Maybe you’ve heard the benefits of web-based Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS), but you’re not sold yet. Or perhaps you’re new to all of this CMMS business, and you aren’t totally sure where to start. Here at eMaint, we deliver our CMMS solution on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform. We have made it our mission to provide the tools you need to succeed, and the information to help you make the right decisions for your business. So, we are here to answer your questions: what is the SaaS model? What are the benefits? Why has it gotten so popular in recent years?

SaaS: Definition and Practical Use

Prior to systems like eMaint arriving in the marketplace, if an organization wanted a CMMS solution, they were required to buy, build and maintain their own IT infrastructures.

With web-based CMMS platforms, all you need is an internet connection to manage maintenance throughout your facility. This is because of cloud computing. Cloud computing refers to both the applications delivered as services over the internet, and is often referred to as “Software as a Service (SaaS).”

Bill Gates has described Software as a Service as the “next sea change [that] is upon us.” But how does the SaaS model accomplish this, and why is it important?

  • Delivered on a licensing and delivery model
  • Subscription basis
  • Centrally-hosted
  • Customers can plug in and subscribe to on-demand, anytime, anywhere access
  • SaaS also offers a variety of practical uses that are otherwise impossible, such as:
    • Managing maintenance in-the-field, on a tablet or iPhone with mobile applications such as eMaint’s MX Mobile.
    • Taking pictures of broken equipment
    • Recording a video of best practices for repairing assets
    • Sharing this content with your entire organization with the click of a button

Benefits of Web-Based Maintenance Management

The world is moving toward web-based maintenance more and more everyday. Web-based CMMS and the SaaS model help improve the bottom line, across the board. With CMMS such as eMaint, there is no software or hardware for you to purchase, install or maintain. This makes deployment of the system faster, easier and cheaper.

  • Web-based CMMS only require a simple, low-cost for implementation
  • No capital outlay: subscription fees can be paid on a monthly basis, with software support built right in at no extra cost
  • Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and a higher Return on Investment (ROI).

Cost, in business, isn’t always just about the money in the bank. Timely processes with paper-based forms, or installing necessary updates can be costly for your watch, and take time away from you doing your job.

  • With web-based maintenance management, there are no updates or upgrades to install
  • SaaS providers manage the availability of your account, so there’s no need for you to add hardware when you want to expand your usage
  • SaaS providers keep your information safe and sound with comprehensive backups, with the support to match.
  • Once you sign on with a SaaS model CMMS, it doesn’t have to be a long term relationship. Monthly subscription payments mean you can cancel your service at any time.

The popularity and need for web-based maintenance management systems delivered on a SaaS model has boomed in the past few years because it simplifies deployment and reduces costs for the customer. eMaint was one of the first companies to develop this model for delivering CMMS, back in 1999. eMaint’s subscription fee includes anytime, anywhere access to the software, system maintenance, automatic updates and upgrades, and unlimited technical support.