Talking CMMS Maintenance and Asset Management with Gary Jones of ELECO

Key takeaways

Effective CMMS projects rely heavily on understanding and documenting requirements thoroughly before vendor engagement.
Organizations should avoid overbought, overly complex systems that don't match their operational needs, emphasizing fundamentals that deliver real value.
Involving multiple stakeholders and champions across departments enhances the chances of successful system adoption and sustained benefits.
Shifting industry perspective now recognizes that digital maintenance can generate strategic operational value, not just compliance.
People, process, preparation, and culture are more critical to success than the choice of software alone.

Summary

Introduction and Gary's Background

The episode begins with a casual introduction to Gary Jones, Senior Sales Manager at ElectroSoft, PMAC, and Shire System. Gary shares his 30-year journey into the asset management and CMMS industry, highlighting that he fell into this field by accident through sales, and grew to enjoy understanding how maintenance, digital tools, and decision-making interplay. His passion lies in helping organizations optimize their asset management processes.

Common Challenges in CMMS Selection and Implementation

Gary discusses frequent issues organizations face with digital maintenance projects, notably that many buy systems driven by 'shiny thing syndrome' or emotional pain rather than clear, strategic outcomes. He emphasizes that most organizations operate with systems that aren't properly tailored, have been overbought, or are complicated and underutilized. A key theme is the importance of honest, thorough assessment of current maintenance maturity and realistic planning for future needs—highlighting that success depends more on people and process than on the technology itself.

Best Practices for Choosing and Deploying a CMMS

Gary advocates for detailed requirements gathering, involving all relevant stakeholders early, and documentation before approaching vendors. He underscores the importance of aligning system choice with clearly defined business outcomes and avoiding distractions of elaborate demos or features that don't add value. The importance of change management during deployment is stressed, with recommendation for multiple champions within an organization to ensure successful adoption. He warns against over-investing in unnecessary features and recommends focusing on fundamentals that move the dial in operational performance.

The Industry’s Evolving Perspective on CMMS

There is a noted shift in industry mindset from viewing CMMS as merely a compliance checkbox to seeing it as a strategic operational tool that provides valuable data for decision-making. Despite this progress, the skilled trades shortage remains a concern, impacting the ability to implement and sustain digital maintenance initiatives effectively. The discussion highlights that technology alone won't solve issues; culture, skills, and people are decisive.

Gary’s Personal Perspectives and Final Thoughts

Gary shares personal insights on the importance of work-life balance and the value of understanding what makes work meaningful. He emphasizes that a successful digital maintenance journey hinges on people, process, and culture, rather than software. He encourages organizations to be honest with themselves about their current state and to set realistic, outcome-driven goals.

Show notes

Gary Jones, Senior Sales Manager at Eleco (PMAC & Shire), draws on 30 years in the CMMS/EAM world to explain why so many digital maintenance projects fail.Main points:Most organizations buy on “shiny thing syndrome” and emotional pain points instead of clear, quantified business outcomes.Buyers rarely prepare properly — they lack documented requirements and don’t involve all stakeholders before talking to vendors.Overbuying is far more common than underbuying. Companies end up with complicated systems they never fully use.Honest maintenance maturity assessment is critical. Match the tool to where you actually are, not where a salesperson says you should be in five years.Implementation and change management are just as important as selection. Poor preparation in the buying phase usually leads to poor adoption later.Relying on a single champion is risky. Successful projects need multiple champions across departments.The industry is slowly shifting from treating CMMS as a compliance checkbox to using it for real operational value, but the skilled trades shortage remains a major ongoing concern.Bottom line from Gary:The software is rarely the real problem. People, process, preparation, and culture decide whether a CMMS succeeds or becomes another expensive failure.