Last Updated: 2026 | Reading Time: 9 minutes
A CMMS evaluation checklist is a structured set of questions that helps maintenance teams compare vendors on pricing, data ownership, mobile capability, migration effort, and support quality before signing a contract. This guide gives you 25 copy-paste questions, organized into five categories, so you can run a fair vendor comparison and avoid costly surprises later.
Choosing a CMMS is a decision your team will live with for years. The wrong pick means clunky workflows, locked-in data, and support tickets that go unanswered. The right pick means fewer breakdowns, cleaner audits, and a system your technicians actually use. The gap between those outcomes often comes down to the questions you ask before you sign. This checklist makes sure you ask the right ones.
Table of Contents
- What Is a CMMS Evaluation Checklist?
- Why Vendor Evaluation Matters
- Pricing and Contract Questions (1-5)
- Data Ownership and Export Questions (6-10)
- Mobile and Accessibility Questions (11-15)
- Migration and Implementation Questions (16-20)
- Support and SLA Questions (21-25)
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
What Is a CMMS Evaluation Checklist?
A CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management System) is software that centralizes work orders, asset history, preventive maintenance schedules, and spare parts inventory in one place. An evaluation checklist is the set of criteria you use to judge whether a specific vendor's system fits your operation.
Most teams evaluate CMMS vendors on demos and feature lists. That approach misses the details that determine long-term satisfaction: what the contract locks you into, whether you can leave with your data, how the mobile app actually performs, and what happens when something breaks. This checklist covers those gaps.
Key Takeaway
A feature demo shows you what a vendor wants you to see. A structured question list shows you what the vendor would rather not discuss. Ask both.
Why Vendor Evaluation Matters
According to a 2025 report from the Plant Engineering maintenance survey, unplanned downtime costs industrial facilities an average of $125,000 per incident. A CMMS that fits your workflow reduces that risk. A CMMS that does not fit becomes another problem to manage.
The cost of switching vendors mid-contract is steep. Data migration, retraining, and double-running two systems for months can wipe out the savings you expected from the new tool. That is why the questions in this checklist focus on the areas where lock-in and hidden costs live: pricing terms, data portability, mobile performance, migration effort, and support response.
Use this list as a scorecard. Give each vendor a pass or fail per question, then compare the results side by side. The vendor that answers clearly and without hesitation is usually the one that has nothing to hide.
Pricing and Contract Questions (1-5)
Pricing is where vendors hide the most surprises. The monthly quote rarely tells the whole story. These five questions expose the real cost.
- What is the total cost of ownership over three years, including all fees? Ask for a full breakdown: subscription, implementation, training, integrations, and any per-module add-ons.
- Is pricing per user or per asset, and how does it change as we grow? Per-asset pricing can spike unexpectedly when you add equipment. Per-user pricing punishes teams with many occasional users.
- What happens to our data and our price if we cancel mid-contract? Some vendors charge an export fee or delete data within days of cancellation. Get the policy in writing.
- Are implementation, training, and data migration included in the quoted price? These services are often billed separately and can add 20-40% to the first-year cost.
- What is the annual price increase cap written into the contract? A 5% cap protects you. No cap means the vendor can raise rates at renewal with no limit.
Warning
If a vendor refuses to put the price increase cap or data export terms in writing, treat that as a red flag. Verbal promises do not survive a contract renewal.
Data Ownership and Export Questions (6-10)
Your maintenance history is one of your most valuable operational assets. It holds years of asset behavior, failure patterns, and cost data. You need to know you can take it with you if you ever leave.
- Can we export all our data in an open format like CSV or JSON at any time? Open formats mean you are never trapped. Proprietary export formats are a lock-in tactic.
- Is there an export fee or a waiting period before we can leave? Some vendors require 30-60 days notice and charge for data extraction. Know this before you sign.
- Who owns the data we enter into the system, us or the vendor? The answer should be you, in writing, in the contract. If the vendor claims any ownership, walk away.
- Can we export work orders, asset history, and attachments in a single file? Fragmented exports that require manual reassembly cost you days of work during a transition.
- How long does a full data export take to deliver? A vendor that cannot answer this has likely never done one. Ask for a reference customer who has exported.
Mobile and Accessibility Questions (11-15)
Your technicians work on the floor, not at a desk. The mobile experience determines whether they actually use the system. A clunky mobile app turns a good CMMS into an expensive spreadsheet.
- Does the mobile app work offline and sync when back online? Facilities with poor connectivity in basements, rooftops, or remote sites need offline capability to log work in real time.
- Is the mobile app native or a responsive web wrapper? Native apps feel faster and handle camera, barcode, and push notifications better. Web wrappers are cheaper for vendors to build but often disappoint.
- Can technicians attach photos, scan barcodes, and record voice notes on mobile? These features reduce data entry friction and improve work order quality.
- Does the mobile app support full work order creation and completion, or only viewing? Some apps let technicians view tasks but force them back to a desktop to close them out. That kills adoption.
- Which mobile platforms are supported, iOS, Android, or both? Confirm the version you use is fully supported, not just "compatible."
Migration and Implementation Questions (16-20)
Implementation is where projects stall. Data cleaning, mapping, and user training take longer than most vendors admit. These questions set realistic expectations.
- How long does a typical implementation take for a team our size? Ask for a range based on similar customers, not a best-case estimate.
- Do you provide data migration from our current CMMS or spreadsheets? Some vendors expect you to handle migration yourself. Confirm what is included.
- Who is responsible for data cleaning and mapping during migration? Cleaning is usually the customer's job. Know exactly where the split falls so you can plan resources.
- Is training included, and is it live, recorded, or both? Live training gets your team started faster. Recorded sessions help with staff turnover later.
- What does go-live support look like in the first 30 days? A dedicated onboarding contact who answers quickly during the first month is worth more than any feature.
Support and SLA Questions (21-25)
When the system goes down mid-shift, support response time is everything. The service level agreement (SLA) is the only thing that holds a vendor accountable. Read it carefully.
- What is the guaranteed response time for critical support tickets? A good SLA promises a response within 1-2 hours for critical issues, not just a ticket acknowledgment.
- Is support available 24/7 or only during business hours? If you run shifts overnight or on weekends, business-hours-only support will leave you stranded.
- What is the uptime SLA, and what compensation applies if it is missed? Look for 99.5% or higher uptime, with service credits as compensation when the vendor falls short.
- Do we get a dedicated account manager or support contact? A named contact who knows your setup beats a ticket queue where you explain your history every time.
- How are software updates and new features communicated and rolled out? You want advance notice, release notes, and no surprise downtime during your peak hours.
| Category | What It Protects Against | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing and Contract | Hidden fees, surprise renewals, unbounded price hikes | 1-5 |
| Data Ownership and Export | Vendor lock-in, lost asset history, export fees | 6-10 |
| Mobile and Accessibility | Low technician adoption, offline gaps, clunky field use | 11-15 |
| Migration and Implementation | Stalled rollouts, hidden data cleaning work, training gaps | 16-20 |
| Support and SLA | Unanswered tickets, downtime, vague accountability | 21-25 |
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Even with a good checklist, teams make predictable errors during evaluation. Here are the ones that cost the most.
- Skipping the reference calls. A vendor can claim anything in a demo. A reference customer who has used the system for two years tells the truth. Ask for two references in your industry and one that has left the platform.
- Judging on features instead of workflow fit. A system with 200 features your team will never touch is worse than one with 30 features that match your exact process.
- Not testing the mobile app on your own devices. Run a pilot with your technicians on your network before you commit. Their feedback matters more than the sales deck.
- Ignoring the contract's fine print. The SLA, data export terms, and price increase cap live in the contract, not the marketing page. Read the actual document.
Pro Tip
Send the same 25 questions to every vendor in writing. Compare answers side by side on a scorecard. Vendors who dodge or give vague answers are telling you how they will behave after you sign.
Frequently Asked Questions
Conclusion
The 25 questions in this checklist cover the five areas where CMMS contracts hide their real costs: pricing terms, data ownership, mobile performance, migration effort, and support accountability. Send them to every vendor you evaluate, compare the answers side by side, and trust the vendor that responds with clarity and specifics.
You now have a repeatable process for vendor evaluation. Use it on your next CMMS purchase, and you will avoid the lock-in traps, surprise fees, and support gaps that derail so many maintenance software projects.
Ready to put a CMMS to the test? Keep Wisely offers a free 30-day trial with full data export, transparent pricing, and a mobile app your technicians will actually use. Start your trial at keepwisely.com and run this checklist against us. We are happy to answer all 25 questions.