10 Hard Questions to Ask CMMS Vendors (Before You Sign)

Booking a demo with a CMMS vendor is easy. Getting the truth is hard.

Every salesperson has a polished script. They will show you the dashboard with the pretty colors.

They will show you how easy it is to change a profile picture. They will nod and say "Yes" to almost everything you ask.

"Can it do preventive maintenance?" (Yes).
"Is it cloud-based?" (Yes).
"Is it easy to use?" (Yes).

These generic questions get you generic answers. They result in you buying a system that looks good in the brochure but fails on the factory floor.

To find a partner who actually understands Manufacturing, you need to ask harder questions.

You need to ask questions that expose "Feature Gaps" and "Hidden Costs."

Here are the 10 hard questions to ask on your next demo, and why Fabrico loves answering them.

1. "Is your OEE module native, or is it a 3rd-party integration?"

Why ask this: Many CMMS vendors claim to track OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), but they actually rely on a partnership with a separate company.

• The Trap: If it's a 3rd party, you pay for two subscriptions. If the data link breaks, Vendor A blames Vendor B.

• The Fabrico Answer: It is Native. We built the OEE module and the CMMS module on the same codebase. They share the same database. There is no integration to break.

2. "Do you charge for 'Requestors' (Machine Operators)?"

Why ask this: To achieve Total Productive Maintenance (TPM), you want every operator to be able to report an issue.

• The Trap: Some vendors charge €20/month for every user who submits a ticket. If you have 100 operators, your bill just exploded.

• The Fabrico Answer: No. Requestors should be free (or included in the site license). We want more data from the floor, not less. We don't tax you for having vigilant employees.

3. "Show me how to create a Parent-Child asset relationship right now."

Why ask this: Don't let them tell you; make them show you.

• The Trap: Many "Lightweight" systems (like UpKeep) struggle with deep hierarchies. They treat a "Production Line" and a "Pump" as the same level. This breaks your cost roll-up reporting.

• The Fabrico Answer: We open the Asset Tree. We drag "Pump A" and drop it under "Line 1." It takes 2 seconds.

4. "Does your mobile app work fully offline?"

Why ask this: Factories have WiFi dead zones (inside kilns, basements, freezers).

• The Trap: Some apps are just "Websites" wrapped in an app shell. If the internet cuts out, the screen goes white, and the technician loses their data.

• The Fabrico Answer: Yes. Our app downloads the necessary data to the device. You can complete the inspection in a dead zone, and it syncs automatically when you walk back into range.

5. "Can I enforce mandatory failure codes before closing a work order?"

Why ask this: You need clean data for Reliability-Centered Maintenance (RCM).

• The Trap: If the system allows technicians to close a ticket by just typing "Done," you will never be able to build a Pareto Chart of failure causes.

• The Fabrico Answer: Yes. You can configure the workflow to block the "Close" button until the technician selects a specific Failure Code and Remedy from the dropdown list.

6. "Does the system handle 'Micro-Stops' automatically?"

Why ask this: A 30-second stop shouldn't trigger a work order, but it should be recorded for OEE.

• The Trap: Generic CMMS tools don't know what a micro-stop is. They force you to manually log everything or log nothing.

• The Fabrico Answer: Yes. Our OEE logic filters stops. < 2 minutes = "Minor Stop" (Operational Loss). > 10 minutes = "Breakdown" (Maintenance Work Order).

7. "Is your API documentation public?"

Why ask this: "Paula" (IT/Strategy) needs to connect this to SAP or Microsoft Dynamics.

• The Trap: If they say "We have an API," but won't show you the documentation without a contract, it usually means the API is weak, old, or expensive to use.

• The Fabrico Answer: Yes. We are API-first. We want you to connect.

8. "Can I see inventory across multiple sites in one view?"

Why ask this: You want to stop buying spare parts you already own at a different plant.

• The Trap: Many systems silo data by "Location." To see Plant B's inventory, you have to log out and log back in as a Plant B user.

• The Fabrico Answer: Yes. Our Multi-Site Dashboard allows you to search for a part number globally.

9. "How do you handle Calibration Tolerances?"

Why ask this: For regulated industries (Food/Pharma), "Pass/Fail" isn't enough.

• The Trap: Most systems only offer a checkbox. They cannot record that the temperature was "45.2 degrees."

• The Fabrico Answer: We have dedicated Measurement Fields. You define the Min/Max (e.g., 40-50). If the user types 51, the system flags it as a Fail automatically.

10. "What is your guaranteed response time for support?"

Why ask this: When the server goes down, you can't wait 24 hours for an email reply.

• The Trap: "Standard Support" often means "We will read your email eventually."

• The Fabrico Answer: We define Service Level Agreements (SLAs) clearly. We are partners in your uptime.

Summary: The "Fabrico Challenge"

We encourage you to ask these questions. In fact, print this list and bring it to your demo.

If a vendor starts sweating when you ask about Offline Mode or Native OEE, you know you are looking at the wrong tool.

Ready to see the right answers?

[Book a Demo with Fabrico] and put us to the test. We are ready for your hardest questions.