Every CMMS sales demo is built to impress. Clean dashboards, smooth workflows, an enthusiastic rep walking through features designed to look effortless. The problem is that a polished demo tells you almost nothing about whether the platform will actually work for your specific operation six months in. These are the three questions that cut through the demo and get at what actually matters.
Question 1: What Does Data Entry Actually Look Like for Your Field Technicians?
A CMMS is only as good as the data going into it, and most CMMS failures trace back to field technicians not actually using the system consistently, because entry is too slow, too clunky, or requires equipment they don’t reliably have on site. Ask specifically: how many taps or clicks does it take to close a standard work order from a phone? Does it work reliably with poor cell signal in a mechanical room or basement? Vendors will demo the happy path. Ask about the actual field experience.
Question 2: What Happens to Your Data If You Leave?
This question makes vendors uncomfortable, which is exactly why it’s worth asking directly. Can you export your full maintenance history, asset records, and work order data in a usable format if you switch platforms later? Some platforms make this straightforward. Others make switching costly enough that it functions as a retention strategy rather than a genuine feature choice. Know the answer before you’re locked in, not after.
Question 3: Who Actually Implements This, and What Does That Cost in Time?
The sticker price of a CMMS license is rarely the real cost. Implementation, data migration from whatever system you’re currently using, training staff, and the inevitable adjustment period all cost real time, and vendors routinely underestimate this in the sales process. Ask specifically: what does a realistic implementation timeline look like for a portfolio your size, and what internal time commitment does that actually require from your team?
Why These Three, Specifically
Most CMMS evaluations focus heavily on feature comparison, which is the easiest thing to compare and usually the least predictive of long-term success. Adoption, data portability, and realistic implementation cost are the three factors that actually determine whether a CMMS purchase becomes a genuine operational improvement or an expensive shelf-ware mistake. Kibog Advisory works through exactly this evaluation with clients, vendor-neutral, since we have no platform to sell you.
Evaluating a CMMS purchase and want a second, non-vendor opinion? Talk to our team.
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