For full disclosure, I currently work for Total Resource Management (TRM), a long time Maximo implementor of which has deep experience with integrating Maximo with and without external systems, including SAP.
That said, I wish to echo much of what folks have responded with. No matter the solution selected it comes down to your expectations and requirements of the solution to enhance/refine/support the way you do business. The solution is just a tool put in place to facilitate and to help you improve.
The lines between an EAM and a CMMS have been blurred over time. While a CMMS may be more focused on work order processing, preventive activities, and a degree of asset management, an EAM is just that… an Enterprise-level solution, often bringing in Inventory, Purchasing, lifecycle Asset Management, etc. With deeper capabilities comes complexity in the technology and the user interface. Implementation costs of an EAM vs. a CMMS will certainly be orders of magnitude greater. One of the first questions for you to answer is do you need a full-on EAM or will a solution in the CMMS category serve your needs. Nothing worse than a boat load of features/functions that go unused in an EAM when a CMMS would have done a good job for you.
The other area where folks struggle is to attempt to replicate their current work processes into a new solution. While most all solutions have tools and the flexibility to implement whatever crazy process you wish, you really need to question if it is worth the time and effort to not only implement, but to maintain over time. Whether EAM or CMMS, there are foundational "best practice," flows that the tools provide right out of the box. It is always worthwhile to put your current processes up against what the EAM/CMMS already has and see how much of the out-of-box you can adopt. Part of your EAM/CMMS project should be a substantial process review/improvement activity.
Yes, organizational change management is a critical element of your project. No software interface or feature/function set will make every user 100% happy. There will always be something about the new tool that will be less than "perfect." This points to a proof-of-concept or pilot period where all sets of users can spend time with the solution and work through the kinks well before they are expected to rely upon the solution to do their jobs. Communicating with and educating all user communities from day one of design to go-live… and after… is critical.
And finally… interfacing to external systems. Most modern solutions are using APIs for this handshaking, and most still support table-to-table, flat file, and other methods to interact with each other. The key to an interface, no matter what the systems are, are the "touchpoints." These are the specific data elements (records/field updates) that are passed between the systems and when. Interfacing a EAM/CMMS with say an ERP requires the involvement of several groups of people. IT, Maintenance, Accounting, etc. will need to design the interface to ensure it serves all involved. Determining which system is the "source of truth," is a good first step and will guide the design process. Monitoring and maintaining the interface(s) can absorb a fair amount of time.
Start out on the proper footing: Have a balanced view of how you do business vs. what these solutions bring to the table. You may find that the dramatic and beneficial impact(s) come from your adoption of the solutions' "way," of doing things vs. it replicating your current business processes.
Hope this helps… see you @SMRP!
John Q. Todd
Sr. Business Consultant and Product Researcher
www.trmnet.com
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John Todd
Total Resource Management
Alexandria VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 07-15-2023 06:55 PM
From: William Rodriguez Mora
Subject: Choosing an Enterprise Asset Management Software
Dear All,
I am writing to you as part of the maintenance department of a plant that belongs to the Food industry. Nowadays we´re exploring for a more advanced software solution to enhance our maintenance management practices. Currently, we are utilizing SAP PM (HANA) as our CMMS, but we have encountered limitations such as a complex user interface, difficulties in integrating with PdM platforms or sensors, and limited IoT capabilities.
In light of these challenges, we have been researching alternative options that can provide us with higher capabilities to implement best practices in Asset Management. Among the potential solutions, we have identified Hexagon and Prometheus as promising EAM software providers.
I kindly request your insights and experiences in using EAM software, particularly with Hexagon or Prometheus. It would be greatly appreciated if you could share any information regarding the impact these systems have had on your Maintenance Management processes.
Additionally, if any of you have successfully transitioned from SAP (PM) to an Enterprise Asset Management Software, we would greatly value your advice and recommendations for managing the change effectively.
Thank you for your time and contribution.
Best regards,