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Seleam Software
Seleam Software

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What’s the Difference between EAM and CMMS, and Which is Right for Your Business?

CMMS focuses primarily on maintenance management, and EAM takes a broader perspective by integrating maintenance with asset lifecycle management. Your choice between CMMS and EAM should be based on your organization’s specific requirements, long-term objectives, and budget. In this article, we’ll break down the differences between CMMS and EAM, explain what they are, and help you determine which one is the right fit for your portfolio.

What is CMMS?
CMMS stands for Computerized Maintenance Management System which is software designed to facilitate the planning, tracking, and management of maintenance activities for assets, equipment, and facilities within an organization.

What is EAM?
EAM stands for Enterprise Asset Management. The software manages the entire asset lifecycle. This includes acquisition, ongoing maintenance and disposition. In particular, physical assets that come with a significant cost, such as a high-rise building or components of an assembly line, require comprehensive management and maintenance capabilities. Additional important EAM functionality includes planning for new capital assets, risk management and asset performance analysis to ensure asset ROI.

How are they different?
Despite some developing product conflation when it comes to EAM vs. CMMS, EAM continues to focus on the full lifecycle of a wide array of organizational physical assets. CMMS have their roots in the maintenance aspect of the asset management, and while they may have added features to compete with EAM, their functionality will not be on par with EAM if they’re meant to manage an organization’s full complement of assets.

How to choose the right one for your business?
Here are some considerations to help you make an informed decision:

  1. Business Needs
  2. Integration
  3. User-Friendliness
  4. Cost and Return on Investment

While CMMS and EAM may seem similar, they differ in scope and functionality. CMMS focuses primarily on maintenance management, and EAM takes a broader perspective by integrating maintenance with asset lifecycle management.

Your choice between CMMS and EAM should be based on your organization’s specific requirements, long-term objectives, and budget.

Still not sure which is best for your business? Contact us to learn more!

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