Published 2023-11-03 by Diego Santos (a 3.1 minute read) | Back to the main page

Another installment (number 2) on our series of short-form and to the point maintenance related articles, this time we are looking at asset types and how that can impact your CMMS choice (number 1 — and many other industrial maintenance related articles — are here).

Fixed and moveable assets

For the purpose of maintenance management (there are some differences when looked at from the accounting perspective, see here) fixed assets are physical items that have a long-term value and are not expected to be consumed or converted into cash within a year (in accounting term these can be tangible — i.e., physical — or intangible but we don’t really maintain intangible assets do we?). A building a company owns and maintains is an example of a fixed asset.

On the other hand, moveable assets are items that can be easily moved from one location to another and are not permanently attached to a property. Examples of moveable assets include tools, consumable spares and computers.

Asset type and CMMS

The difference between fixed and moveable assets is important for your CMMS selection because it affects how you track, manage and maintain them. A CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System), is a software system that helps you organize and optimize your maintenance operations. A CMMS should be able to handle both fixed and moveable assets, but some features may be more relevant for one type than the other.

For fixed assets, you may want to look for a CMMS that offers:

Asset hierarchy: This allows you to group your fixed assets into logical categories and subcategories, such as location, function, department, etc. This helps you to view and analyze your asset performance and costs at different levels.

Asset history: This records all the maintenance activities, costs, failures, warranties, etc. related to each fixed asset. This helps you to monitor your asset condition and plan for preventive and predictive maintenance.

Asset depreciation: This calculates the decrease in value of your fixed assets over time due to wear and tear, obsolescence, etc. This helps you to determine the optimal replacement time and budget for your fixed assets.

For moveable assets, you may want to look for a CMMS that offers:

Asset tracking: This allows you to locate and identify your moveable assets using barcodes, QR codes, RFID tags, etc. This helps you to prevent asset loss, theft or misuse and optimize your asset utilization and inventory levels.

Asset reservation: This allows you to schedule and assign your moveable assets to specific users, projects or tasks. This helps you to avoid asset conflicts, ensure availability and accountability and improve your asset efficiency and productivity.

Asset calibration: This ensures that your moveable assets are performing within the specified standards and accuracy. This helps you to comply with quality and safety regulations and reduce errors and rework.

Keep checking back for information-filled, yet short and to the point maintenance related articles such as this.