CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System)

A CMMS (computerized maintenance management system) is software that centralises every maintenance activity of an organisation in one database: the assets to maintain, the work orders opened on them, recurring preventive tasks, spare parts and the full history of interventions. It replaces paper files and spreadsheets with a single, shared source of truth for the maintenance team.

Core modules of a CMMS

• Asset register: each machine or vehicle with its specifications, location and documents.
• Work order management: create, assign, follow and close planned and unplanned jobs.
• Preventive maintenance: recurring tasks generated from time or usage triggers, prepared through maintenance planning.
• Parts and suppliers: stock levels, purchases and the parts consumed by each job.
• History and reporting: a searchable maintenance history, costs per asset and indicators such as downtime.

CMMS or fleet management software?

A classic CMMS was designed for plants and buildings, where assets stay in one place and are serviced by an in-house workshop. Vehicles behave differently. They move, they are driven by different people, they accumulate kilometres at very different rates, and most of the work is done by outside garages. They also carry their own paperwork: registration, insurance, inspections, leasing contracts and fines.

That is why most company fleets use fleet management software rather than a generic CMMS. It keeps the maintenance logic of a CMMS (work orders, recurring tasks, history) and adds what is specific to vehicles: real mileage, driver assignment, fuel and energy costs, documents and telematics.

When a CMMS approach pays off

• Several sites or garages work on the same vehicles and need one shared record.
• Service intervals are missed because reminders live in someone's inbox.
• Finance asks for the maintenance cost of each vehicle and nobody can answer quickly.
• A vehicle is resold or returned and its service record has to be proven.

How Dadycar helps

Dadycar is a French fleet management software that brings CMMS-style maintenance to vehicle fleets. Work orders record each job with garage, date, mileage and cost. Reminders and due dates warn the team before services, inspections and contract milestones. Telematics, without a box on compatible connected vehicles, feeds real mileage and fault codes. Supplier management and reports turn this into a maintenance history per vehicle. Data is hosted in France on OVHcloud, and a free account covers up to 50 vehicles.

FAQ

What does CMMS stand for?
Computerized maintenance management system. In French it is called GMAO.

Is a CMMS enough to manage a vehicle fleet?
It covers maintenance, but not mileage, drivers, documents, fuel or telematics. Fleets usually need a dedicated fleet tool that includes maintenance features.

What is the difference between a CMMS and a digital logbook?
A digital maintenance logbook records what was done on one vehicle; a CMMS also plans, assigns and tracks the work across all assets.