Get Started in 10 Minutes: The Ultimate Maintainly CMMS Set-Up Guide

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If you've ever set up new software for a maintenance team, facility, or operations department, you probably know how frustrating the process can be.

Many enterprise software platforms take weeks to set up. You have to sit through long meetings, organize large spreadsheets, complete training sessions, and sometimes pay expensive consulting fees. By the time everything is ready, your team may already be reluctant to use the system.

At Maintainly, we believe in something much simpler:

Great software shouldn't take hours to set up or learn.


A modern Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) should be easy to start using. That's why Maintainly helps businesses move away from paper records, spreadsheets, and long email chains in just minutes instead of weeks or months.

This guide will show you how to set up Maintainly and create your first work order in less than 10 minutes.

Step 1: Explore the Pre-Populated Test Account

When you create your Maintainly account, you won't see an empty screen. Instead, you'll get access to a fully populated Test Organisation that shows you how a complete CMMS setup looks.

How to Activate It

Look for the Activate Test Account banner on your dashboard.

Or go to Settings > Test Organisation from the menu on the left.

Inside the test organisation, you can explore sample assets, equipment structures, preventive maintenance schedules, work orders, and meter readings. This gives you a clear idea of how your own data will look once you start adding it.

Step 2: Add Your Own Data (The 5-Minute Sequence)

After exploring the test account, you can start adding your own information.

You don't need to add every asset on your first day. To understand how the system works, you only need one site and one asset.

Follow these steps:

1. Create Your First Site

Action 1

Before adding equipment, create a site. A site is the physical location where your assets are kept, such as Main Plant, Building B, or Downtown Hotel.

You'll create your site while adding your first asset.

2. Add Your First Asset

Action 2

An asset is any piece of equipment that needs maintenance, such as an HVAC unit, conveyor motor, or forklift.

Enter the asset name, assign it to your site, and save it.

3. Log a Task (Work Order)

Action 3

In Maintainly, work orders are called Tasks.

Go to the Task List, click New Task, and create a simple inspection or repair task for the asset you just added.

4. Configure Preventive Maintenance (Templates & Automations)

Action 4

Preventive maintenance in Maintainly uses two simple features:

Task Templates

These are reusable instructions that include maintenance steps, safety checks, and estimated labour time.

Automations

These create new maintenance tasks automatically based on schedules or equipment usage by using your selected Task Template.

5. Establish Asset Metrics

Action 5

Metrics let you record equipment readings such as odometer values, run hours, or other operating measurements.

You can connect these metrics to Automations so maintenance tasks are created when usage reaches a certain level.

6. Apply Labels for Fast Visual Tracking

Action 6

Labels are custom tags that help your team quickly identify priorities, departments, equipment types, or other important information.

Step 3: Invite Your Team & Set Access Controls

Maintenance works best when everyone can collaborate.

After you've added your first site and asset, invite your technicians, supervisors, and anyone else who needs access.

Maintainly offers different permission levels so every user only sees what they need.

Role-Based Controls

Give technicians access to complete tasks while supervisors manage scheduling and approvals.

Site-Based Restrictions

If you manage multiple sites, you can limit users so they only see the assets and tasks for their assigned location. This keeps their workspace simple and organised.

Step 4: Download the Native Mobile App

Your setup isn't complete until you use Maintainly where maintenance actually happens, whether that's on the factory floor, inside equipment rooms, or out in the field.

Maintainly has native mobile apps for both iOS and Android.

1. Download App (iOS / Android) ──> 2. Log In with Web Credentials ──> 3. Scan & Update Live Tasks!

The Mobile Test Workflow

Download the app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.

Log in using the same username and password you created for the web version.

Open the task you created in Step 2.

Add a comment, upload a photo of the asset, and log 15 minutes of work.

Testing the mobile app early helps you see how technicians can update tasks directly from the job site without using paper forms or returning to a desktop computer.

Step 5: Scale at Your Own Pace

Congratulations. By following these steps, you've completed a working CMMS setup in less than 10 minutes.

You've seen how easy it is to create, assign, track, and complete maintenance tasks.

As your business grows, you can expand your setup by:

  • Add Additional Sites & Assets: Create your full asset structure across all locations.

  • Set Up Inventory & Stores: Track spare parts, manage stock levels, and connect inventory to maintenance tasks.

  • Enable Maintenance Requests: Allow employees or other staff members to submit maintenance requests without needing a full Maintainly licence.

  • Print Scannable Asset QR Labels: Attach QR code labels to equipment so technicians can scan them with the mobile app and instantly view maintenance history.

Need Extra Guidance? We're Here to Help

Maintainly is designed to be simple enough for anyone to use. In fact, only 2% of our customers ask for formal training.

If you need help, we're always available.

Book a Personalized Demo: We offer one-on-one screen-sharing demos tailored to your business and maintenance processes.

Live In-App Chat Support: Need help while creating your first automation or importing assets? Simply click the chat icon in the bottom-right corner of the screen to speak directly with our support team.

Ditch the Spreadsheets Today

Don't let complicated software slow down your maintenance operations. With Maintainly CMMS, you don't need months of setup or expensive consultants to get started.

Create your free Maintainly account today and have your CMMS up and running in just 10 minutes.

 

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