Asset Essentials

Overall the company has been very good to work with. They are very responsive to questions and issues, and have been there every step of the implementation.

Pros

Asset Essentials has a very easy to use platform and mobile app. It allows my technicians to stay on the move across our 5 facilities. They are no longer tied to a desk top for work order info and completion.

Cons

The only con i have seen is the system does not change the equipment status to unavailable when there is an in progress work order.

So far so good.

Pros

Too early to say what I like most, but very happy with the flexibility of the system and customer service. Lot's of tutorials.

Cons

Too early to tell. Only been using for a few days.

SchoolDude User Friendliness

Pros

My overall thoughts of schooldude would be that it serves it purpose for scheduling event but it really is not user friendly. The amount of time that it takes for a new user to complete a proposal to schedule an event is pretty tedious.

Cons

I am not a new user so it is easy for me to access and set of events but even explaining to new users is hard because of the lay out. I think it needs to be more simplistic. For example like when you turn on a new Iphone it asks for a piece of information then you hit next and it asks for another. Then it populates all your information for you to review at the end. One other flaw that I noticed in it for billing purposes is that it does not send an email notification when something new is put on to the calendar. Which would be really helpful when something is added last minute if the invoices are already completed for that day. I am not a veteran and do not know all the ins and outs of schooldude, but I do think these fixes could improve the users experience on it.

Great value and pretty full featured

Pros

This CMMS is fairly easy to learn and to use. I like that it has a "requester" function so rank-and-file employees can enter requests for work/service. Setup is pretty intuitive, though some choices need to be thought out thoroughly. We use it for maintenance and sanitation, both of which are a big deal for us as we fall under food safety protocols (we are a food service distributor). The import function is especially useful during setup. It's nice that you can attach photos/documents to assets.

Cons

I wish it supported handheld units with integrated barcode scanning (like the Zebra TC70). Work order generation from PMs works well but it defaults all work orders to be due at midnight. We have to show that work orders are due at particular times of day (shifts). It would also be nice to have a "true" inspection program. Take fire extinguishers. It would be nice if you could walk through the warehouse, scan the barcode on the extinguisher, mark as pass/fail and move on to the next one. Their inspection doesn't quite work as seaemlessly as that.

Our Facilities Management Department covers the operations of 24 town buildings in our municipality. These buildings also include three elementary schools and one middle school. Our maintainers and custodians handle all aspects of these buildings, from cleaning and grounds work, to repairs, HVAC and inspections (just to name a few). Prior to Maintenance Edge we utilized two work order systems. School staff used an in-house request system through our IT Department, while all other town employees utilized a purchased software (MP2). My position is that of Administrative Assistant and I am the one individual that processes all work requests for our office. This meant switching back and forth between our two systems making sure all requests were processed. Work requests were not addressed during any absences from the office (vacation, etc.), thus sitting in queue until my return. Also, there was not a concise record of completed tasks. I am still the one individual in our organization who uses MaintenanceEdge on a full time basis. However, we have now added our maintainers and custodians as daily users of this program. When we began using it in November of 2012, I realized how simple and flexible this program was. It has met all of our needs, and as I continue to use the system, I find more and more areas we can adapt to its use. It has been extremely helpful in reducing the amount of daily work order processing, as so much is now automated through the program. Instant notification to our maintainers' cell phones and email gives immediate contact on requests and tasks, thus eliminating any delays during my out-of-office time. Automatic routing also eliminates the need to forward work orders to the proper maintainer, since notification is within minutes. This function also allows our maintainers to check on work orders when at a specific building, thus eliminating duplicate travel time. This has greatly improved the productivity of our department. We have also taken advantage of the automated reports function, which generates and emails the specific building reports to the proper individuals on a weekly basis. Everyone, including building directors and principals, are "on the same page" with updates and tasks. MaintenanceEdge definitely helps us all communicate more effectively and efficiently. Finally, from the standpoint of the "requesters" at our many buildings, they find it very user friendly. One 20-30 minute training session was all it took to get all users up and running. The transition has been very smooth, especially with the added assistance from the FacilityDude support staff. They are easy to contact, always friendly, and have the correct answers and information that is needed; and if not, they continue to work on any issues until they are solved. I've recommended MaintenanceEdge to a number of colleagues in local governments in my area. It is a user-friendly system with fantastic customer support. From my standpoint, it is a blessing, and has done wonders for our department!