
taxiways, runways, roadways, ramp area, aircraft parking, shuttles, operations support vehicles, non-
revenue, electric vehicles, snow removal equipment, security, plumbing, IT, HVAC, electrical,
communication, baggage, utilities, tanks, navaids, instruments, lighting, fuel infrastructure, drainage,
FIMS, CUTE, CUSS, parking revenue control system, access control, parking structure, people mover
stations, passenger terminals, parking garage/lots, buses for rental car facilities and employees (80 buses),
electrical car chargers, and signage.

Interviewees
• Jennifer Mims – Senior Manager Asset Management & Logistics, Aviation Maintenance
• Valarie Johnson – Planning Supervisor, Aviation Maintenance
• Brendalynn Taulelei – Manager Business Systems, Aviation Maintenance
• Krista Sadler – Manager Program Office, Information & Communications Technology
• Delmas Whittaker – Logistics Manager, Aviation Maintenance
• Deb Sorenson – Asset Manager, Aviation Maintenance
• Kelsi Pothier – Business Systems Analyst, Aviation Maintenance
• Charles Goedken, C.M. – Manager International Operations, Airport Operations
• Dave Richardson – Airport Communications Center Duty Manager, Airport Operations
• Terry Tucker – Maintenance Manager Field Operations, Aviation Maintenance
• David Sanchez – Veteran Fellow SMS Project Coordinator, Airport Operations
• David Crowner - Airport Operations Manager

Operational Assessment
Maximo is used primarily to support the Aviation Maintenance Department’s (AMD) work orders,
preventive maintenance, and inventory. It has a larger role in helping the airport with a comprehensive
sustainable asset management program, component renewal analysis, repair management and history,
maintenance management and history, and reporting and dash boarding, all key factors in optimizing total
cost of ownership.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Airport Description
The Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is located in the town of Sea-Tac, Washington, about 15
miles south of Seattle. The airport serves Seattle and Tacoma, as well as the rest of Western Washington.
The airport is the most visited destination for vehicles in the state. Its 13,000-car parking garage is
recognized as the world's largest parking structure under one roof. In 2012, the airport was ranked 15th in
passenger traffic for US airports, serving over 33 million passengers. Destinations throughout North
America, Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia are serviced from Sea-Tac. The airport is the primary
hub for Alaska Airlines, and operates three parallel North–South runways that range from 8,500 feet to
11,900 feet long.

CMMS History at SEA


The airport began using Chief Advantage for work orders in the 1980s. An integrated solution,
Worktech, was used for payroll and timekeeping. The transition was made to MRO, which later became
Maximo. Maximo was subsequently purchased by IBM in 2006. That occurred before the airport did its
last major upgrade of Maximo, from version 5.2 to version 7.1.

The airport’s CMMS implementation has been through several phases, with a key phase identifying
work processes and requirements for the system. With the last major upgrade, the Port of Seattle (Port),
which includes both the seaport and the airport, consolidated their implementations of Maximo to
minimize costs and optimize resources to manage and administer the system. The process of defining the
common requirements for the system was protracted, taking about two years. The Port’s IT department
also moved management of their assets to Maximo during that upgrade.

Business Case
The Port has taken a programmatic view of asset management, and uses Maximo to support that
program’s goals. Before the last upgrade of Maximo, there was a reorganization within the airport. That
reorganization impacted the AMD, serving to centralize some functions to optimize resources and
efficiencies. This changed some processes within the department, including planning and procurement
being done centrally instead of within each of the 16 maintenance shops. In addition, an Asset Manager’s
position was created within the AMD. That role was created to assist the airport in analyzing the role that
maintenance plays in managing the total cost of ownership for its assets. Proactive asset management for
the airport focuses, not just on the total cost of facility ownership, but also on environmental performance.
The capabilities of Maximo are required to perform the analysis and to provide optimal maintenance in
support of Sea-Tac’s goals.

On the way to understanding how to best use the system to support asset management at the airport, the
Port asked the following questions of its staff:

• What are our goals in using this system?


• What do we have that we need to manage?
• What are our processes?
• Are these processes documented?
• How do we want to use the maintenance management tool?
• What information is important to capture in the system?

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

This evaluation resulted in change management implementation and organizational structure changes.
Processes were standardized and documented. Strategic goals were established. Training and performance
measurements were key. An external audit that identified issues with assets was a major driver.
Transparency was a major goal to improve AMD’s performance.

• The airport has focused on using the system for its intended use in the AMD. Although
integrating the airport’s inspection application, Airport Inspector (developed in-house) has been
considered, the decision was made to defer integrations until such time as the integration would
improve workflow.
• The airport has a large number of its assets (>30,000) in its CMMS database.
• FAA Part 139 work orders are running work orders on a monthly basis. Operations uses their
inspection application to manage inspections and Part 139 inspections. Integration with Maximo
was not done because of the large number of work orders that Maintenance would have to
manage to manage fulfill the requirements of the Part 139 inspections. Integration was
considered and deferred until a future time.
• Integration with PeopleSoft procurement is an important enhancement that is underway.
• There is a hosted Safety Management System for the airport. It is not currently integrated with
Maximo, but exchanging data between the two systems is being considered.
• Mobile applications are available for work orders and for inventory using a third-party product
from InterPro called EZMaxMobile. It is deployed on IOS devices (iPhones and iPads). The
product was chosen after an initial deployment of the Maximo mobile platform. EZMaxMobile
does not require a separate Maximo mobile server to be installed. It is a mobile application with
caching for information so that it works offline when Wi-Fi is not available.
• Inventory and assets are tagged with 2D barcodes.
• The AMD has centralized scheduling for its 16 shops. Maintenance planners and shop
supervisors use a scheduling application (AKWIRE by Solufy) that pulls work orders from
Maximo to assign and distribute work.
• Current integrations are with the fueling system, vendor interface (PeopleSoft), and time and
labor system (PeopleSoft). Batch transfers are scheduled periodically from PeopleSoft to
Maximo for these systems.

CMMS Implementation

Driver(s)
The Port decided to consolidate its implementation of Maximo across the airport and the seaport and
include Information Technology, which was using a different asset and configuration management
software.

Selection Process
There has not been a new product selected in the last several years. Success with the product,
investment, and maturity in configuration, and user familiarity were some of the reasons to retain
Maximo.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Airport Use of CMMS


The primary user of Maximo at Sea-Tac is the AMD, which supports 16 different shops within the
airport, with about 350 personnel.

Organizations and the Use and Benefits of CMMS

Aviation Maintenance
Maximo supports three key initiatives in the AMD:

• Work management
• Inventory management
• Asset management

Operations
The Operations Department uses Maximo to provide documentation on work orders for FAA Part 139
discrepancies. In addition, the Operations Department is also a significant user of Maximo in their Airport
Communications Center (ACC). The ACC utilizes the Maximo Service Desk ticketing module to log and
track customer calls on emergent facility and system asset issues. There is an average of 1,200 calls
monthly that go into ACC for maintenance issues, that are captured in Maximo and then routed to the
Maintenance department for follow-up and action. This process provides another avenue for Sea-Tac to
trend emergent issues being called in and identify any gaps in their maintenance programs.

Safety Management
Safety Officer uses Maximo to provide documentation on incidents for safety management.

Technical Support of CMMS


The airport IT staff supports the hardware and operating system for all airport systems, including
Maximo. The AMD has staff that are responsible for application support in the following areas:

• Configuration and change management


• Customization and enhancements
• Development of additional functionality as the needs are identified

Implementation
Data in the system is organized hierarchically by system and location on the airport. Unit costs and
quantities are captured. Condition and remaining life can be assessed, based on age or observation.
Condition modeling can be used to offset the high cost of observation assessments for lower priority
assets.

With the last major upgrade, the Port consolidated its implementations of Maximo to minimize costs
and optimize resources to manage and administer the system. The process of defining the common
requirements for the system was protracted, taking about two years. The Port’s IT department also moved
management of their assets to Maximo during that upgrade.
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The last upgrade of the system was kicked off in 2008, and completed in September 2010. The decision
to upgrade and consolidate Maximo was made at the highest level of the organization. The Deputy
Director of the airport was a proponent, and internal in the department the general manager and senior
leaders of the AMD were champions.

The last upgrade had three components:

• Physical infrastructure upgrades, including network hardware


• Implementation of a new version of Maximo (5.2-7.1) and consolidation of Maximo instances for
the Port, the airport, and IT
• Enhancements:
o Mobility (mobile applications for work orders and inventory)
o Interfaces:
− Payroll system
− Vendor interface (PeopleSoft updates vendor data in Maximo)
− Fuel system (Fuel Master for buses, and Phoenix Software for other vehicles)
− General ledger updates to Maximo from PeopleSoft
− New hires are populated in Maximo from PeopleSoft
It was not possible to phase the actual upgrade of the system. The old system (version 5.2) and the new
system (7.1) were running in parallel for about two weeks, but the old system was kept up in read-only
mode, for reference, during that time. A hot desk, staffed by the CMMS support team, was maintained
24/7 for about a week. The hot desk was available for issue resolution and application support. Users
could call a central number or show up in person for assistance.

Change Management

Testing
The upgrade of Maximo to 7.1 was operated in a test environment before the cutover to the new
version. After the cutover, the previous version was kept up for about two weeks in read-only mode for
users to reference.

Training
There was extensive training for every staff member. Training was held no more than two weeks before
the upgrade, and was conducted 24/7 to include all staff. All staff needed training because time reporting
was moved into Maximo. Training was specific to particular roles within the organization. Training was
developed in-house, with a training consultant to organize the material and tailor it to the airport’s needs.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning


All systems at the airport are backed up, and are represented in a disaster recovery plan. That plan is
tested periodically. This is critical since most Port systems are running on virtual machines.

Regulatory
The airport uses the maintenance management system to track FAA Part 139 discrepancies.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Financial Concerns
There were no reported financial concerns.

Future Enhancements
Sea-Tac is considering future enhancements, including integration of the airfield lighting systems, GIS,
and building management systems, with Maximo.

Lessons Learned
The following lists the major lessons learned:

• The processes that resolve problems are long-term. There was a five-year change process to
address the goals identified in the audit.
• Centralized maintenance planners were hired to optimize resourcing. Scheduling was done in
third-party software, but is integrated with Maximo. More efficiency between the shops, as well
as within particular crews, can be achieved by using centralized scheduling. Centralizing the
reporting structure for the maintenance planners made sharing of information, standardizing of
processes, and sharing resources between the shops possible.
• Getting projects to provide all the asset data that can be used to populate the asset database is a
challenge. Some information is turned over to the airport when the assets are commissioned, but
the forms that are provided to the contractors are generally not completely filled out.

Keys To Success
Sea-Tac realized that not only does software not make a maintenance management organization
successful; but also that success results from having the right organization and processes in place to
support the long- and short-term goals of the AMD. With the airport reorganization in 2006, the AMD
was restructured to better and more effectively support airport goals. The implementation of the software
was structured to support the organization’s processes and goals.

The Port took the time to understand how it wanted to use the system. In 2006, the AMD took a
timeout to understand how to use Maximo to support the airport processes. During that period, the Port
evaluated its goals for use of the system, and made the changes required to meet its goals.

Applicability to Other Airports


Most large airports will align with Sea-Tac in the need for efficiently managing the variety and
complexity of assets in their operational environment. Airports will also be similar to Sea-Tac in
understanding the need to minimize total cost of ownership of assets over the asset’s life cycle.

Sea-Tac provides a perspective on a mature system that has been implemented to support the
maintenance organization’s goals. The tailoring of the system to support the airport, instead of trying to
align the airport’s processes to the system, is a valuable message.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Case Study Report 4:

Southwest Florida International Airport


CMMS Implementation & Use

Synopsis
Southwest Florida International Airport (RSW) is a medium-sized non-hub East Coast airport. It was
chosen as a case study to provide information on a relatively young implementation of a CMMS.
Maximo is the software of record, and is prominent in the airport industry for managing and maintaining
assets. The system is used to manage: passenger-loading bridges, administration buildings, cargo,
maintenance facilities, other ancillary facilities, elevators/escalators, aircraft parking, ramp area,
roadways, runways, taxiways, bridges, drainage, fuel infrastructure, lighting, instruments, navaids, tanks,
utilities, baggage, communication, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, security, elevated bridges, parking
garage/lots, passenger terminals, and signage.

Interviewees
• Marvin Buford – Director of Maintenance Department
• James Hess – Agent, Airport Operations
• James Furiosi – Senior Manager, Maintenance Department
• Robert Moreland – Air Traffic Controller
• Angie Chestnut – CMMS Manager
• Phillip Murray – Director, Information Technology
• Margaret Crame

Operational Assessment
The system is used primarily to support the Aviation Maintenance department’s work orders,
preventive maintenance, and inventory. The implementation is relatively young, and there is a desire for
additional functionality.

Airport Description
Southwest Florida International Airport serves more than 7 million passengers annually, and is one of
the top 50 U.S. airports for passenger traffic. Currently, eighteen airlines provide RSW with nonstop
service throughout North America, and international service to Canada and Germany.

CMMS History at RSW


The airport used a Canadian airport developed system to issue work orders. The system was
rudimentary and did not have good reporting capabilities. There was little history functionality, and the
airport realized that the system did not provide the functionality needed to manage asset life cycles,
preventive maintenance, and resources.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The airport began implementation of the current CMMS in May of 2008. The implementation was
complete in 2009. The implementation of Maximo was done by internal staff, a consultant, and the
vendor. Maximo was chosen for its features and functionality as they suited the Maintenance
Department’s needs. Its ease of use was also a primary reason cited. History from the previous system
was not migrated to Maximo.

CMMS Implementation

Driver(s)
Maximo was in place to manage the airport’s baggage handling system. Maximo was required to
handle PMs from:

• Johnson Controls’, Metasys Facilities Management System (FMS)


• P2000 Security Access System
The airport also required the ability to integrate with:

• IDC Inventory and IDC Purchasing System


• PROPWorks lease management system
Drivers for the system included:

• Need to manage PMs


• Reporting for airport Assistant Aviation Directors to enable better decision-making
• Need for inventory control
• Better asset history to manage costs and plan replacements

Selection Process
The airport decided on Maximo because of its prevalence in the industry as well as a current
implementation of Maximo at the airport to manage the baggage handling system. RSW hired a
consultant to evaluate the requirements for Maximo at RSW. The evaluation began with an assessment of
maintenance and inventory practices. Topics in this assessment included:

• Asset Management
• Maintenance Work Management
• Preventative Maintenance Management
• Airfield Management (FAA Part 139 and NOTAM)
• Organizational Transformation
• Purchasing/Inventory Optimization
The consultant worked with the airport to determine the implications of the following topics on
configuration and implementation of Maximo:

• Location and asset hierarchy data


• Work request and work order requirements
• Scheduled maintenance
• Purchasing/ inventory management (IDC interface)
• FAA Part 139/NOTAM inspections, reporting, start centers, and key performance indicators
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Failure hierarchy (problem, cause, remedy)


• Interface (GIS, financial, and other)
• Implementation project plan

Airport Use of CMMS


The primary user of Maximo at RSW is the Aviation Maintenance Department. Operations is a
stakeholder for Part 139 work orders. Planning is a stakeholder for budgeting capital costs.

Organizations and the Use and Benefits of CMMS

Maintenance Department
Maintenance Department, and the Assistant Aviation Directors, use the system to track work, build and
view historical data, and track inventory.

Operations
Operations uses Maximo to provide documentation on work orders for Part 139 discrepancies.

Technical Support of CMMS


The airport IT staff supports the hardware and operating system for all airport systems, including
Maximo. The Maintenance Department has staff responsible for application support in the following
areas:

• Configuration and change management


• Customization and enhancements
• Development of additional functionality as the needs are identified

Implementation
The implementation was multi-phased:

• The first phase established logistics for the implementation.


• The second phase evaluated maintenance business processes to provide the information needed to
provide a blueprint for configuration and workflows.
• The third phase was the implementation of the work requests/work order.
• The fourth phase was the implementation of the preventative maintenance module.
During the assessment, the following systems were reviewed for inclusion of elements and processes in
the system implementation:

• System Configuration & Administration


o Configuration Change Process
o Security Profiles
o Workflow Management
o Report & Query Development

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• Equipment & Locations


o Hierarchies
o Failure Codes
o Systems
o Asset Catalogs
• Preventive Maintenance & Job Plans
• Work Orders
o Workflows
o Work Types
o Status Codes
o Priorities
• Inventory
o Storerooms
o Reorder Points
o Categories
o Asset Catalogs
The following documents were reviewed:

• Business Process Documents


• Airport Certification Manual (Airfield Safety Inspection Checklist & Process)
• Key Reports
o Work Order Backlog
o PM Planning
o Inventory Utilization
• Forms
o Work Request
o Work Order (if different)
o Inspection Checklists
o Material Requisition
o Stock Request
• Policies / Procedures
• Organization Charts
During the implementation, in phase three, asset data was entered into the system. Data in the system
was organized hierarchically by system and location on the airport. Unit costs and quantities are captured.
Condition and remaining life can be assessed, based on age or observation. Condition modeling can be
used to offset the high cost of observation assessments for lower priority assets.

Change Management

Training
Following the evaluation of requirements, the consultant-conducted immersion training session for
Maximo based on the results of the evaluation.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning


All systems at the airport are backed up, and are represented in a disaster recovery plan. That plan is
tested periodically.

Regulatory
The airport uses the maintenance management system to track Part 139 discrepancy work orders.
Operations has a separate bespoke application into which work order information for discrepancies is
entered. The Part 139 maintenance and airport operational reporting requirements included:

• Airfield lighting
• Navigational aids
In addition, risk management required the following reporting requirements:

• Insurance requirements
• Property
• Vehicles

Financial Concerns
There were no reported financial concerns.

Future Enhancements
RSW is considering possible future enhancements, including integration of Maximo with GIS, data
exchange with Operations inspections application, and building management systems.

Lessons Learned
The following lists the major lessons learned:

• Create well-defined requirements document before the procurement to ensure that the system
chosen is adequate to meet the needs of the airport.
• Create policies (e.g., who can close a work order) and procedures (to incorporate work flow in
the software to efficiently manage the assets).
• Include ongoing technical support in the budget.
• Training is a critical success factor, and needs to be addressed in the implementation. Ongoing
training is needed as the system and the use of it evolves.

Keys To Success
RSW realizes that software does not make a maintenance management organization successful; that
success results from having the right organization and processes in place to support the long and short-
term goals of the Aviation Maintenance Department.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

• The airport has focused on using the system for its intended use.
• The airport has a large number of its assets (>10,000) in its asset database. There is an ongoing
effort to capture additional assets for inclusion in the database.
• Asset hierarchy is important to establish in such a way that makes them easy to find and manage.
System hierarchy versus location hierarchy can both be supported. In lieu of a mapping
component, the hierarchy is the way that users locate assets.
• The airport uses a grid layout and includes the grid coordinates on the work request to locate
issues, particularly for pavement and grass. They also use the grid coordinates for centerline
lights because newer lights are difficult to engrave.
• Price and price plus maintenance cost is captured so that the total cost of the asset is known.
• Estimated replacement date and costs are used to project capital expenditures and operating
budgets forecasting.
• Airport is using the annual operating cost to gauge the replacement date for the asset based on the
cost to maintain it. The airports plans to have Maximo do this automatically. Currently, reports
are being run manually.
• The fuel system (Megatrax) holds mileage data. Next year (2015), that system will be integrated.
• All inventory and purchase orders are supported in Maximo.
• Integration with the County’s One World JD Edwards financial software is planned for next year
(2015).
• The CMMS also manages inventory. When inventory drops to a minimum level, Maximo can
automatically generate the purchase order. The integration with the One World JD Edwards
software is expected to generate a purchase requisition within One World.
• The preventive maintenance module issues PMs based on the periodicity of the PM. PMs can be
hierarchical, e.g., 12-month maintenance of a vehicle is different than the 3-month maintenance,
and it supersedes every fourth PM for that vehicle.
• After four years, the Maintenance Department is still growing the capabilities of the system.
There is still potential for growth in utilization of the software. While the currently used features
and functions of the system have greatly improved reporting and management capabilities, the
airport expects to continue to get additional benefits as the implementation matures.
• The airport spent weeks of staff hours to input asset information that was available in
spreadsheets and on hard copy documentation.
• The airport has a good concept of operations for inventory management that has been almost
completely implemented within Maximo.

Applicability to Other Airports


Most airports will align with RSW in the need for efficiently managing the variety and complexity of
assets in their operational environment. Airports will also be similar to RSW in understanding the need to
provide the right information to airport management to be able to better manage their assets.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Case Study Report 5:

Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport


CMMS Implementation & Use

Synopsis
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (ANC) is a medium-sized airport. It was chosen for a
case study to provide information on an innovative implementation of Cityworks, a GIS-based
maintenance management system. The implementation of Cityworks at ANC takes advantage of the
airports mature GIS to locate assets on the airport. The system is used to manage: ramp tower,
administration buildings, cargo, hangers, maintenance facilities, aircraft parking, ramp area, roadway,
runways, taxiways, bridges drainage, fuel infrastructure, lighting, instruments, navaids, utilities, baggage,
electrical, HVAC, plumbing, security parking garage/lots, passenger terminals, people mover stations,
and signage.

The airport actively manages all assets, but pavement condition assessments are done by the
Milwaukee County Department of Transportation.

Interviewees
• John Parrott – Airport Manager
• Marilyn Burdick – IT Manager
• Martin Pezoldt – Database Analyst II
• Jonel Schenk – Analyst/Programmer IV
• Zaramie Lindseth – Airfield Maintenance Manager
• Larry Swanson – Manager, Facilities
• Richard Swoboda – Building Maintenance Supervisor

Operational Assessment
ANC uses a custom-written CMMS that has been developed to meet the needs of the Airport to provide
management for maintenance facilities, operations support vehicles, fuel infrastructure, lighting, baggage,
IT, and other resources. Although the airport has considered off-the-shelf options, the system has been
developed and tailored to meet the needs of the airport in a way that would require a great deal of
customization from an off-the-shelf product.

The Engineering Department manages pavement condition assessments with another system,
Micropaver.

Airport Description
Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is a major airport in the U.S. state of Alaska located 4
miles Southwest of downtown Anchorage. The airport is named in honor of Ted Stevens, the U.S.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Senator from Alaska serving from 1968 to 2009. ANC is at a strategic location to serve US air traffic to
Europe and Asia. It is less than 9 ½ hours from 90% of the industrial world.

Due to its strategic location, cargo is a large component of the Airport’s traffic. The Airport is ranked
second in the U.S. for landed weight of cargo. It is among the top five airports in the world for cargo
throughput. UPS and FedEx have major distribution centers in Anchorage. To accommodate cargo, about
60 wide-bodies aircraft land at ANC every week. The airport operates 24 hour a day, 7 days per week.

Of the approximately five million passengers who travel through ANC terminals, one third of them
arrive during a three months period in the summer. That requires the airport terminals to have the capacity
of an airport that would handle 8 million passengers annually.

ANC also houses the world’s largest and busiest floatplane base, Lake Hood.

ANC covers approximately 4,500 acres and has three asphalt paved runways from 10,600 feet to
12,400 feet in length.

CMMS History at ANC


The airport began using a CMMS that was developed in-house in 1996. It was developed in
conjunction with an Airport Information System (AIS), also under development at the same time. The
first application for AIS was “Lost & Found,” to track items for the badging office. The first maintenance
application written was “Work Orders,” in 1998. Airfield Maintenance quickly became the primary
stakeholder and sponsor for the project, and worked directly with Airport IT staff to define requirements.

ANC’s Airfield Maintenance department provides maintenance for aircraft movement areas, public
roads, walkways, and other exterior airport infrastructure. Airfield Maintenance also provides
management of all vehicles and heavy equipment owned by ANC. In addition, they use AIS for
preventive maintenance, tracking assets (and inventory), resource management, and other related
functions. Airfield Maintenance is subdivided into Field Maintenance, Equipment Maintenance, and
Airfield Electricians. Within each of these sections are several other specialized shops including the Sign
Shop, Machine and Welding Shop, Radio Maintenance, Parts and Supply, and OSHA Safety. There are
approximately 110 users of AIS within Airfield Maintenance. AIS was developed to address the Airfield
Maintenances department’s requirements and has been incrementally modified as new requirements have
been identified.

The current fleet of vehicles at ANC includes 395 pieces of rolling stock of all types including snow
and ice removal vehicles, aircraft rescue and firefighting (ARFF) trucks, and light duty vehicles. Every
year the airport replaces 6-10 major pieces of equipment and a few more light duty vehicles. The airport’s
core snow removal fleet is comprised of about 20 front snowplows and snow blowers.

An airport evaluation team was formed in 2005 to investigate the replacement of the AIS. However the
airport stakeholders who were vested in the AIS were not convinced that a replacement would provide the
same functionality at a reasonable cost. In addition, the work that had been done to incorporate workflow
and required functionality within AIS would have to be redone.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The costs for development of AIS, and all its applications, were limited to resource costs for airport IT
staff. Over the last eleven years (2003-2014), approximately 80% of one full-time equivalent employee
(FTE) has been dedicated to development and maintenance of the system. In prior years (1996-2002), the
resource cost was approximately 50% one FTE.

Business Case
ANC has a snow season that usually lasts from October through mid-April. The snow doesn’t generally
melt, but remains for the duration of the winter.

The airport has been closed due to volcanic ash, a windstorm, the 1964 earthquake and, like other U.S.
airports, for a few days after 9/11. There are no records that show the airport has ever been closed due to
ice or snow. A maintenance management system is critical to being prepared to manage snow. In addition
to having the right equipment, it is important that airports maintain their equipment and not try to save
cost relating to crews and supplies necessary to managing snow and ice.

As a state that is removed from the contiguous 48 states by thousands of miles, and one that has vast
areas accessible only by air, Alaska’s livelihood depends on its airports. Maintaining assets is critical to
keeping the airport open.

The airport’s Airfield Maintenance department realized the need to track assets and preventive
maintenance for those assets required to keep the runways open. When the decision to develop an internal
system was made, it was replacing an obsolete system, Software Solutions Maintenance Management
System. Internal development was seen as a cost-effective replacement option that could be built to
accommodate the airport’s needs.

The Facilities Department has responsibility for trades and crafts that operate and maintain all the
terminals, buildings, vertical structures, and utilities. In order to protect the public, these facilities are
required to comply with some of the most stringent national and international building codes, fire
protection, ventilation, security, Federal aviation, and other regulations unique to an airport occupancy.

CMMS Implementation

Driver(s)
The airport’s Airfield Maintenance department had previously maintained a database with preventive
maintenance records for various pieces of equipment. However, that database was stand-alone and did
not integrate with any other airport, or State, applications or systems. It was developed to work in
conjunction with CMMS. The Assistant Airfield Maintenance Manager was technically savvy and
realized that additional efficiencies could be attained through sharing information from other systems. He
enlisted the IT department’s Database Administrator to provide solutions that met his department’s
requirements. In working closely with the Field Maintenance department over several years, modules
were developed in AIS to address the department’s needs. In addition, other airport applications were
developed and integrated where possible.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Selection Process
IT worked directly with Airfield Maintenance to develop requirements were captured to support
operational processes for maintenance management. The staff involved in developing the requirements
was initially Airfield Maintenance, but later included Airport Facilities to include terminal assets.

Evaluation of CMMS Solutions


The decision to develop an internal solution was originally based on cost. Subsequently, the
customizations that had been developed in AIS became compelling factors to keep the bespoke solution in
lieu of off-the-shelf solutions.

Key Points
The success of the system is due to several factors:

• Stakeholder engagement is a key factor. The stakeholders of the system were engaged in
development of the requirements. The process has been incremental and addressed needs as they
arose.
• The airport has a small technology support staff to configure, customize, and develop additional
functionality as the needs are identified. Originally, only one database administrator/developer
was available to support the system. An additional programmer/analyst was deemed critical to
long-term sustainability of the system and hired for system development, documentation, and
support.
• The airport has most of its assets in its asset database. Initial stock requests are issued, and on
receipt of an invoice, assets automatically populate the asset database.
• The IT staff responsible for the development of the AIS and the staff’s dedication to meeting the
needs of the airport was another key point.

Airport Use of CMMS

Organizations and the Use and Benefits of CMMS


The primary user of the asset and maintenance management applications, and of the inventory
application, is Airfield Maintenance. Other airport users are shown in Table B5-1.

Activity Asset
Inventory Reporting Personnel
Tracking Management
Airfield     
Facilities     
Operations 
Police & Fire     
Badging  
Safety 
Development  
Leasing    
IT   
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Activity Asset
Inventory Reporting Personnel
Tracking Management
Marketing  
Environment 
Engineering  
Planning 
Noise 
Table B5-1. Airport Users of the CMMS

The implementation of the system was organic, developed as needs were identified. The gradual
development over many years has allowed functionality to evolve as users identified the ways in which
the system could improve their effectiveness and make their jobs easier.

That development has led to the development of other modules, as shown in Table B5-2, not
specifically related to assets and management of them, but that interface with the assets and maintenance
records. In some cases, AIS also interfaces with accounting applications utilized by the State of Alaska.

Asset Activity Inventory AIS Personnel


Management Tracking Tracking Reporting
Assets Work Orders Stock Requests Equipment Personnel
Admin
Key Master PF Case Card Inventory Email Employee Time
Ticklers
Vehicle Permits Leasing Vendor (SR) Equipment Safety
Priorities Adhoc Timesheets
Facilities FMDailyLog HazMat MSDS Management Time Clock
Inventory
Artwork Inventory Sign Out Board GasBoy AIS Reports Dispatch
Meter Readings Inventory Personnel Work Schedule
Conference Rooms What’s Due Leave Calendar
Engineering Mailing Lists
Drawings
Fixed Assets OT Reporting
Phone List Training Log
Activity Tracking Police & Fire
Training Log
Table B5-2. Additional Modules

Activity Tracking allows the recording of work accomplished or any other situation in which personnel
perform a duty that should be recorded. This is the most used function of AIS with more 40,000 Work
Orders generated annually.

Inventory tracking records the requisition, receipt, and distribution of consumables, spares, and stock
items. This generates a purchase request; but purchase orders are done through the State of Alaska
procurement system. Receipt of goods is entered into AIS through the stock request module, which
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

populates inventory and asset databases. There are approximately 30 reports available in the AIS
Reporting module. Ad hoc reporting is supported, using a third-party tool.

Personnel reporting tracks information about both personnel at the airport and associated contact
information. Mobile applications are used in the warehouse; and inventory is done by scanning barcodes
on parts and assets.

Technical Support of CMMS

Implementation
The IT department at ANC supports the AIS and the CMMS applications. Staff consists of a Database
Analyst and a Programmer/Analyst. IT department is also responsible for additional hardware support.

Change Management
The IT department provides change management for the application.

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning


Databases reside on mirrored servers in different locations. Servers, storage, and mechanicals are
redundant. Daily back-ups are made of the database and all four servers.

Regulatory
The Cityworks system has become a critical tool in the administration of Compliance Part 139
reporting. A current Safety Management System initiative will develop integration with Cityworks to
attempt to comply with the upcoming release of the FAA Advisory Circular for Safety Management
Systems.

Part 139 inspections are generated through process flow in Cityworks or through logbook entries by the
Control Center staff. If a work order is generated to address a discrepancy, it is flagged as a Part 139
work order, and asset cannot be returned to service without inspection and sign-off by Operations.
Maintenance then returns the asset to service and closes out the work order.

ANC performs Part 139 inspections for every shift. An inspection report can be generated entirely
automatically. An FAA inspector can ask for a particular day of inspections information including a
history of a Work Order or a summary of Work Orders on a given day. These audits/reviews are now
conducted electronically through CMMS and have been accepted by the FAA as sufficient, no longer
requiring hard copy, signed documents. Logbook entries and work orders are linked to the reports, so that
the FAA inspector can examine the process entirely electronically.

Financial Concerns
No financial concerns were raised at ANC. However, ANC conducted due diligence in determining the
most financially effective CMMS platform and to ensure the proper level of configurability required to
meet the airport’s needs, all within the context of the available applications.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Lessons Learned
The following list the lessons learned:

• A single resource was responsible for development and support for the system. There is risk in
having a single developer. If the staff member retires or takes another job, the airport would
struggle to maintain the system. Recognizing this, the airport has hired additional development
and support personnel for the system.
• Documentation is important for users to buy in to the system. Departments not as involved in the
development were more reluctant to use the system. That was in part due to the lack of available
documentation.
• Flexibility in the system architecture is key to system enhancements, expansion, and growth.
Hard-coded parameters may limit the ability to change the system as desired for additional
functionality.

Keys To Success
The following highlight the keys to success:

• A key sponsor was responsible for the development of the system.


• Because the personnel developing the system was an airport resource, budgeting was not a key
issue.
• The system has been in use for almost twenty years, and users are still satisfied with it because it
was tailored to their requirements with continued improvements over time as requirements
changed.
• The relationship between the users and the systems’ support staff.
• The system has asset management and CMMS functionality, but has additional enhancements not
usually seen in a CMMS.

Business Ownership & Stakeholder Engagement


From the inception of the AIS and the beginning of a CMMS initiative at ANC, the need for a
thorough, accurate, integrated maintenance management solution has been driven by an internal ANC
sponsor and adopted by other airport departments to support their processes and eliminate manual data
flow.

Business & Technical Resource – Collaboration and Expertise


Departments using the CMMS engage in dialog with the IT department to improve and enhance the
effectiveness of the system. The airport has a small but dedicated technology support staff, to configure,
customize, and develop additional functionality as the needs are identified. CMMS users are extremely
satisfied with the efficiencies that the system provides, and complimentary of the support from the IT
staff.

Change Management
The small staff supporting the system makes the change process simple to manage. The IT department
maintains documentation of configuration changes. Any new functionality is tested on the production
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

system, after prime hours of use. Daily back-ups are available for rollbacks in the case of issues with
changes.

Applicability to Other Airports


The initial investment in CMMS at ANC was started more than in the mid-1990s, in response to the
end-of-life of a previous system. The capabilities within the Airfield Maintenance and IT departments led
to a collaboration that has worked well over the years. The functionality of the suite of applications within
AIS, including the CMMS, is their specificity to the airport’s processes. The applications were built to
support more efficient operations at the airport, to eliminate redundant data entry, as well as to automate
processes.

The ability to create unique software tailored to specific needs is undeniably a great benefit to an
airport that can provide the development and support staff.

ANC provides a perspective on an innovative implementation of a system, specifically tailored to


provide functionality not provided by other applications, and to integrate with existing systems to
eliminate redundant data and processes.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

APPENDIX C: CMMS Evaluation Tool –


User Guide

The CMMS Evaluation Tool is fully self-contained on the CD. Because it does not require that the user
maintain any subscriptions to software of any kind, the tool will run locally on most personal computers
or laptops “out of the box.”

NOTE : Respondents can run the CMMS Evaluation Tool locally on their computers, by inserting the
provided CD and running the autoplay option.

 A startup screen will open on the default browser.

 Click the “Start Tool” button - A summary and instructions on how to use the Evaluation
will show on the next screen (see screenshot following).

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Introductory Questions

Every respondent will be asked the following introductory questions to initiate the interactive
questionnaire process:

Enter the name of the airport.

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

This question inserts the entity name – just as it is entered - onto the cover page of the List of
Requirements that can be used for evaluating software options or for using in a procurement document.

Enter the address of the airport

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen

Enter the name of the person at the airport who is responsible for completing all steps in the
CMMS Evaluation Tool.

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen


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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Step 1. Determine which assets the airport wants to manage using a


CMMS.

To determine a best CMMS solution, the airport should begin by understanding which assets they will
want to accumulate in an asset catalog for management in the CMMS, and the functions that a CMMS
will support in their management of those assets. The first step to defining requirements for a CMMS
catalogs those assets and functions, and prioritizes them based on a scale of the airport’s choice.

The following questions are used to determine the different types of assets that the airport wants to
manage using a CMMS, including: facilities, airfield, fleets, pavement, systems, airside structures, and
landside structures.

Refer to the Guidebook’s Chapter 4, Step 1: Choose CMMS Assets for more information.

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select the Facilities Assets that shall be managed with a CMMS.

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select the Runways, Taxiways and Roads that shall be managed with a CMMS.

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select the Vehicle Assets that shall be managed with a CMMS.

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select the System Assets that shall be managed with a CMMS.

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select the Landside Assets that shall be managed with a CMMS.

 Click the “Next” button to show the next screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select Other Assets that shall be managed with a CMMS.

 Click the “Next “ button to show the following screen.

Step 2. Decide How To Manage the Selected Assets in the CMMS


From here on, the next series of windows will allow the user to identify how the airport wants to use
the CMMS to manage the selected assets. For this purpose, a list of CMMS functions that can be used to
manage asset will be presented. Refer to Guidebook Chapter 4 Step Two. Decide How To Manage the
Selected Assets in the CMMS for detailed information.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select the « Functions to be managed » related to the selected asset group (i.e., facilities,
airfield, fleets, pavement, systems, airside structures, landside structures, or other assets)

 Click « Next » to move the next group of assets

 Once the selection of functions for the last group of selected assets has been completed, the
prioritization task will start in the following screen

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The next task is to prioritize the “Functions” that can be used to manage the selected groups of assets.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The following table explains the scale and helps the user to understand what is meant by “High”,
“Medium”, and “Low”.

High Mission critical requirement

Medium Required eventually but could wait

A enhancement that would be nice to have when resources


Low
permit

 Select “High”, “Medium” or “Low” to prioritize the Functions for each of the group of
assets.

 Click the « Next » button

Once the prioritization process is completed, a summary of all selected data will be presented,
indicating if the information will be added to the List of Requirements (High priority), the list of items to
be reevaluated for Cost Analysis (Medium priority) or to the Nice-to-Have List (Low priority).

The following (see next pages) are sample summaries of Functions that will be added to the List of
Requirements, Functions that will be added to the Cost analysis for reevaluation based on budget, and
Functions that will be added to the Nice-to-Have List. The information is grouped by Asset type.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Click the “Next” button to move to the summary of functions that will be added to the Cost
analysis for reevaluation based on budget.

 Click the “Next” button to move to the summary of functions that will be added to the Nice-
to-Have List.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Click the “Next” button to move to Step 2.

Step 3. Determine Integrations


The next step of the CMMS Tool is to Determine Integrations – see screenshot below.

The CMMS can be integrated with other systems that use asset data, such as building management and
SCADA systems, financial systems, procurement systems, scheduling systems, inspection systems, safety
management systems, GIS, and CAD systems, among others. Refer to Guidebook Chapter 4 Step Three:
Identify Integrations for more information.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Select the systems to be integrated with CMMS

 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen and prioritize the selected systems
integrations

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Using the same prioritization scale as during Step 1, the user can now prioritize the selected systems
integrations

 Select “High”, “Medium” or “Low” to prioritize the systems to be integrated

 Click the “Next” button

Once the prioritization process is completed, a summary of all selected data will be presented,
indicating if the information will be added to the List of Requirements (High priority), the list of items to
be reevaluated for Cost Analysis (Medium priority) or to the Nice-to-Have List (Low priority).

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

The following (see next page) is a screenshot summarizing the systems integrations based on the user’s
prioritization.

 Click the “Next” button to move to Step 4.

Step 4. Analyze Workflow Management


Standard operating procedures within the maintenance organization exist for routine tasks and
procedures. Those tasks may be documented and kept up-to-date, or they may be organizational
knowledge passed to team members when they are trained in their roles. Whatever the circumstance,
those procedures are the basis for the day-to-day operations of the maintenance department. Refer to
Guidebook Chapter 4 Step Four. Analyze Workflow Management to identify workflows that should be
analyzed for potential automation in a CMMS.

 Type the identified processes for workflow in the following screens

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

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 Click the “Next” button to show the following screen and prioritize the selected processes
for workflow

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Using the same prioritization scale as during Steps 1 & 2, the user can now prioritize the selected
processes for workflow

 Select “High”, “Medium” or “Low”

 Click the “Next” button

Once the prioritization process is completed, a summary of all selected data will be presented,
indicating if the information will be added to the List of Requirements (High priority), the list of items to
be reevaluated for Cost Analysis (Medium priority) or to the Nice-to-Have List (Low priority).

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Click the “Next” button to complete all steps in the CMMS Evaluation Tool

A List of Requirements is generated by the CMMS Tool. The output of the Tool suggests requirements
to be considered for use, but should be modified to fit the airport’s actual requirements. (Please note: In
order to fit the screenshot on one page, the list is truncated by cutting out material in the middle)

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Each page of the output generated by the CMMS Evaluation Tool can be printed to a local computer
by clicking the button “PRINT this page of the Report”

In addition, if supported by their local settings, users can specify if they want to save the document as
a PDF file.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Tip: A useful method for saving the output generated by the CMMS Evaluation Tool is to select the
entire content, save it to the clipboard, then paste it to a Word Document.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

 Click the “Next” button after printing or saving the output of the CMMS Evaluation Tool.

 A final screen will show next alerting the user that all the steps in CMMS Evaluation Tool have
been completed.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

APPENDIX D: CMMS Feature,


Functionality, and Capacity

Feature/Functionality/Capability Required

1. Inventory Database
a. Recording of data for each facility, system, vehicle, and all collateral equipment and
inventory
b. A unique identifier for each maintained item
c. Grouping items by systems and subsystems
d. Provide for storing of make, model, location, custody, facilities maintenance
standards reference, facilities maintenance requirements reference, financial
information, maintenance manuals, and standard reports
e. Develop policies & procedures (manual or mechanized) to facilitate new data from
various sources to be added to the database as new facilities are built or modified
2. Inspections
a. Permit each item to have an explicit and unique inspection schedule and frequency
b. Inspection checklists and guides, with linkages to work orders to account for any
remediation needed as a result
c. Storage for, or link within the system, to maintenance standards and drawings, prior
inspection results, safety, current or pending work orders, and work requests for the
system being inspected
d. Storage for, or link within the system, to information on plans and coordination
requirements
e. Provide the means to report on inspections, their results, and associated work orders
generated to remediate issues found to assess the efficacy of the inspection program
3. Preventive Maintenance (PM)
a. PM scheduling
b. PM work order preparation based on maintenance requirements
c. Multiple levels of scheduling based on criticality, use, condition, or calendar term
d. Coupling of inventory data, maintenance checklist, parts, safety requirements and
special environmental concerns, coordination/outage requirements results of the last
PM, diagnostic and maintenance references, drawings, special tool or equipment
requirements, and special skill or trade requirements
e. Schedule reporting for each week to provide planning for resources and summary
schedules
f. Capability to schedule future PM dates for increments based on actual completion of
a previous PM
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Feature/Functionality/Capability Required

4. Predictive Testing & Inspection (PT&I)


a. Analysis capabilities for PT&I results, process parameters (e.g., normal baseline
temperature, pressure, flow, and other measures)
b. Diagnose capabilities for possible causes of measures out of recommended range
c. Display trends in test results, and schedule maintenance actions or additional
inspection based on trends
d. Automatic notification to operators and maintenance personnel for any changes,
modifications, repairs, and/or improvements for equipment being maintained
e. Monitoring capability for equipment environment, which could affect PT&I
f. Ability to interface with PT&I equipment hardware and software
5. Proactive Maintenance
a. Provide for analysis of data trends that are indicative for proactive maintenance
b. Allow entry of historical data, including life-cycle costs and failure histories
c. Maintain reference criteria (e.g., vibration tolerances, maximum allowable slope of
the baseplate, and the required accuracy instruments)
d. Record additional information (e.g., maintenance practices, PT&I monitoring
periods, maintenance materials, and vendor data
6. Work Request (WR) & Work Order (WO)
a. Tracking of receipt of requests for maintenance
b. Tracking of planning and estimating, scheduling , internal execution, or execution
by external contractor forces, and documentation of lapses due waiting for funding
or incorporation of the work into a capital project
c. Capability to provide WR or WO numbers with a combination of alphanumeric
characters of adequate length
d. Provide a means for all stakeholders to originate a request for maintenance
7. Trouble Calls
a. Permit receipt and issue of Trouble Calls (TC)
b. Accommodate data tracked by any related system
c. Provide the status of TC tickets pending action, in process, and completed,
escalation procedures, and customer feedback
d. Intelligent dispatch based on location data of the TC, available staff, skill sets, and
time of day optimized for cost and priority
8. Work Orders for PM, Repair, ROI
a. Provide for the preparation of specific or one-time WOs for PM, repair, ROI, and
other work that is of fixed duration and scope
b. Integrate with WO estimating and scheduling
c. Capability to search WOs by any field, e.g. customer, funding source, or tasks
9. Work Order Estimating
a. Estimates for craft, time, material, local labor and material rates, local unique cost
factors, and standard work tasks
b. Integration with current estimating system
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Feature/Functionality/Capability Required

10. Maintenance History


a. TC’s
b. Service Requests (SR)
c. WOs
d. PM history
e. Alterations, modifications, and improvements
f. Inspection results
g. Productivity measurements at the individual, trade, and organization level
h. Backlog reporting
11. Material Management
a. Material inventory (including high and low limits)
b. Ordering based on minimums incl. inventory reserved for incomplete work orders
c. Order tracking, receiving, issuance, reservations against work orders, and material
status for work order scheduling
d. Vendor and price data for stocked materials
e. Purchase agreements
f. Interface capabilities with t procurement systems
g. Analysis of satellite storage areas
h. Stock Room functions including finding parts, manufacturer contacts, parts catalog,
part pricing thresholds, alternative suppliers, alternative substitute parts, part
revisions, and bill on material structures
12. Tool and Equipment Management
a. Issuance, inventory, and accountability for specialized tools and related maintenance
equipment
13. Scheduling
14. Backlog for Maintenance and Repair
15. Contract Administration
a. Support for contract preparation and administration, including tracking delivery
orders, modifications, and payments
16. Utilities
a. Support utilities operation and management, including estimating and reporting
b. Direct interface with building monitoring and control systems, allowing changes in
equipment operating parameters to automatically generate TC’s or other
maintenance actions
17. Environmental Tracking
a. Facilitate necessary tracking, reporting, and historical record functions
18. CAD/GIS Support
19. Priority System
a. Provide for assigning work priorities
b. Allow use of priorities in automated scheduling
c. Enable helpers to be designated

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Feature/Functionality/Capability Required
20. Warranty Tracking
a. Include provisions for tracking warranties on facilities and equipment
b. Alert users when work orders (including SR and TC’s) are entered on covered
equipment within the warranty period
c. Track requested warranty work
d. Accommodate tiered warranties and multiple warranties with different expiration
dates on the same item
21. Management Reports
a. Provide management reporting for airport managers’ needs and maintenance
operations
22. User Customization
a. Permit authorized user to modify, add, or delete reports, forms, screens, data
elements, data definitions, and other features to meet individual needs
23. Ad Hoc Query
a. Ability to perform a specialized or one-time query
b. Permit use of multiple conditions
c. Support use of information from different records
d. Perform statistical operations on the query results
24. Data Sharing and Integration with other systems
a. Potential interfaces include:
i. Financial, personnel, accounting, supply, and other related automated systems
ii. Part 139 inspections software
iii. Safety management system
iv. Procurement systems
v. Personnel and payroll systems
vi. Scheduling systems
25. Presentation Graphics
26. Warranty
a. Support for patches
b. Performance problems
c. Annual support agreements
27. Service level agreements (SLAs)
a. Transaction speed established for:
i. Preparation of reports
ii. Printing PM schedules, PM work orders or cards
iii. Database searches e.g., WO status
iv. Response for ad hoc queries
v. Estimate preparation
b. Considerations:
i. Degradation with database size increase
ii. Degradation with increase in concurrent users
iii. Hardware recommended will support the required size and number of users
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Feature/Functionality/Capability Required
28. Transaction Recording
a. An audit log of CMMS user and changes
29. Data Import and Export
a. Ability to import batch data from standard formats, particularly from a previous
CMMS
30. Bar Coding Data Interface
a. Ability to accept data from bar code readers and print
31. Archive
a. Capability to archive inactive records and data based on user-selection
32. Back-up
a. Automated data backup and recovery features
b. Support for multiple media types
33. Licensing
a. Concurrent or individual user licenses
34. Capacity
a. Number of records limited only by storage
35. User Documentation
36. Menus/User Interface
a. Provide and easy, logical flow from one operation to another
b. Permit keyboard shortcuts for expert users and menus for less experienced users
c. Allow user to create custom menus
37. Error Handling
a. Provide comprehensive error handling
b. Data Validation, e.g., checking against limits or a list of permitted entries
c. Protect the data from abnormal situations
d. Error conditions should be ‘trapped’
e. Informative error messages should be given to user
f. Data deletion should be subject to user verification
38. Password Protection
a. Multiple levels of password protection
b. View only, modify, enter, and delete
c. System changes
d. Creating and modifying reports, forms and data structure
e. Apply to each of the several functions and databases

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

APPENDIX E: Functions Checklist

Functions Checklist for Each Asset Type High Med Low NR


Facilities
1. Work orders
2. Preventive maintenance
3. Condition assessments
4. Condition based maintenance
5. Inventory management of spare parts and supplies used in
maintenance
6. Suppliers of those spare parts
7. Tracking maintenance done through other entities
8. Documentation of warranties
9. Scheduling work
10. Maintenance costs
11. Chargebacks – cost for parts, labor, asset use, and contractors
12. Reliability and cost
13. Scheduling resources
14. Rollup of reporting by system and/or by facility
15. Mobile applications
Runways Taxiways and Roads
1. Work orders
2. Preventive maintenance
3. Condition assessments
4. Condition based maintenance
5. Inventory management of spare parts and supplies used in
maintenance
6. Suppliers of those spare parts
7. Tracking maintenance done through other entities
8. Documentation of warranties
9. Scheduling work
10. Maintenance costs
11. Chargebacks – cost for parts, labor, asset use, and contractors
12. Reliability and cost
13. Scheduling resources
14. Rollup of reporting by system and/or by facility
15. Mobile applications
Vehicles
1. Work orders
2. Preventive maintenance
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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Functions Checklist for Each Asset Type High Med Low NR


3. Condition assessments
4. Condition based maintenance
5. Inventory management of spare parts and supplies used in
maintenance
6. Suppliers of those spare parts
7. Tracking maintenance done through other entities
8. Documentation of warranties
9. Scheduling work
10. Maintenance costs
11. Chargebacks – cost for parts, labor, asset use, and contractors
12. Reliability and cost
13. Scheduling resources
14. Rollup of reporting by system and/or by facility
15. Mobile applications
Systems
1. Work orders
2. Preventive maintenance
3. Condition assessments
4. Condition based maintenance
5. Inventory management of spare parts and supplies used in
maintenance
6. Suppliers of those spare parts
7. Tracking maintenance done through other entities
8. Documentation of warranties
9. Scheduling work
10. Maintenance costs
11. Chargebacks – cost for parts, labor, asset use, and contractors
12. Reliability and cost
13. Scheduling resources
14. Rollup of reporting by system and/or by facility
15. Mobile applications
Airside
1. Work orders
2. Preventive maintenance
3. Condition assessments
4. Condition based maintenance
5. Inventory management of spare parts and supplies used in
maintenance
6. Suppliers of those spare parts
7. Tracking maintenance done through other entities
8. Documentation of warranties
9. Scheduling work
10. Maintenance costs
11. Chargebacks – cost for parts, labor, asset use, and contractors
E-2

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

Functions Checklist for Each Asset Type High Med Low NR


12. Reliability and cost
13. Scheduling resources
14. Rollup of reporting by system and/or by facility
15. Mobile applications
Other
1. Work orders
2. Preventive maintenance
3. Condition assessments
4. Condition based maintenance
5. Inventory management of spare parts and supplies used in
maintenance
6. Suppliers of those spare parts
7. Tracking maintenance done through other entities
8. Documentation of warranties
9. Scheduling work
10. Maintenance costs
11. Chargebacks – cost for parts, labor, asset use, and contractors
12. Reliability and cost
13. Scheduling resources
14. Rollup of reporting by system and/or by facility
15. Mobile applications

E-3

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

APPENDIX F: Sample CMMS Vendor


Assessment Matrix

This is a ranking scorecard with sample requirements used to rank software from multiple vendors in a
software selection process. Rank each requirement using a scale of 1-10 and tally scores for a total
comparative ranking at the end.

REQUIREMENT 1 2 3 4
1. Inventory Database Management. The CMMS shall permit recording necessary
information for each facility and equipment item. It shall provide for a unique
identifier for each maintained item and shall permit grouping items by systems
and subsystem as well as providing for the make, model, location, custody,
facilities maintenance standards reference, facilities maintenance requirements
reference, financial information, and standard reports.
2. Continuous Inspection. The CMMS permit each facility or equipment item to
have an individually determined inspection schedule or frequency. It shall
provide inspection checklists and guides for the inspector, including appropriate
facilities maintenance standards and drawings, prior inspection results, current or
pending work orders and work requests for the system being inspected,
information on future plans for use of the system, and safety and coordination
requirements.
3. Preventive Maintenance (PM). A CMMS shall provide complete PM scheduling
and PM order preparation based on the inventory and facilities maintenance
requirements entered into the system. This includes multiple levels of scheduling
based on criticality, use, condition, or calendar time. The system shall couple
inventory data, facilities maintenance checklist, parts required, safety
requirements and special environmental concerns, coordination/outage
requirements, results of the last PM, diagnostic and maintenance references,
drawings, special tool or equipment requirements, and special skill or trade
requirements. It shall permit scheduling to the week, be able to give resource
requirement reports and summary schedules. It shall include the capability to
adjust future PM dates based on the actual completion date of the latest PM is a
valuable feature.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

REQUIREMENT 1 2 3 4
4. Predictive Testing & Inspection (PT&I). The CMMS shall interface with PT&I
equipment hardware and software to allow for downloading data and for CMMS
support to the PT&I technician in setting sequence and periodicity and providing
critical information concerning equipment and/or facility history. This shall
include information for continuous inspection and include the ability to analyze
PT&I results, process parameters (i.e., normal baseline temperature, pressure,
flow, etc.), diagnose the possible causes of abnormal readings, project trends in
test results, and schedule facilities maintenance actions or further inspection
based on the trends. It shall communicate to operators and maintenance
personnel any changes, modifications, repairs, and/or improvements not only to
the equipment being maintained, but also to the equipment’s immediate
environment, which could affect PT&I readings and other maintenance actions.
5. Proactive Maintenance. The CMMS shall provide for the processing of archived
data that can be analyzed to identify the trends that are critical to performing the
proactive maintenance function. Besides providing program metrics upon which
management can base informed decisions, the CMMS shall have the capability
of providing the following proactive program support:
6. a. Recording historical data, including life-cycle costs and failure histories of
families of equipment, so that engineers can write verifiable purchasing and
installation specifications for new and rebuilt equipment.
7. b. Maintaining a library of reference criteria for a specific equipment item such
as vibration tolerances, the maximum allowable slope of the baseplate, and the
required accuracy of the instrument used to measure that slope to support
drafting precision rebuild and installation specifications.
8. c. Recording background information such as maintenance practices, PT&I
monitoring periods for specific units of equipment, maintenance materials used,
and vendor data for use by maintenance schedulers and by engineers
investigating problems impacting system reliability.
9. Work Request & Work Order Tracking. The CMMS shall provide the capability
to track the receipt of requests for facilities maintenance work or other work
requirements received from any source from the time of receipt through final
work completion. This includes tracking its progress through planning and
estimating, scheduling, execution by in-house shops or contractor forces, and
while any administrative or planning actions are undertaken such as waiting for
funding or incorporating the work into a capital project.
10. Trouble Calls. The CMMS shall permit receipt and issue of Trouble Calls (TC).
It also shall provide the status of TC tickets pending action, underway, and
completed.
11. Work Orders for PM, Repair, ROI, etc. Provide for the preparation of specific or
one-time work orders for Repair, PGM, ROI and other work that is of fixed
duration and scope. This shall be integrated with work order estimating and
scheduling. The CMMS shall be able to identify the work order by customer,
funding source, and work breakdown structure.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

REQUIREMENT 1 2 3 4
12. Work Order Estimating. Provide for an integrated work order estimating system.
The system shall provide planners and estimators with comprehensive assistance
in preparing work order craft, time, and material estimates. It shall permit
including local labor and material rates, local unique cost factors, or standard
work tasks.
13. Maintenance History. The CMMS shall provide for fully documenting the
facility maintenance history, to include summaries of all actions related to the
facility. This includes TC's; specific Service Requests (SR); work orders; PM
history, alterations, modifications and improvements; and inspection results
14. Material Management. The CMMS shall provide for material inventory
(including high and low limits), ordering based on the low limit and new work
orders, order tracking, receiving, issue, reservations against work orders, and
material status for work order scheduling. It may include vendor and price data
for stocked materials and information on purchase agreements. Memorandum
financial accounting for material purchases is desirable. In order to incorporate
material availability and cost data into the CMMS, a smooth interface with the
Procurement Department's program is essential.
15. Tool and Equipment Management. The CMMS shall provide support for issue,
inventory, and accountability for specialized tools and related maintenance
equipment.
16. Scheduling. In addition to scheduling inspections and RCM actions noted above,
it will facilitate scheduling specific work orders. The CMMS shall support the
levels of scheduling used at the Airport, integrate with material management
functions, and provide for workload and workforce balancing.
17. Backlog of Maintenance and Repair. The CMMS shall permit developing a
BMAR (Backlog of Maintenance and Repair) based on condition assessment.
18. Contract Administration. Because a significant portion of the Airport’s work is
accomplished by contract, a CMMS shall provide support for contract
preparation and administration, including tracking delivery orders, modifications,
and payments.
19. Utilities operation and management. The CMMS shall provide support for
utilities operation and management, including estimating, reporting, and model
generation and use. Some CMMS's can interface directly with Energy
Monitoring and Control Systems (EMCS's), allowing changes in equipment
operating parameters to automatically generate TC's or other maintenance
actions. If this type of interface is desired, it will be a critical factor in the
selection process.
20. Environmental Tracking . The CMMS shall provide Environmental Tracking.
The CMMS shall facilitate necessary tracking, reporting, and historical record
functions.
21. The CMMS shall provide CADD support. Access to a CADD system by the
reliability engineer redesigning or modifying existing equipment designs and/or
materials as a means of increasing system reliability is highly desirable.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

REQUIREMENT 1 2 3 4
22. Priority System. The CMMS shall provide for assigning work priorities in
accordance with the Airport's system and using these priorities in any automated
scheduling schemes employed.
23. 2.20 Warranty Tracking. Include provisions for tracking warranties on facilities
and collateral equipment. It shall alert users when work orders (including SR and
TC's) are entered on covered equipment within the warranty period, track
requested warranty work, and accommodate tiered warranties and multiple
warranties with different expiration dates on the same item.
24. Management Reports. Provide management reporting keyed to the Airport
managers' needs as well as to facilities maintenance operations. This relates
closely to the customization and ad hoc query features discussed in section 3
below. An important benefit of a CMMS is the ability to extract information out
of vast amounts of data to help spot trends that might not otherwise be noticed. A
CMMS shall be chosen that can provide information to the manager rather than
just output data in voluminous lists.
25. Data Import. Have the ability to read and load data from standard file formats.
Formats beyond those used at the Airport may be of limited value. However,
support for file formats currently in wide use at the Airport is an advantage and
may be a critical factor, depending on the other systems that the Airport desires
to integrate with the CMMS.
26. Bar Coding Data Interface. Have the ability to accept data from bar code readers
and print bar codes for field reader use. Bar coding has many applications to
ensure that actions were performed on the correct equipment and at the time
specified. Bar coding is especially useful for such repetitive tasks as equipment
identification, inventory control, timekeeping, and PM task recording.
27. Data Export. Have the ability to export all (or user-selected portions) of the
database in standard file formats.
28. Archive. Have the capability to archive inactive records and data based on user-
selected criteria. For example, the Airport may wish to remove information on
work orders that have been completed for over 2 years from the active data files,
but still have the information available for off-line reference. Archiving systems
shall provide the means to view and retrieve the data. Care shall be taken not to
archive essential facility history data.
29. Back-up. Have automated data backup and recovery features. This shall support
multiple media types. Since the CMMS is being installed on a network, the
network operating system may handle the backup. If the CMMS has a backup
routine as well, the potential for conflict between the systems would have to be
investigated.
30. Number of Users. Software is typically licensed for a specified number of users
or for use on a specified number of computers. Programs designed to operate on
a network or with remote terminals may limit the number of simultaneous users.
The capability of the program shall be determined. CMMS cost may vary with
the number of users. It shall be possible to add additional users at a later date
when expansion is required

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

REQUIREMENT 1 2 3 4
31. Capacity. Capacity refers to the number of entries or records (and the maximum
size of each record) that are permitted in each of the databases of the CMMS.
The better CMMS's permit a number of records that is limited only by mass
storage. However, some systems may be limited or require the purchase of
modules adding capacity. The CMMS shall have sufficient capacity in each
function to accommodate the Airport's facilities maintenance management
requirements, including projected growth.
32. Speed. Speed refers to how quickly the CMMS can perform required operations
on the database. Such operations include preparation of reports, printing PM
schedules and PM work orders or cards, searching the database for the status of a
work order, responding to an ad hoc query, or preparing an estimate using the
work order estimating database. Database manipulation is a very processor-
intensive operation. Speed tends to degrade as the size of the database increases
and as the number of simultaneous users increases. Systems perceived as slow by
users will fall into disfavor and shall be avoided. Speed is very dependent on the
hardware used for the CMMS as well as on the data structure and software. To
the maximum extent possible, speed evaluations shall be based on tests using the
hardware configuration, database size, and operations planned for the installed
CMMS.
33. User Help/ Documentation. Provide an adequate level of documentation and an
effective on-line help system to assist users after initial training and installation.
Documentation shall be clear, concise, and comprehensive, covering all aspects
of the CMMS. The on-line help facility shall be available at all times and shall be
context sensitive, providing assistance and suggestions to the user for the current
operation. A user shall be able to find the answer to most routine questions in the
on-line help module. The ability to edit or add to help screens is an advantage.
34. Menus/User Interface. Provide an easy, logical flow from one operation to
another permitting rapid, direct movement by expert users as well as providing a
methodical menu system for less experienced users. Use of the keyboard, mouse,
digitizer, light pen, track ball, or touch-screen are possible methods to access
menu items. The ability of the user to build custom menus is a desirable feature.
35. Error Handling. Provide comprehensive error handling. This includes a
capability for data validation; i.e., checking against limits or a list of permitted
entries. It shall also protect the data from abnormal situations, giving the user the
opportunity to correct situations such as a printer out of paper or off-line, floppy
disk missing, telephone connection lost, drive error, or similar event. Error
conditions shall be "trapped" and informative error messages given to the user,
permitting the user to save current data and exit the program if necessary. Data
deletion shall be subject to verification.
36. Password Protection. Have levels of password protection to control the ability to
view only, modify, enter, and delete data. It shall also control system changes
such as creating and modifying reports, forms, and data structure. This shall
apply to each of the several functions and databases.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

REQUIREMENT 1 2 3 4
37. Cost. In evaluating cost, the CMMS modules and options within functions as
well as all recurring system operation, maintenance, and support costs shall be
considered. The initial cost of the system will be negligible compared to the
manpower savings resulting from fully implementing a CMMS.
38. Hardware Platform. The computer type or types on which the CMMS may be
operated. One CMMS may be limited to one vendor's product or standard while
another may operate on a broad range of hardware. When existing equipment is
to be used for the CMMS, this will be a critical factor that eliminates some
CMMS's from consideration.
39. Operating System. This is the core program that provides the software
communication interface between the manufacturer's hardware and the
developer's software.
40. Input/output Support. The ability of the CMMS to support the desired range of
input and output devices shall be evaluated. Typical devices include a mouse,
digitizing tablet, modem, light pen, optical disk, bar code readers, floppy disk,
laser printer, dot matrix printer, backup media, and plotter. Special software
drivers are often required for different brands and models of printers and plotters.
These are usually built into the software, but may be provided as part of
supporting software such as with WINDOWS. This may be a significant or even
critical evaluation factor.
41. Years in CMMS Business. A longer term can imply a successful business that
addresses the needs of the CMMS market and one that will be available to
provide support into the future. However, be alert for past mergers, takeovers, or
spin-offs, which could distort this factor. "New" does not necessarily mean a
poor product. Conversely, "old" does not imply a good product, because it may
not have been updated to reflect current advancements in CMMS technology.
42. 5.3 Installed Customer Base. The number of users of the CMMS system is an
indicator of market success and the developer's potential to stay in the CMMS
market. Check to see how many sites are using the current versus prior releases.
Include checking their type of business, how they are using it (e.g., for PM only,
material management, Repair work orders, etc.), and points of contact.
43. Other CMMS-related Products (list). The vendor may offer other products
related to the CMMS that would be of interest to the Airport; for example,
utilities management, motor vehicle management and dispatch, or project
management software. These may offer an advantage in terms of a common user
interface, shared data, and lower first cost and support costs if bought as a
package.
44. Support/ Upgrade Policy. Look for a vendor that provides solid, after-market
support and offers upgrades or updates at a reasonable cost. Because CMMS is
not a mass market (installed bases are typically less than 1000), user support is
normally not free. However, there shall be a period of "free" support after
installation and a warranty period to provide for adjustment if the product does
not prove satisfactory in actual use.

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

REQUIREMENT 1 2 3 4
45. Customized Releases. The vendor may offer customized releases structured to
meet the Airport's unique needs. This would include modifications to screens,
standard reports and forms, and data structure. Additional cost would depend on
the extent of the modifications required. However, this factor is offset to some
extent by the ability to make end-user modifications to the CMMS system
discussed under Program Features above. Since Airport requirements may
change over time, buying a CMMS that allows customization by the user is
generally preferable to buying a customized CMMS.
46. Training. The vendor shall provide training support, onsite or offsite as meets the
Airport's needs. Examine scheduling and costs. Consider the experience of
current users with the training offered. Note that programs with an intuitive,
user-friendly interface that conforms to a facilities maintenance management
model similar to that used by the Airport will require less training support.
Training is an essential element of a successful CMMS installation. The Airport
shall recognize that training is not a one-time event. Users will need refresher
training. After a period of familiarization, some users will need training on
advanced techniques such as custom menu, macro, and report generation. New
employees will require initial training. A training plan needs to be developed to
address all these needs.
47. Installation Support. The developer shall offer installation and initialization
support. This may include initial data entry and conversion. Some vendors
provide full-scale systems integration services, including hardware procurement
and setup. This will simplify the Airport's tasks, at some additional cost. There
will be a tremendous amount of effort that will be required to implement a new
CMMS. Many CMMS installations have been "doomed to failure" from day one
because the new user tried to implement the system with existing personnel “in
their spare time" while still expecting them to accomplish
48. List of Users/ References. The vendor shall be willing to provide information on
other users who the Airport can contact for first-hand impressions of the product.
These references shall be contacted to determine their opinions on the product
and how their application matches the Airport's planned use. A visit to their
facility to see the CMMS in operation shall be made.
Total

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Guidance on Successful Computer Maintenance Management System (CMMS) Selection and Practices

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