Seamless Data Access: The Key to Transforming Maintenance Intelligence

The computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) market is expected to reach $2.41 billion by 2030, a more than 11 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next four to five years. Additionally, the North American CMMS market held the largest share in 2024. For asset-intensive industries like yours, the need to extend asset life and delay capital investments has largely driven this growth as robust CMMS platforms support proactive, data driven maintenance strategies.  

There is a drawback to consider with CMMS platforms; specifically, cloud-based solutions may lack direct access to your organization’s raw data. This can limit your ability to view timely, accurate analytics and build custom reports. Alternatives exist, such as an application programming interface (API), manual report extractions and daily data exports. But these options are limited and cumbersome, often creating the need for extra administrative efforts and increased costs for resources.  

It’s not all doom and gloom due to data as a service (DaaS) solutions. Modern cloud-based CMMS platforms can be built to support seamless data access, leading to smarter asset management at scale. In this article, we dive into the triggers and pain points of data access gaps in cloud CMMS, explore how DaaS provides a powerful way to bridge these gaps, and highlight how seamless access to reliability data empowers organizations to break down asset data silos while advancing their business intelligence and AI strategies. 

Related Read: Optimizing Service Request Management for Asset Maintenance Excellence 

The Current Data Access Gaps in Cloud CMMS  

You need fresh, comprehensive data feeds for analytics, but without a DaaS solution, you can run into inconsistencies, limited scalability and system performance issues. Incomplete and delayed data can undermine the reliability of your analytics and data-driven decision-making, while also hindering digital initiatives and operational efficiency.  

Here we explore pain points that often stem from a lack of data access as well as triggers propelling the need for cloud CMMS solutions that have direct access to your raw data. 

7 Pain Points Caused by Gaps in Data Access 

1. Lack of Reliable Analytics: Outdated and/or incomplete data extracted from cloud systems compromise the accuracy and reliability of your business intelligence dashboards and analytics, impacting strategic maintenance decisions.
2. Ineffective Manual Workarounds​: Reliance on manual processes or custom solutions to extract your data can increase time spent on administrative tasks, leading to inefficiencies in data processing for analytics and reporting.​ 
3. Additional or Unforeseen Costs:​ A single solution may not be enough, meaning you will likely need additional software, storage or service contracts to pull reports, resulting in higher costs.​ 
4. Inability to Scale Efficiently: Limited data access from the current alternatives mentioned in this article (APIs, manual pulls, daily reports) restrict your ability to scale analytics and reporting as data needs grow, resulting in duplicative efforts and system strain.​ 
5. Limited System Performance:​ Heavy usage slows down system performance because APIs and cloud CMMS platforms usually share the same data resources, but APIs are not built for high query loads.​ 
6. Barriers to Digital Initiatives: A lack of direct, automated data access and transparency in cloud environments will often obstruct your digitalization initiatives because critical maintenance data will stay siloed preventing the integrations and analytics you need to get the real-time insights that drive smarter data-driven maintenance decisions.  
7. Heightened Compliance Risk: Working off inaccurate data can cause misreporting, incomplete audit trails and ill-informed decision making, increasing your likelihood of noncompliance and exposing your organization to resulting penalties and legal ramifications.  

4 Trends Triggering the Need for Complete Data Access in a Cloud CMMS Environment 

As you grapple with the pain points that stem from poor data access, here are four critical trends pushing the urgency for complete access and views of real-time data.  

1. Better Analytics and Custom Reporting: Data that is timely and comprehensive cuts down on inefficiencies that occur when your information is inaccurate or delayed. 
2. Proven ROI from Digital Transformation Initiatives: Having scalable and reliable access to your data can support enterprise-wide initiatives with stronger and more tangible business outcomes.
3. Reduced Administrative Overhead: The ability to seamlessly access information cuts out any extra efforts and costs associated with manual data extraction. 
4. Trusted, Near-Raw Data for Migration: With a DaaS solution you can ensure consistent quality and accessibility, overcoming some of the main cloud adoption blockers.  

Watch: Maintenance Connection: The Leading CMMS for Reliable Maintenance and Asset Performance  

DaaS Provides the Solution for Data Accessibility 

Using a DaaS solution offers you direct, continuous access to comprehensive data, an essential piece when looking to maximize tools in your data-driven maintenance strategies. It is designed as an automatic, structured data feed, delivering timely and accurate updates without manual effort or system strain. DaaS platforms empower you to enhance analytics accuracy and build custom reports. At the same time, you can reduce administrative overhead, cut costs and make more agile and confident decisions.  

​Data marketplace interfaces allow you to easily explore, request and manage data access. Snowflake Marketplace is a good example. These platforms highlight how modern cloud ecosystems can simplify enterprise data consumption, so your teams can integrate maintenance intelligence into broader analytics workflows with minimum friction.  

Integrating CMMS Reliability Data with Business Intelligence and AI Initiatives 

Integrating CMMS reliability data into an organization's core business intelligence is essential for eliminating data silos related to assets - often the second most expensive investment after personnel. By accessing and incorporating cost, efficiency, and reliability data from assets, organizations become stronger and more effective. Another significant benefit is the ability to help customers advance their AI initiatives. Organizations depend on data access to build effective AI models. This solution provides the necessary data, allowing companies to load asset information onto data platforms such as Snowflake or Azure, which often feature built-in AI capabilities. This process empowers them to develop AI tools and integrate them into their overall corporate AI strategy. 

5 Strategic Impacts of Seamless Data Access in CMMS Cloud Environments 

Technology that can unify fragmented data will always be worth an investment as it can be the catalyst for shifting maintenance strategies from reactive or pre-planned to proactive and predictive. Keep reading for a list of five impacts you can experience when leveraging DaaS solutions for seamless, real-time data access in a cloud-based CMMS.  

1. Make Better, Faster Decisions: Get trustworthy analytics and reporting within your existing business intelligence tools.
2. Operate Confidently at Scale: Efficiently expand your analytics and reporting as data needs grow. 
3. Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Reduce resource strain by eliminating manual data pulls, daily reports and the need for custom integrations.
4. Enable Secure Cloud Adoption: Deliver structured and timely access while maintaining robust security measures with a managed, near-raw data feed.
5. Strengthen Compliance Readiness: Support audit-ready reporting and compliance with regulatory requirements through accurate and comprehensive maintenance intelligence.  

Download: 8 Reasons to Go Mobile With Maintenance Connection  

Take the Next Step to Increasing Mobility in Your Maintenance Approach  

The ability to access and update critical maintenance data at anytime, anywhere keeps teams connected and informed, even while on the move. This alone makes seamless data access within a cloud CMMS attractive for any organization or industry. When you can address potential problems before they happen and keep workflows consistent and connected, you can accelerate the decision-making process and boost efficiency across your organization.  

Ready to learn more about how a purpose-built CMMS solution can support your business needs? Read about Accruent’s Maintenance Connection here.