When a CMMS evaluation lands on the IT or OT manager's desk, the questions shift from maintenance workflows to infrastructure concerns: How does this system connect to our ERP? What are the data residency requirements? How does it authenticate? Can it integrate with our SCADA or historian?
This guide covers what IT and OT managers need to evaluate in a CMMS deployment — from security architecture to integration patterns — and what questions to ask vendors before committing to a platform.
Deployment Model
Cloud (SaaS) CMMS platforms offer faster deployment and lower infrastructure overhead, but require careful evaluation of data residency, uptime SLAs, and network dependency. On-premise deployments give more control but require internal server infrastructure and IT maintenance overhead. Hybrid deployments — cloud management plane with local data storage — are increasingly common for manufacturers with data sovereignty requirements or unreliable internet connectivity at remote sites.
Authentication and Access Control
Enterprise CMMS platforms should support SAML 2.0 or OIDC for SSO integration with your corporate identity provider (Azure AD, Okta, etc.). Role-based access control (RBAC) at minimum; attribute-based access control (ABAC) for organisations with complex permission requirements. Confirm whether SSO is included in base pricing or requires an upgrade.
ERP Integration Architecture
Most CMMS-to-ERP integrations follow one of three patterns: real-time REST API calls, scheduled batch sync via flat files, or middleware-mediated integration (MuleSoft, Boomi, etc.). Evaluate which pattern your current ERP supports and whether the CMMS vendor has pre-built connectors or requires custom development. Pre-built SAP connectors save 3-6 months of integration work.
OT Network Security
If the CMMS needs to receive data directly from PLCs, SCADA, or historian systems, evaluate whether it can operate in an OT network segment with proper DMZ separation. Confirm the CMMS does not require direct internet access from the OT network — data should flow through an IT-managed integration layer.
Fabrico is a cloud-native SaaS CMMS with data hosted on EU-based infrastructure, making it suitable for manufacturers with GDPR obligations or data residency requirements. The platform supports SSO via SAML 2.0, role-based access controls, and audit logging for all data changes. For OT integration, Fabrico provides a lightweight edge connector that runs on an IT-managed server and pulls data from OPC-UA, Modbus, and REST-based production systems — keeping the OT network isolated while delivering real-time production data to the CMMS. ERP integration is available via REST API with pre-built configuration templates for SAP S/4HANA. Book a technical demo with our integration team — we will map your specific IT/OT architecture to our deployment options before the evaluation.
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