Up Time Magazine- June/July 2008

Supply Chain Management Business Operational Systems Enterprise Operation Management Materials Mgmt Scheduling Sales & Distribution Human Resources Production Planning Workflow Quality Management Industry Solutions enhancing the technologies and processes at their disposal. They are able to exploit the available systems in new ways and unite this technology with the ideas, energy and talent of their workforce. The Case for Mobile Mobile technology has experienced an enormous transformation over the past several decades. Thinking back, the first mobile cell phone weighed 30 ounces and cost $3,500. Today, over 30 years later, Blackberries and Blue Tooth technology are the norm, phones weigh 3 ounces, and higher-end devices cost under $400. With these advancements in mobile technology, the focus has shifted from the place to the person. Mobile maintenance work forces are no exception. This shift is seen on the plant floor and in maintenance organizations throughout the world. Whether it is for organizations spread across many miles of oil pipeline, companies with numerous facilities in a geographic area or a large manufacturer with a substantial number of assets, the use of mobile technology has quickly become considered as important of a tool as anything in the technician’s toolbox. Mobile technology today is used for work management, spatial mapping, locating and tracking of assets, warehouse management, and connectivity to plant floor devices to upload critical condition assessment information. Countless service and repair organizations have embraced mobile technologies to facilitate their work tasks and most have received payback in just a few years. The case for mobile can also be made through the increase in user acceptance and the elimination of cumbersome paper-based processes. Today’s mobile solutions are designed for maintenance technicians (quite often by maintenance technicians). Simplifying the data collection process helps decision makers evaluate the health of their organizations more effectively, because the data is more timely and complete. EAM/CMMS EAM/Computerized Maintenance Management System CBM Middleware Batch Continuous Discreet Inputs Data Visualization Process Continuous Discreet Networks Control Batch I/O Devices Figure 1 - Traditional Best of Breed/Point Solution The initial challenge for IT was getting the maintenance users on board by leveraging the integrated EAM modules offered by their respective ERP suppliers. Simply put, why fix what wasn’t broken? Maintenance practitioners were comfortable with the way their point solutions operated, and they were sold on the perceived functionality advantages. It didn’t matter that most maintenance organizations typically used less than 30% of their maintenance solution’s overall capabilities. In a 2006 survey conducted by Reliable Plant, it was found that 94.7% of maintenance managers felt they were not using their maintenance management solution at its fullest capacity – the programs were too complicated and were more of a record keeping system than an analytical tool. Eventually, the functionality gap closed, and EAM modules offered by ERP solution providers had comparable functionality. At the same time, many maintenance departments realized that “a work order is a work order, a PM is a PM” - how different systems operate varies between applications, but ultimately, every application in the maintenance space would accomplish the end goal. These factors led to a willingness to adopt the EAM modules offered by ERP suppliers, and created huge opportunities to genuinely begin leveraging information at all levels within the organization. Change is constant and presents enormous challenges - and opportunities. Changes in the back office landscape opened new doors by leveraging the applications and technology through a single vendor. IT, manufacturing, engineering and maintenance departments now have more time and money to focus on Supply Chain Management Business Operational Systems Enterprise Operation Management Materials Mgmt Scheduling Sales & Distribution Human Resources Production Planning Workflow Quality Management Industry Solutions Enterprise Asset Management/Asset Lifecycle Mobile or Batch Continuous Discreet Inputs CBM Middleware Data Visualization Process Continuous Discreet Integrating Embedded Sensors and Intelligent Devices with Back Office Systems. More than ever, organization departments need to overcome internal obstacles and more effectively collaborate. If companies expect to increase their product quality, asset availability, and overall effectiveness, departments need to collaborate better. Integration of back office ERP systems with the plant floor is Networks Control Batch I/O Devices Figure 2 - Seamless Integration www.uptimemagazine.com 19 http://www.uptimemagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Up Time Magazine- June/July 2008

Up Time Magazine- June/July 2008 Contents Upfront Upclose: The True Cause of Most Machine Failures Information Technology: Finding Future Perfect Lubrication: Building an Oil Analysis Winner Maintenance Management: Hidden Ways to Increase Safety Infrared: Air Barriers Lower Energy Costs, Increase Profits Motor Testing: Efficient Motor Repair, Part Deux Precision Maintenance: Good Maintenance, Smart Maintenance Reliability: Common Errors in Root Cause Analysis Ultrasound: Avoid the Baghouse Blues Vibration: Don't Let Your Sensors Get Eaten Alive Upgrade: Lining It All Up

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