One of the biggest challenges I've faced in my career was implementing a CMMS on a site that had never had a structured maintenance schedule.
When I arrived, maintenance was largely reactive. The stores were difficult to navigate, spare parts weren't always where they should have been, and critical spares often weren't available when they were needed most.
Introducing a CMMS wasn't just about installing software. It meant changing habits, processes, and in some cases, mindsets that had existed for years.
I'll be honest—it wasn't easy.
There were plenty of difficult conversations, frustrations, and moments where it felt like we were taking one step forward and two steps back. When people are already busy fighting daily breakdowns, asking them to spend time entering data into a new system can feel like an additional burden rather than a solution.
But persistence pays.
Once the system was established and the team began to see the outputs, attitudes started to change.
Suddenly, we weren't relying on memory or gut feel.
We had data.
Data that allowed us to plan effective PPMs.
Data that highlighted recurring faults and equipment trends.
Data that enabled us to make informed decisions rather than reactive ones.
The transformation within the stores was equally significant. What had once been a disorganised area became an accessible inventory with clear stock visibility and critical spares identified and held on site.
The biggest lesson for me?
People rarely buy into a system because of what it might do. They buy into it when they can clearly see the value it brings.
Sometimes, as leaders, we have to keep pushing through the resistance long enough for others to experience the benefits for themselves.
Change is difficult.
Staying the same is often far more costly.
Have you ever implemented a new system that was met with resistance at first but later proved invaluable?