Bryan Christiansen with Limble CMMS

Scott Mackenzie from Industrial Talk Podcast interviews Bryan Christiansen, CEO of Limble, a maintenance management solution. Limble empowers maintenance professionals by making CMMS systems user-friendly and efficient. Christiansen highlights the company's 10-year history, starting its first customer seven years ago. He emphasizes the importance of ease of use, citing the mobile application's design based on plant floor insights. Limble's AI capabilities streamline troubleshooting, PM plan setup, and scheduling, reducing technician trips and improving efficiency. Christiansen also discusses the company's integration with third-party solutions and its adaptability across various industries.

Outline

Introduction and Welcome to Industrial Talk Podcast

• Scott Mackenzie introduces himself and the Industrial Talk podcast, emphasizing its focus on industry innovations and professionals.
• Scott welcomes listeners to the SMRP 33 conference, highlighting its importance for maintenance, reliability, asset management, and technology professionals.
• Scott encourages listeners to mark their calendars for the next SMRP conference in 2026.
• Scott introduces Bryan Christiansen from Limble, a company that provides a maintenance management solution.

Bryan Christiansen's Background and Limble's Mission

• Bryan Christiansen introduces himself as the Founder and CEO of Limble, a company that empowers maintenance professionals.
• Bryan explains that Limble has been in business for about 10 years, with the first customer acquired seven years ago.
• Bryan shares his background in full-stack engineering and software development, and how he was drawn to the maintenance world due to the complexity of existing CMMS systems.
• Bryan emphasizes Limble's mission to make CMMS systems easy to use, unlike many other systems that are difficult to navigate.

Challenges and Opportunities in CMMS Systems

• Bryan discusses the challenges of existing CMMS systems, noting that there are over 300 CMMS systems available, each with its own unique features and usability issues.
• Bryan highlights the importance of making CMMS systems user-friendly, as many technicians avoid using difficult systems.
• Bryan shares his experience of working with maintenance managers and technicians who found existing systems too complicated to use.
• Bryan explains that by making CMMS systems easy to use, organizations can unlock the full potential of their maintenance plans and inventory systems.

Improving User Experience with Mobile Applications

• Bryan explains how Limble's mobile application is designed to improve the user experience for maintenance technicians.
• Bryan mentions that the mobile application is designed based on insights gathered from walking plant floors and understanding the needs of technicians.
• Bryan provides examples of how small improvements in workflows can save significant time for technicians, who perform these tasks frequently.
• Bryan emphasizes the importance of making the mobile application intuitive and easy to use, even for technicians who wear gloves or work in challenging conditions.

Preventing Pencil Whipping and Ensuring Data Accuracy

• Bryan discusses the issue of pencil whipping, where technicians provide incomplete or inaccurate data in work orders.
• Bryan explains that by making the work order process enjoyable and valuable for technicians, they are more likely to provide accurate and detailed information.
• Bryan highlights the importance of delivering value to technicians, such as being able to easily access past work orders and asset history.
• Bryan shares that by aligning the value incentives for technicians, they are more likely to fill out work orders accurately and completely.

Time to Value and Customization in Limble

• Bryan explains that Limble's average time to value is very fast, often within a few weeks, due to its ease of use and quick setup process.
• Bryan acknowledges the need for customization in different facilities and organizations, as each has its own unique workflows and best practices.
• Bryan describes how Limble allows users to configure assets and workflows to meet their specific needs, such as adding custom fields and building custom workflows.
• Bryan emphasizes that Limble's flexibility and ease of use make it suitable for a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, healthcare, hospitality, and oil and gas.

Leveraging AI in Maintenance Management

• Bryan discusses how Limble leverages AI to improve maintenance management, focusing on solving specific jobs to be done.
• Bryan explains that AI can significantly reduce troubleshooting time by providing technicians with insights from past work orders and asset notes.
• Bryan highlights the use of AI to automate the setup of preventative maintenance plans, reducing the time required to set up PM schedules.
• Bryan shares that AI can also help with scheduling, consolidating work orders to reduce the number of trips technicians need to make.

Addressing Labor Shortages and Knowledge Transfer

• Bryan acknowledges the challenges of labor shortages and the aging workforce in the maintenance industry.
• Bryan explains that AI can help bridge the gap by providing technicians with the information and tools they need to be more efficient.
• Bryan discusses the importance of knowledge transfer from experienced technicians to new employees, as much of the expertise is held in the heads of older workers.
• Bryan emphasizes that AI can help capture and preserve this expertise, ensuring that new technicians have access to valuable information.

Handling Backlogs and Prioritizing Work Orders

• Bryan explains how Limble's AI can help manage backlogs of work orders by identifying duplicates and prioritizing urgent tasks.
• Bryan highlights the importance of backlog grooming, where AI can suggest consolidating similar work orders and discarding duplicates.
• Bryan discusses the role of AI in prioritizing work orders based on the potential impact of failures, ensuring that critical tasks are addressed first.
• Bryan emphasizes that AI can significantly reduce the time and effort required to manage large backlogs of work orders.

Integration with Third-Party Solutions and Industry Focus

• Bryan explains that Limble integrates with third-party solutions to provide comprehensive maintenance management capabilities.
• Bryan shares an example of a partnership with Project Mate, a company that helps with construction builds and asset handover to maintenance teams.
• Bryan discusses the importance of investing in maintenance from day one, rather than waiting until assets are in poor condition.
• Bryan highlights that Limble is designed to be flexible and adaptable to a wide range of industries, making it suitable for various types of facilities and organizations.

Contact Information and Closing Remarks

• Bryan provides contact information for Limble, including the company website and his LinkedIn profile.
• Scott Mackenzie reiterates the importance of the SMRP conference and encourages listeners to mark their calendars for the next event in 2026.
• Scott thanks Bryan for his time and insights, and encourages listeners to connect with Brian and explore Limble's solutions.
• Scott wraps up the podcast, emphasizing the importance of networking and learning from industry leaders like Bryan.