How Michaels Built a Data-Driven Maintenance Culture and Cut MTTR by 70% With MaintainX

Key Results

• Reduced mean time to repair (MTTR) by 70%
• Increased mean time between failures (MTBF) by 20%
• Established a data foundation for smarter, faster decision-making

‍

When you’re the leading arts and crafts retailer in North America, with seven distribution centers powering coast-to-coast operations, smooth logistics aren’t optional.  

Before finding MaintainX, the maintenance team for Michaels Stores was dealing with systems that felt anything but smooth, like pen-and-paper checklists, spreadsheets, and a cumbersome legacy CMMS.

This overcomplicated the team’s day-to-day work. Using the old CMMS required SQL expertise, and without a system that was accessible on mobile devices, it was easy for technicians to make mistakes when entering data, or miss adding information to the system altogether.

For Mike Truitt, Director, DC Network Facilities, the constant struggle to enter and extract data was a main motivator in his search for a modern system. “Usability may have been the biggest driver,” he explains. “If at any time you’re struggling to pull the data you need from your system, you’re probably not using the right CMMS platform.”

His top goals for a new system were clear:

• Standardize maintenance practices across sites.
• Reduce parts costs by planning ahead instead of reacting.
• Improve labor utilization.
• Build a data foundation to empower both leadership and frontline staff.

Challenges

Lack of consistent standards

Each Michaels site had its own method for naming parts, logging work, and tracking performance. As a result, there was no clear visibility into performance or procedures across locations. 

Excessive parts spend

Without easy access to the data that would help prevent emergency stockouts, maintenance was prone to excessive spending on last-minute parts orders.

“We were spending a ridiculous amount of money rush ordering critical spare parts,” says Mike.

Institutional knowledge loss

The lack of unified data also left the team at risk of knowledge loss. As Michaels’ technician base gets closer to retirement, Mike is prioritizing capturing their years of expertise.

“One of the things that keeps me up at night is the tribal knowledge in our network leaving,” he explains. “The average age of our technicians is 45, so this is something we’re acting on now.”

Why MaintainX

Ease of use

When it came time to select a new CMMS, MaintainX stood out for its user-friendly interface.

“If you can use your cell phone, you can create a work order in MaintainX,” Mike says. “If techs don’t like typing, they can use voice-to-text. It’s a game changer for our team.”

Ease of onboarding was critical, especially for technicians who were hesitant to change their processes. With MaintainX, the team could create custom SOPs that made it simple to follow new digital processes and feel confident using the system.

Headache-free implementation

During the vetting process, Mike sought to avoid long timelines for implementation and data upload.

“During our evaluation, other vendors were saying four to eight months to upload the data to get started. MaintainX said five to six weeks.”

Results

Greater efficiency and reliability

Since implementing MaintainX, the Michaels maintenance team has reduced MTTR by 70% and increased MTBF by 20%. These results are a product of clearer workflows and data visibility that’s fostered a cultural shift around accountability.

Better strategy through data 

Mike and his leadership team can now see performance trends at a glance, and make informed decisions based on those trends.

“It used to be hard to pull reports, and now I can paint the picture with graphs,” Mike says.

Data quality has also improved, as the mobile-first system makes it easier for technicians to capture accurate information on the floor. “The pencil whipping has dramatically decreased and there is much more accountability. We can now judge our sites and compare. The details you can put into MaintainX are a lot more than what techs would tell us.” 

To reinforce the team’s shift toward capturing more information, Mike created the Golden Wrench Award, a program celebrating technicians who consistently contribute high-quality data to MaintainX.

Improved communication with leadership

The newfound transparency also strengthened communication between maintenance teams and management.

“I tell my team that if you feel overworked or if there is something wrong in your facility, I need the data so that I can be your biggest advocate for staffing up our business,” Mike explains. “The data makes sure the team understands how important their jobs are—MaintainX provides that data.”

Reduced costs through preventive maintenance

Preventive practices have always been critical for Mike. As he puts it, “The more preventive maintenance you do, the less unplanned downtime you have.”

With MaintainX, it’s easier for the team to schedule, track, and verify PM tasks. This has led to more efficient use of technicians’ time, fewer breakdowns, and less emergency downtime.

The impact extended to parts management, too. Michaels has nearly eliminated expensive next-day air shipments for spare parts.

MaintainX also helps Mike share the impact of preventive maintenance with leaders, “Now we’re able to shine a light on our preventative practices.”

Simpler and smarter operations

Today, Michaels’ maintenance organization operates with transparency and confidence. The company has turned data into a strategic asset, standardized workflows across sites, and empowered technicians with tools that fit how they actually work.

“MaintainX has made my life simpler,” Mike says.