Choosing free CMMS software: good or bad idea?

Free CMMS software? Yes, it exists. And since it's free, it makes you want to. However, is it really interesting? Should you take advantage of it, or on the contrary be wary of a false bargain?

From homemade maintenance management to free versions of paid software to open source solutions, here are the pros and cons of Free CMMS. But also the (good) reasons to invest a few euros to make maintenance more simple and effective.

Is CMMS free?

Several solutions exist for those who want to have a free CMMS tool. Here are the most common ones.

Manage maintenance without CMMS software

Paper maintenance

One paper, one pen, and that's it! The cheapest technique is also the oldest: “paper” maintenance. Each intervention is recorded in a notebook or on forms, and we thus have a complete follow-up of the operations.

However, in practice, This solution has a number of drawbacks.. The transmission of information is complicated, the consultation of the history of interventions is tedious (because it is accessible on a single document) and the traceability of these interventions lacking.

The real cost—especially in time—is therefore, compared to other existing solutions, very high. Facade gratuity is, in fact, illusory.

Excel

Many businesses use Excel, which they have anyway, to manage their maintenance without specific software. Compared to paper maintenance, this technique greatly facilitates the monitoring of interventions and especially the consultation of the actions carried out.

Mobility Work CMMS offers several tools for monitoring the tasks and activities of members of your network.

On the other hand, access to information, operational planning, and ease of use remain very limited. For maintenance teams, using Excel is tedious and does not promote careful monitoring. Again, the real comparative cost is much higher than the apparent cost-effectiveness.

Open source software

As in most IT fields, there is open source maintenance management software. However, their use is reserved for insiders, as they require advanced computer skills and are difficult to handle.

In fact, This type of software may be suitable for small businesses where only a few people with computer skills are required to manage maintenance. For large teams, open source solutions prove to be ineffective.

Free versions of professional software

Some publishers offer free versions of their software. These allow you to have a dedicated solution without paying a cent.

In reality, these versions don't have much to do with the full software. They are more intended for testing than for sustainable use. Limited number of users, restricted functionalities, French version not available: the disadvantages of these “software” appear very quickly in practice.

The limits of free CMMS software

We therefore note that all free CMMS solutions have limitations which make them unsuitable for effective professional use. Their main attraction, being free, masks hidden costs, in terms of superfluous time spent by teams, in their unwillingness to take charge of them because of their difficulty of use, or in paid functionalities.

In addition, the use of free CMMS software generally requires numerous settings, which require time or even the use of an external service provider. However, the major absence of these solutions is support.

Why pay instead of using free CMMS software to manage maintenance?

Compared to free CMMS, the CMMS solutions Paid payments have a great number of advantages. Their real cost is often, in the end, lower.

Extensive functionalities to manage maintenance

The first point may seem obvious, but it is important: paid offers make it possible to dispose of goods more features than a free CMMS software.

In addition to an interface in French, they thus adapt much better to the specificities of the company and facilitate the monitoring of maintenance operations. In addition, their extended functionalities allow implement advanced maintenance management, such as predictive maintenance.

Valuable support

Companies that market maintenance management solutions generally provide support in installing the software and support throughout the duration of use.

This support represents a valuable time-saver for users. and avoids finding yourself “stuck” in front of a tool that is supposed to facilitate the work of maintenance teams.

A not so high cost

While many “traditional” software costs between 50,000 and 200,000 euros, there are now applications whose price is much lower, which make it possible to avoid such a large investment.

Mobility Work, for example, a community maintenance management platform, offers a monthly rate of 33 euros per user maintenance for its mobile CMMS application. Thus, for a company with 10 people assigned to maintenance, the cost will be only 330 euros per month.

Access to the latest innovations

This is a major advantage of using a paid solution: it allows benefit from the latest innovations in maintenance management. At a time when new technologies allow the permanent improvement of computer tools, this advantage is considerable in the search for better productivity and therefore better competitiveness.

For example, the Mobile CMMS does not exist in a free version. This Mobility Work innovation allows, via a dedicated application, to consult and enter machine maintenance information at any time and from anywhere on a tablet or smartphone.

Thanks to a mobile CMMS tool, you create your tasks in the field and can scan machine QR codes to access equipment sheets

In addition, these latest generation tools are updated very regularly taking into account the feedback of users. This guarantees them a ease of use And a optimal efficiency that conventional software, whether free or paid, is struggling to offer.

We can therefore conclude that CMMS is a field in which the place of free software is reduced. They are poor in functionality and rarely adapted to the challenges of companies that want to increase productivity.

On the contrary, choosing a paid solution allows you to have a tool adapted to your business, accompanied by quality support and a regular evolution of functionalities.