What is a CMMS and what is it used for?

Complete guide to the maintenance management software that transforms how organizations plan, execute and optimize their operations.

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What is a CMMS?

A CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) is specialized software that allows you to plan, automate and supervise all maintenance activities for an organization's facilities, equipment and assets.

This tool centralizes your organization's vital information: assets, work orders, preventive plans, spare parts, personnel and costs. It enables the transition from reactive maintenance (firefighting) to proactive and predictive maintenance, maximizing asset availability.

CMMS = GMAO
CMMS is the English term. In Spanish, it's known as GMAO (Gestión de Mantenimiento Asistido por Ordenador). Both terms refer to exactly the same type of software.

CMMS Software

What is a CMMS used for?

A CMMS system fulfills four fundamental functions that transform maintenance management.

Plan maintenance

Schedule preventive and corrective maintenance automatically, avoiding unexpected failures and optimizing resources.

Centralize information

Gather work orders, intervention history, technical documentation and associated costs in one place.

Automate tasks

Generate work orders automatically based on schedules, minimum stock alerts or asset conditions.

Enable decisions

Convert operational data into reports and KPIs that enable evidence-based decision making.

Benefits of implementing a CMMS

Organizations that implement a CMMS system experience significant improvements across multiple areas.

Maximize asset lifespan

Complete historical records and automatic scheduling of preventive maintenance significantly extend the lifespan of your equipment and facilities.

Minimize downtime

Intelligent planning allows scheduling maintenance at optimal times, reducing unplanned stoppages and productivity losses.

Optimize resources and personnel

Smart assignment of technicians based on availability, skills and workload. Better coordination between field teams and office.

Improve decision making

Dashboards and reports that convert raw data into actionable patterns, trends and predictions for management.

Improve service perception

Professional reports with photographs, digital signatures and complete traceability that demonstrate the value of work performed.

Ensure security and compliance

Total traceability of interventions, documented regulatory compliance and automated warranty management.

Essential CMMS features

Professional CMMS software must include these essential capabilities to cover the entire maintenance cycle.

Centralized asset management

Maintain a complete file for each piece of equipment or facility with all relevant information accessible in one place.

  • Exact location (with GIS/geolocation support)
  • Complete history of interventions and costs
  • Technical documentation: manuals, warranties, certificates
Centralized asset management
Work order digitization

Work order digitization

Manage the complete WO cycle: from creation and assignment to tracking, closure and subsequent analysis.

  • Automatic creation from incidents or preventive plans
  • Intelligent assignment to available technicians
  • Integration with ERP for billing and costs

Preventive maintenance planning

Create maintenance plans with defined periodicity that automatically generate work orders.

  • Scheduling by time, usage or condition
  • Flexible grouping of tasks into sets
  • Visual calendar of scheduled maintenance
Preventive maintenance planning
Mobile app for field technicians

Mobile app for field technicians

Equip your technicians with a mobile application that allows them to work efficiently, even without internet connection.

  • Complete offline functionality
  • Photo, signature and form capture
  • Geolocation and navigation to assets

Reporting and data analysis

Generate automatic reports and dashboards that convert your operational data into actionable intelligence.

  • KPIs: MTBF, MTTR, availability, costs
  • Customizable real-time dashboards
  • Export to Excel, PDF and BI systems
Reporting and data analysis

CMMS vs Field Service Management (FSM)

Although related, CMMS and FSM have different approaches. Understanding the difference will help you choose the right solution.

CMMS / GMAO

Focused on internal maintenance of fixed facilities.

  • Own asset management
  • Scheduled preventive maintenance
  • Inventory and spare parts control

FSM

Oriented towards external services with mobile technicians.

  • Customer and contract management
  • Route optimization and geolocation
  • Billing and quotes

Maptainer combines the best of both worlds: complete CMMS capabilities with GIS and mobility features typical of an FSM.

What industries need a CMMS?

Any organization with physical assets to maintain can benefit from a CMMS system.

Industry and Manufacturing

Public Administration

Utilities (Water, Gas, Electricity)

Public Lighting

Hospitals and Healthcare

Transportation and Infrastructure

Frequently asked questions about CMMS

None. CMMS is the English term (Computerized Maintenance Management System) and GMAO is the Spanish equivalent (Gestión de Mantenimiento Asistido por Ordenador). Both refer to the same type of maintenance management software.
The typical operational cycle is: Task planning → Assignment to technicians → Automatic notification → Field execution (with mobile app) → Validation and closure → Data analysis. Everything is recorded and traceable.
Key criteria are: customization capability, mobile app availability (ideally offline), task automation, transparent pricing model, integrations with your current systems (ERP, GIS) and quality of technical support.
Highly recommended. ERP integration avoids information silos, allows synchronization of costs, billing and purchases, and offers a unified view of operations. Maptainer offers REST API for integrations.
The most relevant are: ERP (for costs and billing), GIS systems (for georeferenced assets), SCADA/IoT (for real-time data), purchasing and finance systems, and BIM for building management.
It depends on the scope. A basic implementation can be operational in 2-4 weeks. More complex projects with data migration, integrations and extensive training may require 2-3 months. Maptainer offers guided onboarding.

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