The EAM Work Order Lifecycle Improvement

Chon | CMMS Software | May 3, 2011

A work order like an asset has a lifecycle of its own. The work order lifecycle can be viewed as the time it takes to accept a work request through the time it takes to complete the work order. How much time you spend any given stage is dependent upon the skills of the administrator, the type of system used (manual or EAM/CMMS) and of course the level of expertise the maintenance teams have acquired.

What is a Work Request

A work request is a paper document or a screen of an online CMMS that identifies maintenance work needed on a particular asset. The work request may be the result of an asset failure or the result of inspections as part of a preventive maintenance routine. Regardless of how the problem was identified, a work request must be reviewed for priority, parts availability/requisitions, time required and labor availability. Once the work request has been analyzed, it may result in a work order for action.

What is a Work Order

Once a work request is approved for further action, it is converted into a work order. A work order is more than a maintenance job assignment, it represents the document trail (either paper or computerized) that follows the maintenance of an item. A work order should contain at a minimum; a description of the task, details of the asset, a tracking number, date requested, due date, who it is assigned to, a priority, a place to record the time spent on, inspection notes, general notes/remarks section. As the task is completed, time spent, cost, materials, outcome and notes of special tools/considerations should be recorded. Results are returned to maintenance management either via paper or on CMMS handheld devices.

Role of an EAM/CMMS for Work Order Lifecycle

Visually the lifecycle of a work requests/lifecycle can be viewed as:

The opportunity maintenance managers have is two-fold. The first opportunity if to increase the efficiencies of the work order lifecycle itself. This includes but is not limited to the elimination of a paper based system, shifting the source of work orders from reactive identification to pro active thus decreasing labor and materials costs. These opportunities for improvement can best be ascertained by implementing EAM/CMMS software. For example:

• Elimination of paper based system: Manual systems are inherently slower as the paper trail must continually make it back and forth for further review or clarification. In addition, transcribing information is subject to greater errors or lost/misfiled forms. The elimination of a paper based system will all but eliminate forms costs as well as help make the move to a greener operation. EAM/CMMS systems make use of computers and mobile handheld devices to record all work requests, work orders and results.


• Shifting the reasons for maintenance: One of the main reasons work orders and work requests can overwhelm facility managers is because much of their work is a a result of reactionary need. Improvements in efficiency, scheduling flexibility can be achieved by shifting from a reactionary based system to a pro active maintenance management philosophy of scheduled inspections and preventive maintenance. A commitment to the CMMS scheduling of inspections and preventive maintenance will help identify minor issues before they become major repairs and labor intensive.

The second opportunity is use the results of all work to create a historical database of knowledge that can be used for asset lifecycle projections, identification of repair trends and knowledge transfer for training. EAM/CMMS handheld device applications when set up correctly will automatically record work order and work request information to produce a variety of management reports that will enable better asset lifecycle management.

Ultimately, this enables early asset issue identification and better capital budgeting. The EAM system can also provide repair fix detail to maintenance staff unsure of the last actions taken or provide instructions on how to fix a particular problem.

Clearly, the use of an EAM/CMMScan improve the work order lifecycle. Tell us how you have made improvements to your maintenance operations. If you liked this article you may also enjoy reading:

• Top 8 Reasons You Might Need EAM Work Order Management


• The Roles of an EAM in Asset Lifecycle TCO


• Battling The Skilled Maintenance Worker Crisis With An EAM

Maximo 7.5 Report Booklet

Chon | CMMS Tips & Tricks | April 29, 2011

What are the out of the box reports that are delivered with Maximo 7.5? Over 140 reports are delivered in V7.5. These reports span the variety of applications, and include Analysis, Drill Down, Hierarchical, and Graphical Reports. The booklet contains information on each report’s file names, parameter, application toolbar settings, grouping, sorting and descriptions along [...]
Maximo Times

Closing the Gap Between IT Procurement and Service Management

Chon | CMMS Software | April 29, 2011

Closing the Gap Between IT Procurement and Service Management

Ottsville, PA (PRWEB) May 23, 2007

The coordination of IT asset procurement and service management is made easier with the availability of the latest version of EnterpriseLM™, Eracent’s IT asset lifecycle management solution. Eracent Inc., a worldwide supplier of IT asset management solutions, unveiled the latest in automation methodologies for managing the lifecycle of IT assets.

In addition to traditional IT asset management functions, EnterpriseLM™ provides customers with automation for purchase order generation, order tracking, and vendor and quote management.

“Our customers need to be able to design their own workflow with a solution that has the flexibility to help them achieve business and service management goals at the same time”, said Terry Divelbliss, Eracent’s Director of Lifecycle Management Solutions. “The new purchasing-based processes and features remove one more roadblock and shows off the versatility of software asset management.”

Utilizing the new version of EnterpriseLM, customers coordinate invoice and purchase order line items and monitor approvals. Tracking assets by vendor, owner and user for service management is all easily coordinated through EnterpriseLM’s robust support for the asset’s entire lifecycle, from the original purchase request to final disposal.

Since EnterpriseLM was introduced in 2004, Eracent has been at the forefront of providing fully integrated, easy to use IT asset lifecycle management solutions. Eracent continues to lead the industry, providing features and functionality in their solutions to meet the demands of the world’s largest and most complex IT environments.

For more information about EnterpriseLM go to http://www.eracent.com.

About Eracent:

Eracent, Inc. is a global provider of IT asset management solutions for organizations who require accuracy and accountability for their asset inventory while maximizing their IT investment. Eracent offers a full suite of IT asset management solutions that solve tactical and strategic business goals with technology that is easy to use and designed for today’s multi-platform complex environments. Eracent’s ease of implementation includes compatibility with most popular enterprise software applications. To learn more about Eracent, visit http://www.eracent.com.

Contact: Peter Setaro, 609-452-8500

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Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

More Enterprise Asset Management Press Releases

Changing Hotel Preventive Maintenance

Chon | CMMS Software | April 29, 2011

Preventive maintenance for Hotels has become more important than ever before as a result of shrinking profit margins, aging assets and increasing pressure from consumers to demonstrate green concerns. To be a successful hotel, property managers must successfully navigate theses challenges in the most cost effective manner possible. Hotels that make use of an EAM/CMMS preventive maintenance programs have a definitive competitive edge because they are able to take reduce unnecessary capital expenditures, lower labor costs as well as increase energy efficiencies. Hotels not yet making use of modern EAM/CMMS solutions have no choice but to change the way they care for their assets or operate at a deficit.

CMMS for Aging Assets

It is a given that as assets age they require additional maintenance attention. Assets that are not part of a preventive maintenance program will show greater signs of wear and tear resulting in either their early replacement or major repair costs. In addition, poorly maintained equipment is far less energy efficient because they require more energy to accomplish the same desired results. A drop in energy efficiency will increase utility bills, which can be substantial with equipment such as boilers, chillers and HVAC units. But it is not just the big assets that can increase utility bills. Hotels with kitchens, in-house laundry or even multiple spas need their equipment running at optimal performance levels to save energy dollars.

Hotel CMMS software is designed to make sure all hotel assets can easily be scheduled for preventive maintenance as well as inspections. It works by creating a centralized, computerized data bank of information on Hotels assets. The advantage of a CMMS solution is that by setting up this database, all maintenance activities from work requests through work order completion can be scheduled, tracked and reported on far more efficiently than a manual system. The reporting function is critical as it provides Hotel management with a historical record of the frequency and costs of repair allowing them to make better capital replacement decisions.

EAM/CMMS for Shrinking Profit Margins

Labor costs have an immediate impact on Hotel financial health. The fastest way to post operating losses is to incur needless overtime. Overtime from Hotel maintenance teams occurs most often from emergency maintenance or repair work orders that do not happen during regular operating hours or when the maintenance expert is available. EAM/CMMS software can help avoid overtime. Implementing an EAM/CMMS will increase maintenance and repair scheduling flexibility by shifting maintenance operations to be pro active instead of reactive. Scheduling Hotel inspections and preventive maintenance enables the early identification of problems that can be scheduled during maintenance lulls. By scheduling the repairs in this manner, the amount of time spent performing emergency work is sharply reduced. A good rule of thumb is that planned maintenance should be 80% of the work orders with the remaining 20% allocated for unexpected problems.

There are numerous other financial advantages to implementing an EAM/CMMS. Some of these include:

• Better Capital budgeting as good preventive maintenance practices can lengthen the useful lifecycle of assets including roofs, siding or other high dollar replacement items. Delaying capital replacement increases cash available for other projects or cosmetic improvements.


• Faster response time to customer reported problems. Leaking faucets, jammed doors or other consumer complaints are addressed quicker due to the increased flexibility from scheduling. Consumers will be happier and more likely to return.


• Lower liability from accidents. The historical record of Hotel maintenance kept by the EAM/CMMS can help show that assets have been properly taken care of. This may negate claims of negligence.

When times are tough the smart Hotel administrators get the tools they need to do more with less. The cost of an EAM/CMMS is nominal compared to the efficiencies and savings the software can bring to the Hotel. But the best part is that the savings continue long after the economy recovers.

Tell us how your hotel handles maintenance issues. If you liked this article you may also enjoy:

• The EAM Work Order Lifecycle Improvement


• 10 Advantages of a CMMS for Hotels/Resorts


• An EAM/CMMS Can Get Property Management Ready for Summertime

Import PM’s and PM sequences with Maximo Integration Framework (MIF)

Chon | CMMS Tips & Tricks | April 27, 2011

In this tutorial, I will show you how to setup object structures and enterprise services to import PM’s that use PM sequencing. PM sequencing or job plan sequencing is when you want to use a different job plan on one PM when the it is generated into a workorder. The topic of job plan sequencing [...]
Maximo Times

Aircraft Boneyard Asset Management

Chon | CMMS Software | April 27, 2011

Have you ever wondered what happens to aircraft when they become obsolete, are unable to fly, need too much repair or are no longer needed due to arms agreements? Many of the planes are either flown to or shipped to what is commonly called a Boneyard. These aircraft boneyards are not junk stations as the aircraft serve multiple purposes and require efficient work management tools.

Aircraft Boneyards

When aircraft are no longer in service many are placed in desert climates for storage. The primary reasons for desert storage is that the size of the aircraft makes hanger storage impractical and the lack of moisture reduce the rate of corrosion.

Once the aircraft have arrived, planes are normally stripped of salvageable parts that might be used for the repair of in-service aircraft. Engines, electronics and munitions are then warehoused while the skeletal remains of the aircraft are parked in the sun.

Desert storage also has a more practical application. Sometimes entire squadrons of military planes are stored in the desert due to a lack of need. These planes can then be reconditioned and made airworthy again. The reconditioning process is maintenance intensive but it is cheaper than purchasing new aircraft.

Using an EAM to Manage Aircraft Boneyard Assets

Looking at the sheer size of the aircraft boneyard it is clear that there should be an asset management system in place that uses mobile handheld devices to track as well as schedule work management on assets from arrival through deconstruction or refurbishment. An EAM system can help aviation asset managers by making sure they know where all their assets are, the condition they are in and their complete maintenance history.

EAM software works by collecting asset detail as aircraft arrive. At a minimum this includes a detailed description, location in the boneyard, reason for arrival (parts, scrap, moth balled) and serial numbers of parts. If the aircraft is to be disassembled, the EAM will schedule the work to be done.

The role of an EAM system continues as parts are warehoused or planes are reconditioned. EAM functionality gives asset and maintenance managers the tools they need to schedule all work management such as inspections, preventive maintenance, corrosion repairs, painting, testing etc.

EAM Work Management Tracking

Efficient and organized scheduling of work management is only part of benefits of implementing an EAM system. The value of an EAM system to asset managers increases as work management is recorded. When proper detail is included on completed work orders, boneyard managers can run reports to ensure that:

• Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are being followed. Work management history can also be used to create SOPs.
• They know the condition, location, maintenance history and work needed for all assets.
• Make better capital repair decisions by determining if the condition of assets are repairable.
• Maintenance operations work is done efficiently with increased mobility using mobile handheld devices. Handheld devices sharply reduces paper flow increasing efficiency as well as lowering administrative costs.
• All assets can be inspected quickly as well as efficiently should climatic conditions change suddenly.

Tell us how you uniquely store aging assets. If you liked this article you may also enjoy reading:

• EAM Can Help Change Airline Maintenance Reputations And Save Money
• What is Better Asset and Maintenance Management?
• How EAM features will improve your MRO Bottom Line

Enterprise Asset Management 101

WebCast: Maximo 7 Logging

Chon | CMMS Tips & Tricks | April 25, 2011

Audience: Customers, Level 2 & 3 Support, Services, GTS, ITD, GBS, Business Partners and Sales
This STE will cover: Setup, Logging and System Properties applications, test, reference.
Maximo Times

Innovation Asset Group Sees Significant Traction in Life Sciences Industries

Chon | CMMS Software | April 25, 2011

Innovation Asset Group Sees Significant Traction in Life Sciences Industries

Portland, OR (PRWEB) December 13, 2006

Innovation Asset Group, a leading provider of web-based enterprise applications for improving the management of intellectual assets & contracts, is seeing notable adoption of its flagship product, Decipher™ by companies in the life sciences industries. Decipher empowers biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device companies to maximize the value of their intellectual assets including patents, trademarks, R&D, copyrights, and related commitments.

LI-COR Biosciences, a leading biotechnology instrumentation company, selected Decipher after a detailed and careful evaluation. “We chose Decipher to systematically track and manage our licensing and business agreements,” said Brad Roth, Ph.D., Licensing and Intellectual Property Manager at LI-COR. “Decipher is so flexible that we could configure it to fit our business needs. But the ultimate value of Decipher is that it helps us to diligently fulfill our contractual responsibilities as well as tracking the obligations of our business partners.”

Success in life science industries is critically dependent upon a company’s ability to leverage, extract, manage and assess the value of all their intellectual property. “The cornerstone of a life science company is its intellectual property… a strong IP strategy leads to higher returns for venture capitalists and so they look for companies that have a solid IP strategy focused on building a high value IP portfolio, and that can leverage those IP assets effectively into new revenue streams and markets,” noted N. Mitchell (2006) in The Importance of Intellectual Property in Life Science Ventures and How It Impacts Capital Raising.

“We are seeing a surge of interest in Decipher to help corporations more methodically manage IP, licensing and other agreements, particularly from IP-intensive industry sectors such as life sciences,” said Shawn Pilkington, VP of Business Development at Innovation Asset. “We provide an enterprise application suite that allows these companies to maximize the value of their IP while managing the real risks associated with compliance and disclosure.”

Decipher is available to enterprises either as an on-demand solution hosted by Innovation Asset or installed on internal company servers.

About Innovation Asset Group

Innovation Asset empowers companies to reveal hidden value by optimizing their intellectual assets, key contracts and commitments. Founded in 2002, the core team consists of experts in law, IP valuation, finance, and technology. Few companies have effective systems in place to maximize the commercial potential of their patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets and control their contracts and agreements. Innovation Asset was formed to address this problem. The company’s flagship product, Decipher, is a web-based application suite for managing IP and contracts with advanced visualization, tracking, monitoring, and security capabilities. For the latest news and information about the company, visit http://www.innovation-asset.com.

Decipher is a trademark of Innovation Asset Group, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners. © 2006 Innovation Asset Group, Inc. All rights reserved

Media and Analyst Contact:

Shayla B. Sharp

Marketing Communications

Innovation Asset Group, Inc.

(503) 783-2385

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

How a Lodging EAM Impacts MRO Costs

Chon | CMMS Software | April 25, 2011

Lodging chains have taken a hit the last couple of years as occupancy rates declined forcing management to discount prices to be competitive. Naturally, when revenues decline management’s first reaction is look for ways to reduce operating expenses in order to maintain gross profit margins. It is unfortunate that sometimes the knee-jerk reaction of slashing headcount or deferring maintenance and repair can have unforeseen negative long term consequences on the financial health of Lodging Chains. This article will highlight several areas that an Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system can help reverse the damage done by short-sighted management decisions on Lodging Maintenance Repair and Operations (MRO).

Lodging Cost Containment With an EAM

Good managers adjust to difficult economic environments by discovering where the opportunity for improvement lies. For Lodging professionals this means understanding where your expenses originate and discovering a path that allows you to do more with less. Three of the biggest expense opportunities are reducing utility costs (energy costs), reducing emergency repair and operational expenses and of course labor. EAM cost containment for these three areas comes from the automation of the work order process as well as using EAM features that allow for complete asset lifecycle management tools. For example:

• Reducing energy costs. Energy costs include electric, gas or any other energy source used to power equipment, heat water, heat or cool spaces and so on. When equipment is not properly maintained it requires more energy to achieve the same output. To visualize this imagine a clogged air filter obstructing the air flow in an asset. The reduced air flow causes the HVAC unit or industrial dryer to run longer to achieve the same result.



“For a full-service hotel, energy costs are usually between 4 and 6 percent of revenue, but historic and luxury properties may see energy costs hitting 10 percent or more.”




Source: Managing Energy Costs in Full-Service Hotels




An EAM schedules regular inspections and preventive maintenance on designated assets to ensure optimal operating conditions. Management reports can provide corporate managers a listing of properties not complying with corporate standard operating procedures. How much is 10% of your Lodging revenues?



• Reducing emergency repairs. When maintenance is deferred on lodging assets, they are far more likely to fail requiring emergency repairs. For example, a corroding joints on piping if left unattended could rupture or a clogged storm drain can backup and flood portions of the premises. On top of raising liability issues for negligence, emergencies repairs will cost more in parts and labor further draining cash flows.



“Information is King …Efficiency seems to be the watchword of every year, but for 2010 it is an imperative… Efficiency in the internet age is particularly crucial to the effective leveraging of available information.”




Source: Bruno Perez and Jean Francois Mourier on ehotelier.com




Increasing maintenance efficiency is a snap with a Lodging EAM software solution. Through the organization/automation of work requests and work orders lodging maintenance teams have the time to become more aggressive scheduling preventive maintenance and inspections which are key avoiding unplanned MRO activities. In addition, the results of all work performed is recorded by the EAM allowing corporate managers to identify the known issues throughout the properties. The identification of company wide issues enables better repair or replace decisions as well as more accurate capital budgeting planning.



• Reducing Labor expenses. Although maintenance and repair workers command higher wages (see table below), lower revenues does not always mean that there will be lower maintenance requests. In fact as assets age, it is likely that the number of work orders will actually increase. When work orders remain constant or increase, slashing headcount is rarely the best alternative to reducing labor expenses. A better solution comes from implementing an EAM to increase lodging efficiencies at all locations.



Source: United States Department of Labor




An EAM can increase labor efficiency several ways. The first is the use of mobile handheld devices which transform paper based maintenance operations into online, automated maintenance systems. The second advantage is that by implementing a Lodging EAM, maintenance operations shifts from reactive firefighting to pro active maintenance giving local managers better scheduling flexibility and controls. In this manner more work can be done with the same amount of resources.

Lodging EAM is a Long Term Cost Solution

Increased efficiencies resulting in maintenance expense savings are only part of the corporate benefits of an EAM system brings to the table. When EAM software is used properly the entire useful lifecycle of an asset can be tracked from the planning stages through its retirement/replacement. The reason is all asset information such as location, description, cost, vendors and complete maintenance history are recorded. EAM system output reports can then provide corporate or local managers with the frequency of maintenance work orders, the associated costs, parts used, technician and many other details.

Astute management can use this information to make more accurate predictions of capital needs or provide new maintenance staff across multiple locations a knowledge base of maintenance procedures or answers. Given that the average of a maintenance professional is over 50, it makes good sense to be able to accumulate their knowledge before they retire.

The Final Analysis

Economic adversity is a time when great Lodging managers can think through the knee jerk operating actions such as cutting headcount to find a maintenance solution with both immediate and long term benefits. An EAM is one such solution because of the features and customization available that enable a tailored lodging maintenance solution.

If you liked this article you may also enjoy:

• Building Maintenance Management and Technology


• When an EAM and Common Sense Collide


• Customizing Your EAM/CMMS the Right Way

WebCast: Upgrading Maximo 4, 5, 6, 7 and beyond

Chon | CMMS Tips & Tricks | April 21, 2011

This STE will cover:
- Understanding the products and versions needed to upgrade Maximo.
- Verified process of upgrading through each stage of the process.
- Error handling strategies and getting help.
Maximo Times