Get Started with A4B CMMS in 15 Minutes

From signup to your first scheduled maintenance task—complete setup guide for new users. No training required, no complex configuration.

Quick Start Path

1

Create Your Organization

2 minutes

What You'll Do: Create your organization account (your company or facility name) and configure basic settings.

Instructions:

  1. Click "Start Your Free Trial" on the homepage
  2. Sign up with Google OAuth2 (recommended - passwordless, fast) OR use email/password
  3. Enter your organization name (your company: "Acme Manufacturing" or "Green Valley School")
  4. Select your timezone (critical for maintenance notifications - they arrive each morning in your timezone). You can change this anytime in Settings.
  5. Accept Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (Iubenda-powered, GDPR-compliant)

Why This Matters: Your organization is the top-level container for all data. Timezone ensures maintenance reminders arrive when you're working, not at 3 AM.

Pro Tip: Use Google OAuth2 for fastest setup and secure passwordless authentication.

2

Set Up Your First Workspace

2 minutes

What You'll Do: Create a workspace (logical grouping like a building, department, or site) to organize your assets.

Instructions:

  1. After signup, you'll land on "Create Your First Workspace" screen
  2. Name your workspace based on your structure:
    • Single location: "Main Facility" or "Headquarters"
    • Multi-building: "North Building" or "Warehouse A"
    • Departments: "Production Floor" or "IT Department"
    • Geographic: "Denver Office" or "Regional Distribution"
  3. Optionally invite team members (you can skip this and add team members later from Settings → Team)
  4. Click "Create Workspace"

Why This Matters: Workspaces provide perfect data isolation. If you manage multiple buildings or sites, create one workspace per location (Free plan: 2 workspaces, Premium: 5 workspaces).

Pro Tip: Start with one workspace. Add more later as you scale (Settings → Workspaces → New Workspace).

3

Add Your First Assets

5 minutes

What You'll Do: Add physical assets (equipment, vehicles, tools) to track in A4B CMMS.

Manual Entry Instructions (1-5 assets):

  1. Navigate to Assets → New Asset
  2. Fill in essential information: asset name (e.g., "CNC Machine #3"), category, location, and status
  3. The system auto-generates a unique inventory number like 12345-000001
  4. Click "Create Asset" to save

Bulk Import Instructions (10+ assets):

  1. Download CSV template (Assets → Import → Download Template)
  2. Fill in your asset data (Name, Category, Location, Status columns)
  3. Upload CSV (Assets → Import → Choose File)
  4. Review preview, click "Import Assets"

Why This Matters: Assets are the foundation of CMMS. Start with critical assets (equipment that breaks, vehicles requiring inspections, tools frequently lost).

Pro Tip: Free plan includes 50 assets. Focus on high-value or high-maintenance assets first. You can add more later or upgrade to Premium (500 assets).

4

Schedule Your First Maintenance Task

3 minutes

What You'll Do: Create a preventive maintenance task for one of your assets.

Instructions:

  1. Navigate to Maintenance → New Task
  2. Enter task details: title (e.g., "Monthly HVAC Filter"), asset, type (Preventive), and due date
  3. Click "Create Maintenance Task"

Why This Matters: Preventive maintenance prevents breakdowns and reduces costly repairs through proactive scheduling.

Pro Tip: Start with ONE maintenance task for your most critical asset. Master the workflow, then add more tasks.

5

Configure Notification Preferences

1 minute

What You'll Do: Verify your email notifications are enabled (they're ON by default).

Instructions:

  1. Click your profile icon → Edit Profile
  2. Navigate to the Notifications tab
  3. Verify the checkbox is enabled: "Send me daily email notifications for maintenance tasks due today"
  4. Click "Update" if you made any changes

Why This Matters: You'll receive an email each morning (in your timezone from Step 1) when you have maintenance tasks due that day. No more manual calendar tracking.

Pro Tip: Notifications are enabled by default. You can disable them anytime if your team uses a different tracking system.

6

Explore Your Dashboard

1 minute

What You'll Do: View real-time maintenance operations visibility on your dashboard.

What You'll See:

  • KPI Cards: Total Assets (your count), Maintenance Tasks (active), Completion Rate (%)
  • Pie Chart: Assets by Status (Available, In Use, Maintenance)
  • Bar Chart: Maintenance Tasks by Month (upcoming, completed, overdue trends)
  • Recent Activity: Latest asset changes, task completions

Actions You Can Take:

  • Click asset count → View asset list
  • Click maintenance tasks → Filter by status (Overdue, Upcoming, Completed)
  • Export activity log → Download CSV for compliance or analysis

Why This Matters: Dashboard provides at-a-glance visibility into maintenance operations. Check weekly to identify trends, overdue tasks, or high-maintenance assets.

Pro Tip: Bookmark dashboard page for quick access. Mobile-responsive design works on smartphones/tablets.

You're Set Up! Here's What to Do Next

1. Invite Your Team

Settings → Team → Invite Members. Free plan: 5 users, Premium: 50 users. Assign roles: Admin (full access) or Member (restricted permissions).

2. Import Existing Asset Data

Have 50+ assets in spreadsheet? Use CSV bulk import (Step 3 instructions). Download template, map columns, upload file.

3. Set Up QR Code Labels

(Coming Soon) Print QR code labels for assets. Scan with smartphone camera → Instant asset details, maintenance history.

4. Explore Advanced Features

Additional workspaces (Settings → Workspaces → New), reporting filters (Dashboard → Filters), bulk asset export (Assets → Export CSV).

5 Tips for CMMS Success

1. Asset Naming: Be Descriptive and Consistent

Good "CNC Machine #3 (Haas VF-2)"

Bad "Machine A" (vague, not searchable)

Why: Descriptive names make assets findable. Include make/model if multiple similar assets.

2. Maintenance Scheduling: Start with Critical Assets

Focus first: Equipment that breaks frequently, high-cost repairs, compliance requirements (DOT, health department). Add more tasks later: Don't try to schedule everything Week 1.

Why: Build momentum with quick wins (one task completed = confidence boost).

3. Team Collaboration: Assign Clear Ownership

Every maintenance task should have an owner (assigned to specific user). Use roles: Admins create tasks, members complete them.

Why: Accountability prevents tasks from falling through cracks.

4. Regular Reviews: Weekly Dashboard Check-Ins

Monday morning routine: Check dashboard for overdue tasks, upcoming maintenance. Monthly trend analysis: Which assets require most maintenance? Optimize schedules.

Why: CMMS only works if you check it regularly (notifications help, but dashboard gives full picture).

5. Data Quality: Keep Asset Information Updated

When asset status changes (Available → In Use), update it. When asset moves locations, update location field. Archive deleted assets (don't delete entirely - preserves history).

Why: Accurate data = better decisions, compliance audit success.

Common Setup Issues (and Solutions)

Issue 1: "Can't create workspace"

Symptom: Error when clicking "Create Workspace"

Cause: Free plan limit (2 workspaces) already reached

Solution: Delete unused workspace (Settings → Workspaces → Delete) OR upgrade to Premium (5 workspaces)

Issue 2: "Notifications not received"

Symptom: No email received after enabling notifications

Cause: Wrong timezone selected OR emails in spam folder

Solution: Check Settings → Profile → Timezone (must match your local time), check spam/junk folder, click "Send Test Email"

Issue 3: "Bulk import errors"

Symptom: CSV upload fails with error message

Cause: Incorrect CSV format (missing required columns, wrong date format)

Solution: Re-download CSV template (exact column names), fill data, check for special characters in names, upload again

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about our asset management platform

Is my data secure and backed up?

Yes. Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest, stored on secure servers with daily backups. We take data security seriously and follow industry best practices for asset management systems.

How do I get started with asset management?

Simply sign up for free, add your assets (manually or via CSV import), and start scheduling maintenance tasks. Our intuitive interface makes it easy to get up and running in minutes, not hours.

What happens when I outgrow the free plan?

You can easily upgrade to our Premium plan with affordable flat-rate pricing (USD, EUR, UAH) for more users and assets. View our pricing page for current rates in your preferred currency. You'll get priority access to new features as we continue to improve the platform.

What currencies do you support?

We support USD ($), EUR (€), and UAH (₴). Your pricing page automatically detects your location and shows prices in the most relevant currency. You can easily switch currencies using the selector on the pricing page.

Can I import my existing asset data?

Absolutely! You can import your asset data via CSV files. Our import tool supports common fields like asset name, serial number, manufacturer, and more. No need to start from scratch.

What support is available?

We provide email support and comprehensive help documentation. You'll have direct access to our team for questions and feedback. We typically respond within 24 hours.

How is this better than using spreadsheets?

Unlike spreadsheets, our platform provides automatic maintenance scheduling, activity tracking, user collaboration, and mobile access. No more lost files, version conflicts, or missed maintenance tasks.

Can multiple team members use the same account?

Yes! You can invite team members to your organization. The free plan supports up to 5 users, and Premium supports up to 50 users with role-based permissions.