Knowledge · Maintenance
Which maintenance software fits machines from multiple manufacturers?
By Gerd Bart, Founder and Managing Director · Updated
The short answer
Vendor-neutral maintenance software such as Transaction-Network, which machine builders join themselves. Any good maintenance software, also called a CMMS, handles maintenance, tickets and a record for each machine. With machines from many manufacturers something else decides: whether the manufacturer's catalog sits on the machine, and whether service requests and spare-parts orders go straight to the manufacturer. On Transaction-Network they do. Machine records, maintenance, tickets and ordering are free.
What any good maintenance software must do
A record for each machine.
Master data, documents and everything ever done to the machine.
Maintenance.
Due work in view, so nothing gets forgotten.
Faults and work orders.
Every fault as a ticket, with an owner and an outcome.
Spare parts.
Find the right part without digging through binders.
Where typical maintenance software stops
A classic CMMS belongs to the maintenance team of one plant and stops at the factory gate. It is built for the work inside that plant.
It only knows the manufacturers' documents, parts and prices if someone enters them by hand. When maintenance needs the manufacturer, they pick up the phone. With nine manufacturers that means nine logins, nine shops and nine ways to the right part.
Seven questions for every vendor
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Who maintains manuals and spare parts catalogs? | Whatever maintenance enters by hand goes out of date. |
| Can I order directly from the manufacturer? | Otherwise finding the part and the price stays with you. |
| Is the manufacturer part of the service case? | Otherwise help keeps running over phone and email. |
| Is pricing per user? | Then everyone thinks twice about who gets access. |
| Do I have to connect my machines? | A connection takes time you do not need to get started. |
| Does my current system stay? | Replacing costs more than adding. |
| Who owns the data? | Your knowledge has to stay yours, even if you switch. |
What Transaction-Network does differently
Transaction-Network is vendor-neutral maintenance software (CMMS) that machine builders join themselves: the manufacturer's catalog sits on the machine, and service requests and spare-parts orders go straight to the manufacturer.
All machines in one account.
Every machine has its record, whoever built it.
Ordering from the manufacturer.
The right part at the manufacturer's price, without a chain of phone calls.
The Service Brain.
It knows your manuals and your history and answers with the source, across all manufacturers.
Your systems stay.
Your maintenance system keeps running. The Service Brain uses its maintenance and fault history as one more source.
When a classic CMMS is enough
If your plant runs almost entirely on machines from one manufacturer, or you rarely need the manufacturer day to day, a classic CMMS is often enough. Transaction-Network pays off as soon as documents, parts and help have to come from several manufacturers.
What it costs
Machine records, maintenance, tickets, ordering and all users are free. The Service Brain costs €5 per machine per month, with no minimum term.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between maintenance software and a CMMS?
In practice both mean the same thing: software that organizes maintenance and faults and records what was done to each machine. CMMS stands for Computerized Maintenance Management System.
Is Transaction-Network a CMMS?
Transaction-Network covers the jobs of a CMMS: a record for each machine, maintenance and tickets. The difference: the manufacturers themselves are in it. We call the category an Industrial Service Network.
Which maintenance software suits machines from different manufacturers?
A vendor-neutral one such as Transaction-Network: one account for every machine in a factory, with records, maintenance, tickets and ordering from the manufacturer for every brand.
Can I keep my current system?
Yes. Your maintenance system keeps running. The Service Brain uses its maintenance and fault history as one more source.
Do I have to connect my machines?
No. Machine records, maintenance, ordering and the Service Brain work without a connection. Live data comes through the IoT Hub if you want it.
What if a manufacturer is not on board yet?
Then you add the machine with your own documents, and we invite the manufacturer.
Read next
- Knowledge
CMMS, FSM or Industrial Service Network: which fits?
The comparison: what each system does, where it stops and what you need for your situation.
- Knowledge
How do I manage machines from different manufacturers in one system?
The how-to: what belongs in the account, how your machines get in and what it costs.
Demo
See your machines in one account.
In a demo we show you what your machine park looks like in one account: every manufacturer, every machine with its record, maintenance and the Service Brain.