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Abstract This Guidebook documents and presents the results of a study of the CMMS practices in airports in the US at the current time through surveys and case studies. It further delivers evaluation, selection and implementation guidelines for use by airports of varied sizes and budgets. Features and capabilities of a CMMS are outlined for reference during the selection process. Good implementation practices and lessons learned from the research are presented to assist airports in their own implementation. The findings of the study suggest that the preparation of the airport for an implementation should include an extensive requirements definition process to assure that the software selection fits the airportâs needs, and that the configuration of the software be tailored to suit the airportâs business processes. v
E X E C U T I V E S U M M A R Y Airports are complex entities, with many diverse sets of assets including taxiways and runways, check- in kiosks, fleets of vehicles, power grids and energy systems, security systems, mechanical systems, computer systems, baggage handling systems, and signage, just to name a few. Keeping these vital assets operational and spare parts storage at optimal service levels is a constant challenge. Airport Computer Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) are tools used to help manage the large number and varied types of airport assets. A CMMS can simplify and streamline maintenance operations by helping to schedule work, maintain inventory levels, manage records, track history, and perform many other useful functions to manage airport assets. There are many vendors of CMMS software and many available options from which to make a selection. How does an airport know which one and what options to choose? With the assortment of features, functions, and capabilities of the CMMS and add-on components available on the market, it can be an overwhelming task for airport staff to understand and evaluate the best solution for their airport when selecting a CMMS that will work now and in the future. The choice of the best CMMS for the airport is a question that drives this Guidebook. There is no best software and no best option for every airport, since the most appropriate solution depends on an airportâs specific needs. Until the airport defines those needs, it is impossible to know which software fits best. This Guidebook is written to help airports understand their own requirements and then match them against CMMS software to select the most suitable solution. After an airport selects the CMMS to implement, the question of determining how the airport wants to implement the CMMS needs to be addressed. Questions could include, for example, what assets does the airport want to manage? How does the airport want to communicate data between the CMMS and the procurement system? What about the scheduling system, financial systems? The implementation section of the Guidebook addresses these and other issues, and sheds light on the decisions the airport needs to make to carry out a successful implementation. It is important to focus on the right factors for success in an implementation of this kind. To help understand what those factors are, a survey and various case studies of airports that implemented CMMS were conducted. Successful implementations of CMMS revealed factors that were commonly cited as important to the implementationâs success. Lessons learned from those airports are cited in this report so that other airports can learn from their experiences. Some of the observations from that research may be surprising, including the fact that internal support, adequate budget and resource allocation, development of requirements, and executive support all were considered more relevant than the specific functionalities of a particular software package. This Guidebook is accompanied by an evaluation tool and a User Guide to the tool. The evaluation tool can be used to help airports define their requirements for a CMMS program. Those requirements can be used in a Request for Proposal, other procurement efforts, or in an internal development/ implementation process. 1
