Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 - (Page 25)

Figure 1 - Example of a typical work order entry process in an EAM system, versus the streamlined work entry process offered in the eMESA solution. screens, tables, and drop down menus that are common to every plant and maintenance role that must follow the same process. And yet, those same customization capabilities provide the flexibility Vale Inco needs to design unique fields, screens, tables, and drop down menus that will allow, and even enforce, different business processes when circumstances require. For example, specific maintenance data on nickel ore mining equipment may be consistent at all of Vale Inco’s nickel mining facilities. But the data input requirements on the nickel ore refinery equipment may differ. The customization capabilities inherent in the eMESA solution will allow for the customizations needed to gather the information required on the nickel ore refinery equipment, while still maintaining the integrity of the data gathered for the nickel ore mining equipment at all the facilities. Beyond Maintenance Alone Spurred on by the early success of the eMESA solution, Vale Inco extended the implementation to be included in a project they refer to as “Front Line Planning and Scheduling”, or FLPS. The company is now rolling out eMESA to include production work, in addition to maintenance work. Prior to the implementation phase of the new solution, FLPS was in its infancy stage, but eMESA has helped the project be adopted across all divisions. The idea is to input both production schedules and maintenance schedules into the ERP system using the eMESA tool, so production and maintenance managers can collaborate and analyze the total production and maintenance workload together. Again, eMESA has been instrumental in helping the company design new fields, new drop down tables, and new custom screens to facilitate this process. The project is being rolled out to existing users as well as new users. As with the maintenance project, the new screens have been designed for extreme ease of use and to avoid long training sessions. Indications are positive in the early stages of this project. What Does the Future Hold? Encouraged by the acceptance and the favorable outcome of the eMESA implementation so far, Trevor and Denis have additional plans for its use. The most likely next project on the eMESA agenda will be the implementation of the DTS scheduling module for advance scheduling of work orders. (See sidebar next page). Trevor admits he would like to have done this already, but there hasn’t been the bandwidth to get to it yet. Still, they are very keen on the functionality contained in that module and it’s high on the priority list for the expanded use www.uptimemagazine.com 25 http://www.uptimemagazine.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008 Contents Upfront Upclose: An Asset Management Oasis in the Desert Information Technology: Streamlining Through Simplicity Lubrication: Phases for Framing a Solid Foundation Infrared: Do Your Homework Before You Buy Maintenance Management: Get It Together by Getting Together Motor Testing: Key Elements in Motor Decision Making Precision Maintenance: Shedding Some Light on Tolerances Reliability: RCM & the Mortgage Meltdown Ultrasound: A Multidimensional Tool Vibration: The Whirling Pump Mystery, Solved with ODS Upgrade: Are You Looking in the Right Place for Your Wear Debris?

Uptime Magazine - October/November 2008

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