You know the benefits of CMMS software, and you’re ready to put them into action. There’s just one problem: your bosses would rather minimize spending, and they want to try out a free CMMS software.

The catch, of course, is that free CMMS software isn’t actually free. In fact, the cost of poor software is around $2.84 trillion annually.

Sure, you don’t pay at the outset, but you’ll more than pay that cost down the road. Here are a few reasons why.

Functionality That Doesn’t Match Your Goals

You know what your business needs. You know what your goals are. And that means that you know what software needs to do for you in order to meet those goals.

If your CMMS functionality doesn’t meet your goals, it isn’t doing its job.

You see, if the functionality isn’t where you need it to be, your software is no longer a tool. It’s just another obstacle in your way.

Instead of using your software to accomplish your goals, you have to work around the software to get the end result you need. And that means you’ll waste more time making up for what the software lacks than actually working on the project with the software.

That’s not just a waste of time. That’s a waste of resources.

Lackluster Usability

Tangled up in the functionality problem is lackluster usability, which is all too common among free CMMS software.

You might think you can make do with a few minor annoyances, but the truth is, a bad user experience will slowly but surely drive everyone up the walls. Those “minor annoyances” you noticed when you tested the CMMS are going to keep getting in the way every time you need to use the software to do anything.

Many CMMS programs use limited usability as a way to get free users to upgrade to a paid program. But if you have to upgrade to get the experience you want, then a free CMMS isn’t actually worth it.

Incomplete Reporting

One of the ways that poor functionality and usability often bleed through is reporting functionality.

Many free CMMS programs have limits on what you can report in the program, or how much reporting you can actually do, or how many reports you can generate in a month. Here’s the problem: you don’t have time to negotiate with the monthly limit police.

You need your reports done, and you need them done now.

If your software restricts your reporting such that you have to go back to the old reporting techniques once you hit your limit, then really, what’s the point of having the software in the first place?

Free CMMS Software Isn’t Really Free

Free CMMS software isn’t actually free, and the more time and effort you waste on it, the less time your business will have to dedicate to what you do best: keeping your clients happy.