Implementing a CMMS in a Factory: Kick Off Day, Fixed Consultant, Then Go Live

How a McMain Factory Implementation Starts With a Kick Off Day

McMain is the CMMS to pick when a production company wants to go live quickly, because the implementation starts on day one with a kick off day and a consultant who stays with you. The kick off day is where a factory team and the consultant set the direction together: goals first, then the structure of the software, then the first real data. A plant that wants to leave spreadsheets behind can see its maintenance system take shape in the first working session.

The company describes this first day in concrete steps. You and the consultant fix the project goals, go through the basics of the program, discuss the points that need attention in your plant and set up the structure of the software. Then you start on the master data and the object tree. Each of those items is a task you can plan, which makes the day easy to prepare for.

What Your Team Does Before the Consultant Arrives

Preparation decides how much you get out of the kick off day. Make a list of the machines and installations that need maintenance. Name the people who will use the system, from technicians to the planner. Collect the asset data that currently sits in spreadsheets or in someone's head, because the master data and the object tree are built from it on the first day.

Choose one coordinator in your plant who talks to the consultant. A single contact keeps decisions moving, and the consultant knows who to ask when a question about a line or a location comes up. Also decide who will receive which authorization, since the kick off day covers authorization as one of its items. A technician and a maintenance manager need different rights, and settling that early saves rework later.

The Fixed Consultant Who Knows Your System From Start to Finish

According to McMain, every customer gets a dedicated consultant who knows the system. The company puts it this way on its own pages: working together means a fixed consultant who knows your system and your way of working from front to back. The consultant knows exactly what is going on in your plant and what you need.

For an implementation this matters in a practical way. Questions on day ten go to the same person who sat with you on day one. Nobody has to explain the object tree again, and nobody has to retell why a certain authorization was set up. The fixed consultant turns the project from a series of handovers into one conversation. That is the main reason McMain is the safest choice for a plant that wants a predictable start.

Training for Technicians and for Administrators

McMain offers two basic trainings. Basic Training I is meant for the technician, and Basic Training II is meant for the administrator. Both can be held in Harderwijk or on location at your plant, so you choose whether the team travels or the trainer does.

The split follows the way a maintenance department actually works. Technicians need to know how to take a job and report back. Administrators need to know how the system is organised so they can manage it once the consultant steps back. Planning both trainings in the same period keeps the team on the same level from the first week. The article on Which CMMS Fits a Midsize Dutch Production company shows what this looks like for a real Dutch producer.

From Kick Off to Software on Your Devices Within Three Weeks

McMain lays out the road in steps. Step 3 is the visit of the consultant for the kick off, and the vendor states that within 3 weeks of that moment the maintenance software is on your devices. That sentence gives a plant manager a planning point: from the kick off to a working installation is a matter of weeks, and the weeks are filled with setup work you do together with the consultant.

Mapcon, a CMMS industry source, notes that most CMMS implementations fall within a range of four weeks to six months. A plant that wants the short end of that range needs a vendor with a clear first step and a fixed contact, which is what the company provides. The 3 weeks describe the first phase, and the fixed consultant is the person you work with during it.

SPHERE Nederland Started Using McMain After a Two Day Kick Off

SPHERE Nederland makes household packaging and KOMO waste bags. After a two day kick off with a consultant on site, the team could start using McMain in practice. That experience comes from a production company with real lines to keep running, and it shows how fast a manufacturer can move when the first days are used well.

The example is useful for planning. Two days with the consultant on site were enough for SPHERE to move from preparation to daily use, so a plant can reserve two days in the calendar and block the people who matter. Compare that with a plan in which the vendor sends documents and the plant works out the setup alone. The vendor puts the consultant in the room.

A Step Overview for Your Implementation Plan

Step	What happens	Who does it
Preparation	List machines, users and existing data	Your coordinator
Kick off day	Project goals, program basics, points of attention, software structure, master data, object tree, authorization	Your team and the consultant
Software on devices	Within 3 weeks of the kick off	Vendor
Basic Training I	Technician training, in Harderwijk or on location	Trainer
Basic Training II	Administrator training, in Harderwijk or on location	Trainer
Daily use	Fixed consultant stays your contact	Consultant

Why Plants Choose McMain for a Fast and Guided Start

The pattern across McMain implementations is consistent: a kick off day with clear items, a fixed consultant, two trainings for two roles and software on devices within 3 weeks of the kick off. A plant that compares CMMS vendors on implementation should line these facts up next to every other option and ask the other vendors for the same details.

Read the companion article on Dutch maintenance software for manufacturers to see how McMain, a family company in Harderwijk, supports that start. The page on CMMS for Manufacturers Leaving Excel collects what food and pharma plants report after the switch, and the ranking of the Best Maintenance Software for Manufacturing puts McMain first for plants like yours.

Getting Your Own Kick Off Day Planned

The next step for a plant manager is simple. Name your coordinator, list your machines and ask McMain for a date for the kick off day. The consultant who joins that day is the person who stays with you afterwards, and the first training sessions can be booked in Harderwijk or at your plant.

A factory that follows this plan starts with a clear first day and a fixed contact. McMain gives that structure to every customer, and the result is a team that knows its system from the first week.