CMMS Tech Tips

FAQ – Mainsaver Cloud Free Trial
Starting a free trial of Mainsaver Cloud CMMS? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions.
Q: What is Mainsaver Cloud?
A: Mainsaver Cloud is the new, web-based SaaS version of Mainsaver’s proven CMMS platform. It’s easy to use and implement, accessible anywhere, and affordable for small and medium-sized businesses. Learn more about the capabilities of Mainsaver Cloud here and see a complete feature list here.
Q: What are the technical requirements for Mainsaver Cloud?
A: Mainsaver Cloud is hosted in the cloud, so you don’t need to set up or manage any servers. All you need is access to a browser, such as Chrome, Safari, or Firefox. It works on any device, but you’ll get the best visual experience on tablets and computers.
Q: Does my free trial include all the features of Mainsaver Cloud?
A: Yes, it does. You’ll be able to use the full Mainsaver Cloud feature set in this trial.
Q. When can I access my free trial?
A. To safeguard the integrity of our database and ensure a good trial experience, we review every trial request prior to provisioning. If you’re based in the US or Canada and supplied a valid company name and business email address, we’ll set up your trial account during US business hours, Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM – 2:00 PM Pacific. This process usually takes less than 30 minutes. You’ll receive an email from mainsavercloud@mainsaver.com with information on how to log in once your account is fully provisioned. You will then have 14 days to try out Mainsaver Cloud.
Q. Where do I log in to Mainsaver Cloud?
A. To protect the security of your data, each instance of Mainsaver Cloud has its own login URL, which looks like: secure.mainsaver.com/xxxxx. This will be set up for you along with your login credentials. Look for a “Login Credentials” email from mainsavercloud@mainsaver.com. This will contain your login URL, user ID, and initial password. Save that email for future reference, and bookmark your custom URL as it appears in the email for easy access in the future. Note that once you log in, you will be redirected, and that, for security reasons, bookmarks made within the application will not allow access once you are logged out. You will need your original URL to log back in. If you’ve lost your login credentials email and don’t know the URL you need, contact Mainsaver support at (800) 908-4616 and we’ll be glad to help.
Q. Can I invite other users at my company to join my Mainsaver Cloud trial?
A. Yes, you can have up to 5 users during your trial. Once you’re logged in to Mainsaver Cloud, use the Sys Admin module to add them to your trial instance.
Q. How do I join a trial that someone else at my company set up?
A. Simply ask them to add you to the trial using the Sys Admin console. You will then receive the information you need to login to your shared trial.
Q. Can I get a demonstration or training to help with my trial?
A. Yes. We would be happy to show you and your team how to get started with Mainsaver Cloud. Contact us at (800) 908-4616 for assistance.
Q. Who do I call for support during my trial?
A. Mainsaver’s customer support team will be happy to assist you during your free trial. Contact us at (800) 908-4616 or via email at mainsavercloud@mainsaver.com.
Q. Do I need to enter information on my assets, locations, spare parts, etc. during the trial?
A. No. Our free trial is preloaded with sample information that you can use to quickly get a feel for how Mainsaver Cloud works. However, if you prefer to use your own data, you can easily enter as much or as little as you want, and get started immediately with Mainsaver Cloud.
Q. Can I import my data into Mainsaver Cloud during my free trial?
A. Not today, but that capability is coming soon!
Q. What happens to the data I enter during my free trial?
A. When you purchase Mainsaver Cloud you will be given a new, clean production instance that does not contain our preloaded demo data nor any data that you entered during your free trial. We’ve found that most users experiment during their trial, and prefer to start their production use without this data. You will have the same login URL and can set up your system exactly as you wish to implement it in production. We will include a small amount of seed data to expedite your implementation.
If you prefer to retain all the information and users from your trial, you can note that when you purchase your subscription, and we will convert your trial to your production site with all the data intact. In this case, your production instance will also include the demo data preloaded into the trial site. Talk to our support team first if you think you will want to do this.
If you don’t purchase Mainsaver within six months from the start of your trial, then we’ll erase your instance and your data.
Q. How do I purchase Mainsaver Cloud?
A. You can buy a yearly subscription to Mainsaver Cloud on our website. Pricing is based on the number of users.
Q. Can I get an extension on my 14-day free trial?
A. Call our team at (800) 908-4616 if you need more time to complete your trial.
Intelligent Date Queries
Challenge:
Mainsaver Queries allow for users to quickly display data in Mainsaver based on any of the columns in each module. For example, ‘All Open Work Orders’ is a very common query that can be based on the work order status or other columns to display open work orders. This tutorial will focus on queries that utilize the current date to obtain data in any module.
Note: These queries will only work for customers using the SQL Server database. The Oracle parameter is slightly different.
Methodology:
- The queries all use a SQL Server function called ‘getdate()’ which will obtain the current date and time from the workstation.
- Days may be added or subtracted from ‘getdate()’ to compute a date in the future or in the past.
- Example Queries with ‘getdate()’. All these queries may be saved.
Work orders originated in past 7 days.
Work orders entered into the system in the past 30 days. Different from the origination date.
PM Master records due within the next 30 days.
POs created today. This query uses the term ‘cast(getdate() as varchar(12))’ to extract only the date in order to use the operator ‘=’.
PO’s created with 1 day.
Parts with issue or receive activity within the past 7 days.
- The user may create a one-time query using the ‘today’ operator however this will not work in a saved query.
Parts with issue or receive activity today.
Mainsaver Housekeeping for the New Year
Challenge:
There are many ways to keep your Mainsaver database clean and tidy. The end of the year is good time to do this.
- Check for all open work orders. Query on ‘WO Open Like Y’. Combine this query statement with a date qualifier and then use the mass close function (Work order module, Action Section) to close many work orders at once.
- Check for all open purchase orders. Query on ‘Status Not Like C’. Close purchase orders as appropriate by either receiving or using the close purchase order button. There is a Mass Close button as well.
- Check for assets not in service that really should be in service. In the Asset module run the Assets out of Service report or perform a query for Asset Status like OS.
- Make sure employee charge rates are correct and employee status codes are up to date in the Personnel module. Charge rates are used when time is posted to populate labor costs.
- In the PM module, check for PM master records where the default status of the PM work order will be set to CLO or CNX. If a PM is no longer needed, delete the master record or set the PM status to ‘DEA’. Also, if the asset is deactivated, the PM record(s) can be deleted.
- Check that all of your Mainsaver clients are on the most recent release. M20.004.002 is the latest and greatest.
- Have Mainsaver Professional Services come in for a site review, upgrade and refresher training.
- If the Mainsaver database is on a company server, review the database backups and perform a test restore. (Disaster Recovery Drill) How many backups are stored on the server?
- Make sure all timecard records and misc. material records are posted.
- In system administration clean up the dropdown list of cost center, accounts, work types, priorities by using the ‘disable’ checkbox.
- Delete irrelevant global queries in all modules.
- Run the asset cost summary report to identify high-cost assets. (Management Reports, Reports Menu)
- Use the copy command to create future year budget period calendars. Do not edit existing calendars, only create new ones for the future. This avoids getting the error message below on January 1 of a new year. (System Administration, Security and Settings Menu, Budget Periods)
- Perform monthly closing to close out last year and advance the budget periods to the current year. This will update the asset cost accumulator fields and the material counter fields for usage. (System Administration, Utilities menu)
Asset Number QR codes
Challenge:
Now that our technicians have tablets running the Mainsaver Connect App we want to produce QR (Quick Response) barcode tags so that they can quickly perform the following maintenance functions with the program;
- Create a work order
- Create a work request
- Check machine history
- Review current open work orders
- See the spares list and current inventory level of spares
- Issue a part
Methodology:
1. Asset number QR labels may be printed many different ways.
a. There are free websites which allow you to print one label at a time or can provide a paid service to print labels. QRSTUFF.COM for example.
b. BarTender from Seagull Scientific is a locally installed report writer software tailored for barcode labels and will allow printing on an industrial label printer.
c. Barcode printing service companies can produce high durability barcode labels tailored for your environment. Mainsaver customers have worked with Metalcraft in the past (idplate.com). The vendor can produce the labels from an Excel file of asset numbers and associated data exported from Mainsaver Core. When using a service provide test the label proof with the Mainsaver Connect App to ensure proper formatting.
Figure 1 – Acid etched extremely durable QR label
2. In Order for the Mainsaver Connect App to read the asset number QR code it must be formatted exactly as shown below.
{“assetno”:”012-23-73-13-2″} – this is for Asset QR Code label for asset number 012-23-73-13-2 as shown in the photo above. Note that the quotation marks must be generic quotation marks and not the starting/ending quotations used in Microsoft Word.
3. Once the labels are placed on the equipment, the Mainsaver Connect App may be used to scan the code and perform maintenance functions.
Benefits:
Scanning of an asset number QR code provides a fast gateway to valuable maintenance information stored in the CMMS.
Purchase Order Receiving Modifications
Challenge:
Streamline the receiving process for PO Receipts
Methodology:
In past versions of Mainsaver, when receiving goods and services against a purchase order, the user was presented with both a “Receive” and a “Receive All” button. This caused confusion to some, insinuating all quantity would be received rather than all lines. Therefore, the receiving functionality has now been changed in version M20.
In the new version, the 2 buttons have now been replaced by a single “Receive” button. Lines to be received can be individually selected via check boxes. Lines that are not selected will not be processed. There is also the ability to select all or clear all lines for convenience.
This improved functionality should help streamline the receiving process, as well as make it more intuitive for the user.
Customizing the Work Order Grid to Provide Visual Cues
Challenge:
Management of the work backlog is a frequent topic of maintenance and reliability conference presentations. The list of open work orders might include undone work, work that has been done but was never closed, projects that may never be done and deferred work. One way to help manage the work backlog is colored cues to encourage users to take action to reduce the backlog before the work becomes past due. This is a newer feature in Mainsaver added in version M20.
Methodology:
- Decide on a color scheme. Note that if a work order meets 2 or more of the color criteria, the first color criteria will take priority. This means in the scheme below that if a work order is priority 1 and it is past due, it would have yellow shading and not pink.a. Priority 1 = Yellow
b. Due in 1 day = Orange
c. Past Due Date = Pink - Initial Setup: Open the System Administration Module. Security and Settings, Table View Background Color Setup.
- Decide on a color scheme. Note that if a work order meets 2 or more of the color criteria, the first color criteria will take priority. This means in the scheme below that if a work order is priority 1 and it is past due, it would have yellow shading and not pink.a. Priority 1 = Yellow
3. The expression builder must contain a true/false type expression similar to a query however date computation functions are available to determine how late or early a work order might be compared to the due date. Some examples are below. An expression is only needed for color shading. White background will remain as the default.
Expression | Description |
plan_priority = ‘1’ | Priority 1 (Open or Closed) |
daysafter( today(), due_date) = 1 and wo_open = ‘Y’ | Open and Due Tomorrow |
daysafter( today(), due_date) = 1 and wo_open = ‘Y’ | Open and Past Due Date |
isNull(assetno) | No Asset Number |
4. Each criterion has an area for a title or description.
5. Any color (Select Color button) in the palette may be chosen but test for appearance
6. To test, exit and re-enter the Maintenance module and retrieve a table view. Adjust colors as appropriate.
Effective Use of Compliance Codes in Mainsaver
Challenge:
Provide an effective method for managing regulatory compliance work and audit capabilities of work performed
Methodology:
In highly regulated operations such as Food, Drug, Medical, and Power Generation, it is common to have critical PM maintenance that is required to maintain compliance with regulatory agencies. The challenge is to ensure that these critical PMs are performed on time and results can easily be recalled for audit purposes. Effectively using the compliance codes, event notification, and select table view queries can provide such assurance. Set up the processes below to use compliance codes to effectively manage your required and critical regulatory work.
- In system administration, identify and create all regulatory compliance agencies. System Admin > Work Orders > Regulatory Compliance Codes
2. Apply the desired compliance type(s) to PM records on the “Other” tab of the PM record
3. Set up an event notification that will notify specific technicians, supervisors, etc. as needed when a regulatory PM is coming due. This is performed using the “Work Order Past Due” notification type in the System Administration. System Admin > Security & Settings > Event Notifications
a. Filter the notifications for compliance type of EPA (for this example)
b. Set the notification for the desired number of days prior to when the PM is due. In this case if you want to be notified 7 days prior to the PM being due, set the “Days Past Due” to -7.
c. Now, when the PM is generated, 7 days prior to its due date, an email will be sent to the person(s) desired. Note: if you want another notification on the day the PM is actually due, repeat this process and set up a 2nd notification with a Days Past Due of 0.
d. Now, when the PM is generated, 7 days prior to its due date, an email will be sent to the person(s) desired. Note: if you want another notification on the day the PM is actually due, repeat this process and set up a 2nd notification with a Days Past Due of 0.
e. Regulatory Work order Search (for easily calling up regulatory work performed for audits)
4. Add the “Open Regulatory Work Order” query to your dashboard for ready indication of compliance work orders that need processing.
How Did We Spend Our Maintenance Budget?
Challenge:
Mainsaver is often used for purchasing materials and services. The queries and report below will help to develop some purchasing and inventory statics for year end or any date period.
Methodology:
- Method 1; List reports. Proceed to the ‘Purchasing’ module, then ‘Table View’. Query by PO date range or some other column.
Figure 1 – Purchasing Module
One the resulting list of purchase orders is displayed select the ‘Lists’ pulldown menu and try the different report formats. The Purchase Order Detail Summary will show the PO amount and the Received amount at the end.
Figure 2 – Purchase Order Detail Summary
2. Method 2; Reports Menu. From the ‘Reports’ menu, select the ‘Supplier Business Summary’. Enter the desired date range or use the preset data ranges in the dropdown box. This report details each PO ranking the suppliers by dollar volume in ascending order.
Figure 3 – PO Date Selection Window
Figure 4 – Supplier Business Summary
3. What did we spend on Contractor Services? When a receipt is performed of contractor services, the record is placed into a table accessible withing the ‘Time and Materials Used’ module. Once in the module, proceed to ‘Contracts’, then ‘Table View’ and then define a query for a ‘Receive Date’ range. Once the records are displayed use ‘Lists’ and ‘Brief’ to obtain a total on contractor services.
Figure 5 – Contractor Services
4. Inventory Value: Within the materials module the user can find out the total inventory value or value of certain parts. We can also run queries for parts that are on the shelf but do not have any cost associated with them.
In the Materials Module, Parts Master use the Table View button to perform a query for all inventory and then use ‘Lists’, then ‘Value Summary’.
Figure 6 – Inventory Value
To find items on the shelf at zero cost perform the following query.
Figure 7 – Query for items at zero carrying cost
Adjust as appropriate to reflect the proper cost on the Financial tab.
Mainsaver Document Storage
Challenge:
Provide easy document storage capabilities for attached documents in Mainsaver
Methodology:
The normal use of Mainsaver allows documents to be attached, viewed, and printed with assets, work orders, PM’s, etc. These documents are normally recommended to be located in a central document repository. While these documents can be located on any customer accessible server, for customers hosted on the Mainsaver Cloud, document storage is readily available on Mainsaver hosted servers. Not only does this service provide easy, convenient storage of documents, but storing on the Mainsaver servers eliminates a number of potential printing issues that can sometimes be experienced when printing attached documents.
When hosted document storage is used, Mainsaver provides a convenient web based interface where a multi-layer, organized document repository can be built by the customer. Documents are then easily uploaded and stored by the end user and can be accessed by the Mainsaver application during operation.