What goes wrong with paper, phone calls, and spreadsheets.
Learning Track · Module 8: Maintenance · Step 60 of 101
Most teams start with phone calls, paper, and a spreadsheet. It works for a few hundred lights. It fails as the network grows.
| Without software | With O&M software |
|---|---|
| Complaints get lost between call centre and crew | Each report becomes a job with a number |
| Five residents report one light, five crews go | One open job per pole. New reports join it. |
| Nobody knows which jobs are late | Each job has a due time. Late jobs are flagged. |
| The same light fails every month | Repeat failures show in the report |
| The store runs out of drivers | Parts issued to jobs reduce stock. Low stock is flagged. |
| Warranty claims fail with no record | Install date, failure, and part are on record |
| Contract disputes about uptime | Both sides read the same history |
| Knowledge leaves with the supervisor | The asset history stays |
Software or controllers first?
Controllers find faults. Software makes sure somebody fixes them. If faults already wait weeks for repair, controllers only make the list longer. Start with the maintenance process. Then connect controllers where they add most value.
Note
OpenSLMS is maintenance-first street light management software. It works with no controllers. Connect them later, one cabinet at a time.
Sources
- EN 13306 Maintenance terminology
- EN 15341 Maintenance key performance indicators
- ISO 55000 Asset management: overview, principles and terminology
Changes: 30 October 2026: First publication: guides for Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and the USA; failure library; tender clause library; comparisons; tools; downloads. See the changelog. Found a mistake? Report it.