IBM Maximo can be the hub of many systems, providing a single source of truth for both operational and management teams (see graphic below). IBM and its partners are constantly working to improve and modernize this already world-class Asset Management System.
Maximo Work Centers
IBM continues to build on the core of their Work Centers user interface.
Work Centers offer you a simpler, task- and role-based interface that is responsive on desktops, notebooks, tablets, and smartphones. These Work Centers offer only the features that you need to complete your most critical work. Therefore your learning curve is shortened and you can work more efficiently.
The lineup of Work Centers now includes:
- Work Execution
- Work Supervision
- Business Analysis
- Manage Assets
- Manage/Conduct Inspection
- Managing Inventory
- Service Requester
New Work Centers highlights
- Maps – A great new feature is the ability to use Maps for reference. After you deploy Maximo Spatial Asset Management, you can access work order and supervision details from a map through the Maximo Work Supervision and Work Execution Work Centers.
- Barcode Scanning – Camera is now opened in video mode instead of photo when scanning barcodes to identify Assets, Inventory Items etc. Red viewfinder frame is overlaid to help the user focus. When the code is in focus, it snaps to the picture and renders the ID. Android, Apple and Windows devices are all supported.
- Inventory Management – Enhanced to support the Supply Chain process. Allows for the creation of new Inventory Items and Units of Measure. Shows inventory balances for Items in all storerooms across the organization. Issuing of rotating items and bulk issuance is now supported.
What’s up next for Maximo Work Centers?
IBM and its partners continue to work to improve and enhance the end-user experience with Maximo Work Centers:
- Workflow enablement Technical progression;
- Ability to configure Work Centers with a visual configuration tool;
- End-user personalization areas built into the work center;
- Convergence with Anywhere for offline capabilities;
- Alignment with other IBM products.
Below is a sample of the “Conduct an Inspection” Work Center for a Fire System Inspection.
Maximo Technical Enhancement
Create automation scripts for routine application tasks. Use the wizards to create scripts and launch points with associated variables and bindings. You can also use the wizards to associate launch points with existing scripts. The Scripting Editor has now been embedded in Automation Script application and provides:
- Syntax highlighting and Line numbers for improved readability;
- Collapsible code blocks;
- JavaScript validations prior to save;
- Auto-complete reserved words, common functions, etc for Python and JavaScript;
- Supports some auto-completion of existing variables and methods;
- Tab will indent the code instead of taking you to the next Maximo Field;
- Supports Ctrl-z for Undo.
Here’s an example of how Automation Scripts can be used to improve performance: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSLKT6_7.6.1/com.ibm.mbs.doc/autoscript/t_ctr_automate_assign_sr_sg.html
APM: Asset Performance Management
IBM continues to enhance capabilities within Asset Performance Management (APM) to optimize performance through prediction and prescriptive actions. APM is also used to improve equipment performance with analytics and AI.
By using IBM Maximo APM - Asset Health Insights, businesses can improve visibility of the health of assets and locations and minimize downtime by preventing asset failures by monitoring factors, such as conditions, costs, performance, and remaining useful life.
The efficient monitoring of asset health enables companies to take the next best possible action, including reducing preventive maintenance schedules and planning for repair or replacement. Maximo APM - Asset Health Insights On-Premises allows you to optimize preventive maintenance by combining asset record information and sensor data so that businesses are better able to plan capital improvement.
By registering devices in IBM Watson IoT Platform, you can receive data from sensors on assets. In the Reliability Engineering Work Center, you can monitor asset conditions and trigger automated actions that are based on changes in data. By defining scoring methods, businesses can gain insight into the health of an asset or location. They can take action based on the results, such as optimizing preventive maintenance schedules or replacement planning.
To improve forecasting and reduce risks to assets, you can use IBM IOT Weather Data on Cloud, Maximo Asset Health Insights to access forecast, current, and historical weather data.
IBM’s APM now has three options:
- APM Health provides asset health assessments using asset records, sensor data, and other external data to inform maintenance and replacement decisions;
- APM Predict predicts asset health using statistical models and machine learning. Includes failure date/probability, key drivers, degradation curves, and anomaly detection;
- APM for Energy & Utilities industry specialized solution for distribution, transmission, and generation companies. Enables the understanding of asset health and criticality.
For more information on IBM APM: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSYKK9_7.6.1.1/com.ibm.ah.doc/overview/c_prod_overview.html
New IBM Maximo Product
Maximo provides several Industry Solutions which collect and deliver specific functionality to support the unique requirements of many industries. Current list of Industry Verticals:
- Maximo for Transportation
- Maximo for Nuclear
- Maximo for Life Sciences
- Maximo for Utilities
- Maximo for Oil and Gas
- Maximo for Aviation
IBM is pleased to release the newest member of the Industry Solutions team – Maximo for Civil Infrastructure.
It integrates inspection, defect tracking, and maintenance activities to help organizations improve asset life, keep critical systems up and running, and lower total cost of ownership of civil infrastructure.
Maximo for Civil Infrastructure provides the capability to:
- Track and manage assets, including components of a structure, such as cables, hangers, and decks and related assets, such as fans, dampers, and dehumidifiers;
- Manage planned and unplanned work activities, ranging from routine maintenance to complex structure updates;
- Complete inspections of steel and concrete structures, roads, rails, and related equipment and record the results;
- Track contractor work, purchase orders, and contracts;
- Visualize planned work and defects in asset, linear, spatial, or schematic views, accounting for the differing user interactions based on the different structures.
Maximo for Civil Infrastructure provides an accurate account of the history, condition, and planned activity that is related to assets on and in bridges, roads, tunnels, and railways. By using Maximo for Civil Infrastructure, organizations can more efficiently inspect structures and manage the defects that are identified during inspections and manage routine work on structures. In addition, Maximo for Civil Infrastructure can use sensors that are installed on structures to obtain greater insights into the infrastructure that is being managed.
More information on the newest member of the Industry Solutions team can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/en/SSZQTT_7.6.1/com.ibm.ci.doc/overview/c_product_overview.html
