This post is the continuation of Ross Waugh’s discussion on “two important steps to consider in buying and using an asset management software,” and Heather’s rejoinder on what asset management is.
Ross:
In New Zealand, we have known from bitter experience in millions and millions of dollars wasted money because we’ve all done it several times.
You go, “Oh, this is a nice shiny piece of software. I like that.” Hmm, and the salesperson is my friend.
Of course, they are your friend because you’re going to keep them in an income for a little while.
And you go and buy the shiny new knife or whatever is the shining you spend on, like that great big pickup that you don’t need. And it doesn’t get the job done.
And I think when you start working your way back through a structured process like that, you’ll then get a lot of clarity.
And maybe at the end of that, you go, hey we need a much bigger system than we were thinking of. Maybe the system that someone is trying to sell you is ideal once you’ve done that thinking.
But if you step through those simple steps, you’ll be in a reasonably right place to make good decisions, and that’s part of your asset management planning at the end of the day.
Heather:
And then one thing I was cautioning people about is the CMMS system or even something called asset management software or asset inventory software (there are different names people call their product), don’t ever get into the thinking that it is by itself asset management.
So that is not asset management.
That is a tool. It is a wonderful tool. Or it could be a fantastic tool to help you, but it can’t do it for you.
So, any salesperson who tries to tell you, you buy my software, it will do asset management for you, that’s not the case.
Ross: You have to do the thinking.
Heather:
You have to think yourself. You still have to provide the strategic direction. You still have to set levels of service. You still have to be an integral part of the whole process.
So, the day you get one out helps you make these decisions, but it is not asset management.
Again, please don’t get caught up in buying, like a more grandiose product thinking well that it will do the asset management.
Ross:
And the training the EFC has been doing for years now, that’s around equipping people to get that picture and do that thinking, isn’t it?
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