What to look for in a PM software vendor

In addition to selecting the preventative maintenance software, you're choosing a new partner for your maintenance operations. The PM software provider you choose will be responsible for installing and maintaining the system, so it's important to select one who will be around for years. One way to gauge a maintenance management software provider's experience is to review as many in-depth profiles as possible to make an informed decision.

One way to help assess the stability of your provider is to choose PM software with a large installed base. This ensures that the vendor will continue to upgrade and improve the product, and demonstrates that the company has an ongoing revenue stream to keep them in business.

Ask about their experience in your industry, as well. They should be able to put you in touch with references in your industry who are using their PM software. Call the references and ask questions such as:

• Has the system improved your maintenance operations?
• Have you seen a significant ROI?
• How does the vendor react when you have problems?
• What do you like least about the PM software?
• Does it do everything you expected?

PM software training and support

Training and installation is critical. Getting started with new PM software is an inconvenience even in the best case, so ask how the vendor plans to minimize disruption during installation.

The vendor should provide training for everyone who will be using the system. Many businesses prefer having a trainer come to their office, but that is not always possible. Web-based training can also be effective, if done properly. Regardless of the type of training, it should take users through the basics of setting up, operating, and troubleshooting the system.

As with any complex software, you should expect occasional problems or outages. While "guaranteed 99.5% uptime" and other vendor assurances are fine, more important is how they react when something does go wrong. Inquire about their support policies: do they have live support staff on the phone during business hours, or 24 x 7? Do they guarantee a specific response time? What kind of training do their reps have? You want to make sure that a software glitch won't disrupt your work for any significant period of time.