Collaborative Data Management Platforms Set To Transform Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)
All organisations strive for reliable, uninterrupted operations. Asset-intensive companies have a special challenge when it comes to keeping systems running. The failure of a mission-critical component such as a pump, a generator or turbine engine can have devastating impact on operations and production. Hours of down-time can be a reality when this failed asset requires identification, trouble-shooting, repair or replacement. The losses may just be a headache – or they can be catastrophic.
To minimise the risk of these events occurring, organisations incur high costs for manual, labour-intensive audits, inspections and rounds, and clock-based maintenance and replacement schedules that may not even be necessary. Furthermore, the data collected during these activities serve only as a snapshot of a point in time and very rarely is it shared in a timely manner with OEM’s, service agents, users and other asset stakeholders.
But what if the operator tasked with bringing the asset back online had access to all real-time and historical data – manufacturing, warranty, engineering, user manuals, past wear and tear, performance and operating history, past failures, a full service history – accessible in the field?
In this case, a complete asset data set – one that is the result of the contributions of the many groups involved in the management of the asset through its life – could significantly improve decision-making. Managers and field operators could work to eliminate the stress that trial and error puts on equipment, minimise downtime and take action with greater confidence.
Moving from static data silos to continuous asset data improvement programs
Over the years, a myriad of information systems have been developed in response to these challenges [EAM’s, CMM, ERP’s and so on], but they were created at a time when supply chains were less complex, outsourcing was not as commonplace, and asset data analysis was reserved for internal management reporting purposes. For that reason, the capability of these siloed systems to support collaborative asset data building, and sharing, remains extremely limited.
Today however, there is a critical need for smarter collaboration between all stakeholders who have a vested interest in the asset, such as manufacturers, distributors, suppliers, operators, service agents, and so on. Finding a way to integrate data from these stakeholders is becoming a key issue for many companies.
With the right collaboration platform, and program of continual asset data improvement, OEM’s will be able to create a data record of each product they supply you, while your organisation, field operators, service providers and others can continually access, update and add to that information to build a complete profile of the asset through time.
Capabilities to demand in collaborative asset intelligence platforms
With the advent of cloud-based infrastructures and field mobile applications, data collaboration can now serve as the centerpiece to your asset management program. There are, however, a number of critical functions you should expect your platform to provide.
- Cloud-based infrastructure to enable anyone, anywhere, anytime, data access.
- Smart mobile applications for accurate and timely capture of data straight from the asset itself.
- Secure item-level serialisation to ensure captured data is associated with a very specific asset.
- Robust role-based user authorisations for data access and editing rights.
- Effective management of the captured asset data through-life.
- Open architecture to connect key information systems and create a single, central repository that all stakeholders can access as needed.
Putting assetDNA to work as a collaborative platform
Relegen’s asset intelligence technology – assetDNA – can absolutely deliver these capabilities. It is a fully-integrated software-tagging-mobile solution that can be hosted in the cloud to enable multi-agent access. In doing so, it enables asset owners, operators, OEM suppliers and servicing agents to quickly and easily contribute to an asset’s data profile every time they interact with it in the real-world. What’s more, the data itself will continually improve in quality and value to the business over time.
By putting asset intelligence technology to work, organisations will not only collect asset data that is accurate, complete and up-to-date, but provide a means for advanced analysis, so that all levels of the organisation are better informed about the health of critical assets, and in the best position possible to make better business decisions.
To learn more about assetDNA, or to organise a free software demo, please reach out to us at +61 (0)2 9998 9000 or sales@relegen.com.