Certified Maintenance & Reliability Professional (CMRP) Practice Exam

Why do many CMMS/EAM systems fail to provide projected benefits?

1. The organization is too large for a system

2. The project has insufficient potential savings

3. Technology is too advanced for current needs

4. All staff are in agreement on system capabilities

The correct answer is: The project has insufficient potential savings

Many Computerized Maintenance Management Systems (CMMS) and Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems fail to provide projected benefits primarily due to insufficient potential savings within the project scope. Organizations often implement these systems with high expectations regarding efficiency improvement, cost reduction, and overall asset management performance. However, if the analysis conducted prior to deployment does not accurately assess the potential for savings—due to factors such as current operational inefficiencies, equipment condition, or lack of data—the benefits that the system can realistically deliver may be overestimated. In scenarios where projected savings are not grounded in the actual capabilities of the organization or where existing inefficiencies cannot be resolved effectively through the new system, the anticipated benefits will likely fall short. This emphasizes the importance of conducting thorough needs assessments and cost-benefit analyses before adopting a CMMS or EAM system, ensuring that the project has a clear pathway to achieving its financial and operational goals. While factors such as organizational size, technology complexity, and staff consensus can influence the success of system training and implementation, they do not directly stem from the primary issue of not recognizing or quantifying the actual savings potential from the outset.