ASSET MANAGEMENT
benefits of CMMS on a single, integrated
cloud-based platform that uses AI, IoT
and analytics to optimise performance,
extend asset lifecycles and reduce
operational downtime and costs. IBM
claims that the Maximo Application Suite
can decrease the total cost of ownership
of an asset by 20%, increase maintenance
productivity by 10%, and that its
AI-enabled monitoring can improve
product quality by 30%.
“Rather than a disorganised process
that leads to ineffective use of time
for you and your staff, you can create
a trackable work order in the system,”
Dudley adds. “This makes it available to all
involved users on any device.”
SAASY SOLUTIONS
CMMS can be deployed in a range of
ways from out-of-the-box integrations
to bespoke multi-site and even multiregion
deployments. One of the newest
ways in which they can be deployed is as
a software as a service (SaaS) offering.
This reduces the initial investment being
made, as their minimum requirements
are an internet connection and
connected devices, which means that the
user is only paying for the data resources
they need.
SaaS can also help companies that
need to modernise their legacy systems
to keep pace with maintenance and
operational pressures. Upgrades are made
by service providers in the cloud, so the
latest versions and functionality are always
available and can be applied with less
strain to the on-site IT department.
Another major problem that CMMS
can solve, especially in the UK market, is
knowledge transfer. With the widening
skills gap, knowledge is a resource that
can easily disappear with the engineer
that leaves the company. CMMS helps
companies bottle knowledge by providing
a central location to record that data in
written, photographic and video form
to empower the next generation of
engineers.
“Like anything, the longer we can
keep a piece of equipment running
without major repair, the more
money we save in the long run”
Sarah Dudley
Winter 2021 www.operationsengineer.org.uk 51
record-based information system. The
two often work collaboratively and can
share data to increase overall operational
efficiency.”
TO DOS
Organisations must stay compliant,
and need to have a system of record to
document the necessary steps that were
taken for that purpose. CMMS can help
professionals on the ground follow the
correct steps.
Sarah Dudley, senior product
marketing lead, IBM, (pictured below)
says that CMMS can be used as part of a
company’s enterprise asset management
(EAM) strategy: “Like anything, the longer
we can keep a piece of equipment running
without major repair, the more money we
save in the long run. A CMMS can send
alerts when maintenance is due – reducing
the number of reactive situations and
major breakdowns.”
CMMS not only speed the process of
ordering parts ahead of a failure, it also
equalises inconsistent workloads for staff.
Dudley adds: “Each day your technicians
have visibility into their workloads – and
supervisors can rebalance quickly – so
you can stay on top of repairs to avoid
unhappy workers. They will also spend
much less time doing admin work and
more time focusing on their core job.”
IBM’s Maximo Application Suite
combines an EAM system with the
/www.operationsengineer.org.uk