What Makes a CMMS Flexible?

A flexible CMMS is customizable, scalable, and adaptable to your needs. Rather than forcing your workflows to fit into an existing system, your CMMS should fit seamlessly into your operations.

A flexible CMMS will excel in these 5 essential areas:

• Customization: You can adjust workflows, reports, and settings to fit your facility’s specific needs. Flexible CMMS is adaptable to any business or facility, no matter its size or specs. 
• Scalability: As your organization grows, flexible CMMS software expands to handle more assets, locations, or users–without needing major changes or updates.
• Integration: A flexible software system connects easily with other tools like IoT devices and business platforms, allowing smooth data flow across the organization.
• Mobile Access: Flexible software works on mobile devices, letting staff manage tasks from anywhere. This drastically improves response times.
• Automation: Leading CMMS software automates repetitive tasks like maintenance scheduling, reducing human error and saving time.

Advantages of a Purpose-Built CMMS

Old systems were pretty simple, and they presented a “one-size-fits-all” approach to facility management. However, today’s retailers are facing changing environments and new demands for compliance.

A  purpose-built, flexible CMMS adjusts to those changes in a way that cuts costs and streamlines management processes. It also keeps you compliant, even when the rules change. And we all know that regulations are always changing! 

Let’s take a look at 5 ways that flexible CMMS software will keep your operations nimble and effective.

1. A flexible CMMS is built for your business.

When you have spent any amount of time in the retail industry, you know just how diverse the landscape is. A brand that operates 50 facilities is going to have different needs than a brand with 250 nationwide locations. Similarly, businesses that operate their own warehouses are going to have different facility needs than retail-only businesses.

The unique nature of today’s retail industry leaves room for all kinds of businesses, from high-end luxury goods and motor vehicles to budget-friendly convenience stores and groceries. Your CMMS should match your operations, no matter what kind of retail company you run.

Truly flexible CMMS software should feel like it was designed for your exact needs.

2. A flexible CMMS will enhance your operational efficiency. 

How often have you felt frustrated by delays that are the result of outdated CMMS processes? It’s incredibly frustrating when a system that is supposed to make your facilities operate more smoothly ends up causing more problems than it helps! 

That’s where a flexible CMMS comes in. 

Operational inefficiencies lead to extended downtime in your store, negatively affecting your revenue. When your response to critical repair issues is too slow, operations can screech to a halt. 

Flex CMMS software goes far beyond simple work order management. Rather, it can be configured to rapidly absorb data from multiple sources to keep things running and address problems when they arise. 

Automation from a flexible CMMS will reduce bottlenecks. 

3. A flexible CMMS supports scalability.

If the global pandemic has taught us anything, is that nothing stays the same in this industry. Demand for certain products can change almost instantly, sometimes with little or no warning. Just ask the commercial toilet paper manufacturers who were responsible for producing  35% of the US’s toilet paper before the pandemic, only to see a massive downturn in demand due to consumers switching to domestic toilet paper products. 

Or what about the pharmacy chains who had to quickly convert their store layouts to accommodate social distancing, testing, and vaccination stations? And the retailers who suddenly had to reconfigure their parking lots to manage curbside pickup demand? 

Being able to quickly scale your operations up or down is a requirement for retail chains that want to stay open and relevant. 

4. A flexible CMMS will improve the user experience for every team within your organization.

When members of your team interact with your CMMS, do they immediately access what they need, regardless of whether or not they spend hours a day on the platform? Some of your team members only interact with your CMMS a couple of times a week; it needs to be useable and intuitive for them, too! 

This means that your CMMS should include: 

• User-friendly alerts
• Automated workflows
• Contextual guidance to help users at all levels of familiarity with the system
• Integrated support and trouble ticket submission systems
• Seamless integration into mobile apps, email, and more

5. Flexible CMMS software provides high ROI through long-term savings. 

If you’re working with an outdated legacy system, you may be searching for a new solution thanks to: 

• Clunky digital systems that require work orders to be manually entered at a computer terminal
• A lack of prioritization of tasks
• Overly complicated approval chains that delay your work orders
• Slow updates
• Equipment history that is scattered across multiple systems (or worse–paper records!)
• A lack of predictive analytics to help prevent major equipment failures
• Extended equipment downtime
• High repair costs
• Decreased customer satisfaction due to unpleasant shopping experiences
• Inventory losses from malfunctioning refrigeration and storage systems
• Energy waste and sustainability problems
• Fines related to compliance issues 

Each of these problems is accompanied by costs that dig into your profits. A truly flexible CMMS will address these problems and eliminate costly spending on mistakes and delays. 

The Case for Fexa: How Fexa’s Flexibility Gives You a Competitive Edge

At Fexa, we’re changing the way work orders work. 

Fexa is the most advanced facility management software on the market. We have designed Fexa to revolutionize how you handle both reactive and preventive repair and maintenance programs. 

We understand that you need your facilities to operate at their peak capacity–all of the time. That’s why we are leading the way when it comes to flexibility, efficiency, scalability, and sustainability. 

Here is what you need to know about Fexa’s revolutionary CMMS. 

When you choose our platform, Fexa will: 

• Provide multiple avenues for accessing work order data
• Have the ability to manage multi-trade work orders
• Give everyone in the approval chain easy access to the full history of activity
• Offer a straightforward user interface that is intuitive and simple
• Ensure a seamless integration of every data point related to every work order
• Use an easy, link-based navigation within the system
• Constantly auto-save your activity
• Track work completion with mobile tracking
• Automatically escalate P1 emergencies
• Manage compliance checks
• Tailor communication and alerts to your needs
• Use real-time data and analytics 

Every business is different. We know that you need a platform that adapts to your business, and that’s what Fexa does. We anticipate the needs of retailers so that you can spend your time growing your business instead of tracking down work order updates and responding to equipment crises and compliance issues. 

To learn about these features and many more that Fexa offers, check out our facilities management software.

Take Advantage of Real Flexibility by Choosing Fexa

Say goodbye to the never-ending to-do list.