What Works: Using Technology to Manage Maintenance

“How can this make my job easier?”asked the twice-my-senior, experienced, well-respected mechanic at the park where I was providing training. I was there to train team members on the computerized maintenance management software (CMMS) that would be used for the upcoming season to track and manage work orders. By the end of that week of training, I experienced “lightbulb moments” that may serve as helpful takeaways for members of the attractions industry.

To begin, it is a familiar and often expensive endeavor to challenge the way things have always been and implement tools to optimize aspects of your operation, especially when it comes to maintenance. I guarantee that even though the subject matter may be a little dry, you will have gleaned a few key lessons for your operation.

When I first got started in the industry as a student, I made sure to get as many hands-on experiences as I could while studying mechanical engineering. Fortunately, this led me to two unique and foundational experiences in which I was also asking, “How can this make my job easier?” Both facilities were early adopters of CMMS, and I was the mechanic learning the software. While performing preventative maintenance inspections on the attractions I was trained in, all my work was organized and recorded digitally. It was amazing to see firsthand how much more information was captured when the work was being recorded at the site of service. Over time, patterns emerged that could be identified and tracked.

One of the main things I’ve learned using technology to help manage maintenance is that at the core of every team are hardworking people who deserve recognition for their efforts. Intergenerational communication is a challenge in any organization, especially when it comes to change. One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is receiving the crucial buy-in from the most experienced, yet least tech-savvy folks on your team. Showing them that technology can be a tool that celebrates everyone’s efforts and reduces individual workload is an often-successful strategy to win them over.

Even on a small scale, there are ways to implement CMMS that could benefit any sized operation. Whether it be minimum compliance checklists or enterprise asset management, there is a way to get the big picture in the palm of your hand. 

This original reporting from IAAPA News first appeared in Funworld magazine. For more stories and videos covering the global attractions industry and to read a digital version of Funworld magazine, click here.