Hotels, resorts, and other hospitality companies face challenges every day with equipment failures or guest complaints. With out an effective strategy to address them, those challenges could lead to a backlog of work that your staff can’t keep up with, impacting operations and guest satisfaction.
Fortunately, hotel maintenance software, like a CMMS, is the perfect solution for minimizing these challenges. In this article, we’ll cover how a CMMS can benefit the hospitality industry and share special considerations for selecting one for your organization.
What is a CMMS?
A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) is a cloud-based software that helps organizations streamline their maintenance strategies and activities. Some core functions of a CMMS include tracking and prioritizing work orders, scheduling maintenance tasks, and managing assets (like HVAC systems, heavy machinery, or other equipment that needs regular maintenance).
CMMS software solutions can also offer automation for many workflows and tasks, providing real-time insights into your maintenance processes and ensuring your hotel operations are as efficient as possible. They are used across numerous industries, and can be customized to the unique needs of your hotel or resort.
How hotels and hospitality companies use a CMMS
Hotels and resorts use CMMS solutions every day to streamline workflows, manage incoming work orders, and keep facilities in optimal condition.
Here are some key areas in which a CMMS is advantageous for businesses in the hospitality industry:
Guest room maintenance
Ensuring a positive guest experience is key to managing a successful hotel. Rooms need to be clean, appliances must function properly, and guests should be able to relax with minimal intervention from staff.
A CMMS helps hotels stay on top of the important maintenance tasks efficiently, within guest rooms and shared spaces, streamlining workflows for HVAC repairs, plumbing issues, electrical failures, cleaning checklists, and more. Quickly and seamlessly addressing maintenance within your guests’ private spaces, ensures that guests experience your facility at its best.
Common areas and facilities
Common areas like lobbies, pools, fitness centers, and dining facilities enhance the customer experience and, thus, must be maintained well to provide the best atmosphere for guests.
CMMS software has the ability to track when these facilities need maintenance, whether it is pool equipment inspections, fitness machine repairs, or dining facility maintenance. For example, a CMMS can alert maintenance staff when routine cleaning or tune-ups are due, helping keep these areas safe and appealing.
Asset management
Hotels and resorts rely on a wide variety of assets to keep daily operations running smoothly, from elevators to laundry machines, kitchen appliances, and even communication systems like phones. Managing each asset effectively helps them last longer and function optimally.
A CMMS allows hotels to track each asset throughout its lifecycle. For instance, staff can monitor when elevators need safety inspections, schedule preventive maintenance for laundry machines, and set reminders for kitchen appliance servicing.
Compliance and inspections
Hotels must adhere to strict regulations regarding safety, hygiene, and operational standards. Compliance with these regulations is a must for legal reasons and maintaining guest trust. Regular inspections like fire safety checks, elevator certifications, and health department assessments must be completed on time to avoid penalties or closures.
Hotels can use a CMMS to organize and schedule safety inspections, as well as to store records of completed inspections for easier access during audits. It can also alert staff to upcoming inspections so they can adequately prepare and address any outstanding maintenance issues.
Benefits of using a CMMS in the hotel and hospitality industry
Using a CMMS offers hotels and hospitality companies many advantages that contribute to the effectiveness of their operations. Here are some of the most significant benefits.
Increased efficiency
Because a CMMS can automate many parts of maintenance workflows–like creating work orders, scheduling routine tasks, and generating reports–staff can save a lot of time with reduced administrative burden.
Proactive vs. reactive maintenance
It’s easy to fall into the habit of reactive maintenance–always responding to maintenance concerns as they occur rather than proactively managing them. A CMMS can help you deploy a preventive maintenance program at your hotel, preventing costly emergency repairs and equipment downtime.
Enhanced guest experience
When everything is in working order, guests are more satisfied. A CMMS contributes to this satisfaction by reducing disruptions to their experience, like broken amenities. Plus, when guests have fewer complaints, staff can stay on track with regular maintenance and not build up a backlog of work by constantly responding to guest concerns.
Cost savings
CMMS software helps hotels and resorts prolong equipment life and cut down on emergency repairs. With regular preventive maintenance, equipment gets the care it needs, reducing equipment failure and the need for costly repairs.
But it’s more than just cost-savings; it’s also increased revenue. When it comes to the guest experience, with fewer disruptions to their visit (and a great experience), they are more likely to come back and refer your hotel to others.
Data-driven decision making
Maintenance data can inform long-term budgeting and planning for hotels and hospitality companies. CMMS solutions offer a central repository of maintenance data ripe for analysis and performance improvement. This data can include time spent on maintenance tasks, inventory levels and costs, and work order information.
Special considerations for hotels when choosing a CMMS
Hotels looking to employ a CMMS within their organization should pay attention to these special considerations to ensure you get the software that fits your facility’s needs.
- Scalability: As your hotel scales and grows, you need a CMMS that can do that with you. It should grow with your needs, making it simple to add new assets and tasks, and it should have the capabilities to manage multiple properties.
- Ease of use: Hospitality staff have varying roles and levels of technical expertise, and everyone working on maintenance-related tasks should be able to easily use the CMMS software you choose. This includes selecting something with a user-friendly interface for all levels of technical experience.
- Mobile app access: Most staff don’t stay in one place all day; they are moving and taking care of maintenance requests across multiple facilities and must be able to easily access the CMMS. Mobile device access is essential for maintenance teams that are working across the property (or multiple properties) as they complete their tasks.
- Integrations: Mosts hotels already have some software programs in place–like booking systems or housekeeping software–so it’s important to find a CMMS that can integrate with these systems. These integrations will help ensure that important maintenance activities, like room cleaning or appliance repair, don’t get missed when a new booking comes in.
Key features any hotel CMMS should have
When selecting a CMMS for your hotel or resort, it’s important to make sure the software has capabilities that meet the demands of the hospitality industry.
Here are some key features that any hotel CMMS should offer:
- Preventive maintenance scheduling: A CMMS should allow you to set up recurring maintenance tasks for critical equipment like HVAC systems, elevators, and kitchen appliances. This helps prevent unexpected failures and prolongs asset lifespan by ensuring timely inspections and repairs.
- Work order management: Efficient work order management is essential in hotels. Your CMMS should let you easily create, assign, and track maintenance requests from both staff and guests, ensuring that tasks are completed promptly and nothing is missed.
- Asset tracking: Hotels rely on a wide range of assets, from guest room appliances to back-of-house equipment. A CMMS should provide detailed asset tracking, allowing you to monitor each asset’s condition, maintenance history, and performance over time.
- Inventory management: Managing spare parts and supplies is critical for smooth operations. A CMMS with inventory management capabilities will help you track stock levels, set up automatic reordering, and ensure that your team always has the materials needed to perform repairs without delays.
- Reporting and analytics: A strong reporting system allows hotels to track maintenance costs, asset performance, and work order efficiency. With the right data, you can identify areas for improvement, optimize maintenance schedules, and support long-term planning for asset replacements and budgeting.
Improve hotel maintenance management with Limble CMMS
Managing a hotel’s maintenance operations can be a challenge, but using a CMMS makes it a whole lot easier. From scheduling routine upkeep to tracking work orders and keeping your equipment in top shape, a CMMS takes the guesswork out of managing maintenance tasks. This leads to fewer equipment breakdowns, happier guests, and a smoother-running hotel.
Limble CMMS offers all the tools you need to keep your hotel running like clockwork. It’s simple to use, mobile-friendly, and can scale with your business as it grows. Whether you’re looking to improve efficiency, reduce costs, or enhance the guest experience, Limble CMMS can help you get there.
Get started today by scheduling a free demo!
