What is CMMS? Features, Pros, Cons and Costs Explained

Managing maintenance across multiple sites? Or do you have a large estate comprising of multiple buildings? You’re likely facing common challenges such as understaffing, inefficient manual tracking and the burden of legal compliance.

A Computerised Maintenance Management (CMMS) simplifies maintenance management while improving productivity, equipment performance and longevity.

It all sounds great, but if you’re new to this type of facility management software, you’ll want to know how a CMMS can integrate with your facilities management strategy. Read on to find out more about what a CMMS is and how it could benefit you.

What is a CMMS System? 

A CMMS or a Computerised Management System is a pivotal software tool used in building maintenance management to track and manage all physical assets. It allows you to schedule and automate preventative and reactive maintenance tasks as well as oversee work orders, inventory, costs and data.

“If you're a building owner, at first you might use a simple spreadsheet or physical paperwork to track your assets and their maintenance schedules. However, as the number of assets you maintain grows, these tracking methods can become cumbersome. That's when a CMMS (Computerised Maintenance Management System) becomes helpful to streamline facility maintenance.” - Paul Bullard, SFG20 Product Director and FM system expert.

CMMS and Statutory Compliance

While a CMMS provides easy access to records, audits, and evidence trails for legal or regulatory investigations, a CMMS itself does not interpret or define legislation. This limitation can lead to non-statutory reliance if used in isolation.

To bridge this gap, SFG20 provides ready-to-follow maintenance schedules that are aligned with current legislation.

When integrated, SFG20 guides what must be done and when, while a CMMS ensures when and how it is executed and evidenced.

CMMS Features and the Problems They Solve

By automating tasks and centralising data, a CMMS can help to digitally transform your building maintenance operations and asset management. Below, you’ll find all of the key CMMS features in more detail.

• Asset Management:

A CMMS centralises all important asset information, including manufacturer details, model, serial number, installation dates, costs, location, and performance statistics, with easy access to and sharing of asset information.

• Work Order Management:

A CMMS helps to automate and manage work orders for maintenance and repair, combining details such as work order numbers, priority, assigned personnel and materials used.

• Preventative Maintenance Scheduling:

A CMMS can facilitate work based on pre-defined criteria such as time or usage, ensuring timely maintenance actions as well as testing and inspection for compliance.

• Inventory Management:

A CMMS assists in managing inventory levels of equipment and materials, helping to reduce overstocking and underspending.

• Reporting and Analytics:

A CMMS can generate detailed reports across various maintenance categories, including asset availability, materials usage and labour costs, aiding with decision-making.

• Mobile Access:

Allows technicians to access and update work orders, track time, and manage assets from mobile devices while in the field.

More advanced systems may have further features, such as:

• Safety and Compliance:

Supports safety programs with features like incident reporting, audit trails, and automated compliance documentation.

• Vendor and Contract Management:

Centralises vendor information, tracks contracts, and helps monitor vendor performance.

• Integration:

Connects with other business systems like Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) tools, Building Management Systems (BMS), and IoT platforms to avoid data silos.

• Predictive Maintenance Capability/Condition Monitoring:

Utilising data collected from maintenance, repairs, and inventory usage to statistically predict future maintenance needs alongside IoT sensors to track the health of assets and in turn, lower the risk of emergency repairs and asset deterioration.

These features are supported by data tracking, automated work requests, standardised maintenance processes and integration with other systems, giving you and your team the confidence you need to get the job done.

What are the Pros and Cons of Using A CMMS?

Pros Of Using A CMMS

Implementing a Computerised Maintenance Management System (CMMS) into your facilities management can bring a diverse range of benefits to an organisation, directly impacting operational efficiency, cost savings, productivity and overall asset management. Here are the biggest benefits of using a CMMS:

• Increases Reliability and Uptime:

A CMMS helps to provide rigour and structure through automation of processes to ensure that preventative maintenance schedules are adhered to, reducing unplanned downtime.

• Maximises Equipment Lifespan:

Centralised data storage helps prioritise critical maintenance while ensuring that assets are better maintained and last longer.

• Streamlines Maintenance Operations:  

A CMMS automates tasks and workflows, saving time and resources while also providing access to single point of reference for assessing and diagnosing asset health.

• Saves Energy:  

Well-maintained assets operate more efficiently, leading to lower energy expenses.

• Enhances Safety 

Detailed information on equipment and maintenance operations helps identify and mitigate potential safety risks to both workers and future inhabitants.

• Improves Data-Driven Decision Making: 

A CMMS creates a central repository of data and allows it to be readily analysed, providing checks and balances to optimise strategies and helping you make more informed decisions.

• Audit Preparation:  

A CMMS can simplify audit preparation and compliance maintenance, easing the knowledge load on technicians.

Cons of Using a CMMS

Like with any software, there will always be a few disadvantages to consider. Here are the key disadvantages of CMMS to be aware of:

• Cost Challenges: 

A CMMS is designed to save your business money, but onboarding one usually requires a level of upfront investment, which can be an issue for organisations with smaller budgets. However, with downtime causing significant financial losses, the initial cost is considered a sound long-term investment.

• Data Migration: 

If your maintenance data is stored in different formats across varying systems, it can be tricky to transfer data into a new CMMS. According to a Reliable Plant survey, more than one in four respondents said their employees spent between 100 and 200 hours collecting asset data for implementation.

• Team Training: 

If you’re an organisation with a long-established process and your team is used to a specific way of working, they may find it challenging to adapt to new software- especially if there is a lot of training involved. In fact, some studies suggest that around 80% of CMMSs fail due to poor planning and implementation.

What is the True Cost of Not Having a CMMS?

Operating without a CMMS often results in hidden costs that extend far beyond missed work orders.

Inefficient scheduling, duplicated tasks, and unplanned downtime drive up labour and asset expenses, while paper-based or manual systems make performance tracking nearly impossible.

This forces teams into reactive maintenance cycles that can shorten equipment lifespans and fragment compliance documentation, creating regulatory risks.

Vitally, the absence of accurate data also prevents informed budgeting and asset replacement planning. Over time, the cumulative cost of inefficiency, downtime, and non-compliance can far outweigh the investment in a CMMS.

Common Challenges of CMMS Integration

Integrating a CMMS with existing business systems such as Building Management Systems (BMS), ERP platforms, or IoT sensors can significantly enhance data flow and operational visibility.

However, integration can reveal obstacles such as incompatible data formats, poor API documentation, legacy system limitations and unclear data governance ownership.

When IT and maintenance teams have misaligned expectations, rollout becomes even more complex.

Ultimately, success requires transparency during planning. FMs should map workflows, define data sources and test integrations early to prevent disruption. A well-managed integration ensures a single, reliable source of truth for asset and maintenance data.

How Much Does CMMS Cost?

CMMS pricing is dependent on the deployment model, company size and specific feature requirements, so it’s a good idea to evaluate your needs and compare pricing options from multiple CMMS vendors.

You can expect CMMS pricing ranges to start at around £50 a month for basic plans, while more premium plans can cost hundreds of pounds per month. There’s also the option of one-time perpetual licenses, which can range in the thousands.

On-premise CMMS installations require more upfront investment and ongoing maintenance, while cloud-based CMMS solutions have lower initial costs as they’re maintained by the software provider.

Frequently Asked Questions About CMMS

Can CMMS Help With Statutory Compliance for Building Owners? 

Yes, in some ways. A CMMS helps schedule, track, and evidence statutory maintenance tasks, creating an auditable trail for compliance. However, it doesn’t interpret legislation. However, the maintenance schedules need to be programmed into it. Pairing a CMMS with SFG20, which provides legally aligned maintenance schedules, helps to ensure that statutory obligations are met with compliance that can be evidenced as required.

How Do I Integrate CMMS With My Existing CAFM System? 

Integration is achieved through an API (Application Programming Interface), like the one offered by SFG20, or data connectors, allowing work orders and schedules to sync between systems. Proper integration delivers a unified maintenance platform with improved reporting, visibility and operational efficiency.

What Happens When Maintenance Legislation Changes? 

A CMMS doesn’t automatically update with new legislation. Using it alongside SFG20, which is regularly updated to reflect regulatory changes, helps to ensure that your maintenance schedules remain compliant. Once SFG20 updates are applied, the CMMS can automatically adjust tasks and frequencies accordingly.

How Do I Audit My FM provider’s Maintenance Work? 

A CMMS records all maintenance activities, completion dates and evidence. Building owners can run detailed reports to verify that statutory and planned tasks are completed correctly and on time. This transparency supports contract performance reviews and regulatory or insurance audits.

Does CMMS Cover All Statutory Maintenance Requirements? 

No, a CMMS manages how maintenance is carried out and evidenced, but doesn’t define what is legally required. However, SFG20 fills this gap by providing ready-to-follow maintenance schedules that are aligned with current legislation. Together, they ensure full statutory compliance and accountability.

Is CMMS the Right Choice for You?

Now that you have a better understanding of Computerised Maintenance Management Systems, you may be wondering about the other types of facility management software (FM) available, such as a CAFM system and whether it’s better suited for your needs.

At SFG20, it’s our mission is to raise maintenance standards and provide educational resources for maintenance professionals.

There are a lot of FM software options to choose from, and each solution is different. That’s why we’ve put together a beginner-friendly CMMS vs CAFM guide which goes beyond the level of detail in this article, outlining key differences, pros and cons and how to choose the best option for your organisation.

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