May 2, 2014
It is very common requirement among the SAP Clients / End-users, that they require few custom fields as per their business needs in the key objects of their processes/modules.& In Plant Maintenance area too these requirements are very commonly seen and we find frequently asked questions on this subject, especially for objects namely Equipments, Notifications, Maintenance Orders, Catalog Codes etc.&Instead of replying the same thing repetitively, it would be always convenient to answer by referring to a document on these matters. The main advantage of such documented answer is that it can be structured, hence easily understood by the reader. Also such answers can be complete in all respects unlike instantaneous replies which often used to be incomplete causing the thread run very lengthy, With this objective in mind, the author started preparing Step-by-step tutorial sort of documents on the subject matter for main PM objects, where he has got working knowledge. The list is as under:& SN& DocumentStep-by-step Tutorial on1User fields in the various Tabs of Functional Location, Equipment and Fleet Masters2User fields in an Additional Tab in Maintenance Orders3User fields in the various Tabs of Maintenance Notification4User-Fields in Various Catalog Tabs of Notifications&The implementation of the Screen-Exits in these Enhancements have these common steps:Creating Data elements for the Custom Fields and including the Custom fields in the Standard TablesCreating Sub-screen in the Enhancement Screen-Exit.Coding in the Import and Export Function Exits of the Enhancement.SPRO setting to tell system where in the PM Object we need these Additional fields.Other settings to have these custom fields in the List Reports.&It is also seen that though many things are similar in these Enhancements / Screen exits, there is a clear difference in the Customization (SPRO) settings, for displaying these extra fields in these objects.& But I am sure after going through the above 3 documents, members will be able to relate to the similarities of& implementing these Screen-Exits and would be able to do themselves for other such Enhancements come their way with a little research and by referring the above documents..&The primary objective of this post is to make it convenient for the needing member to reach the target search easily, by providing all these documents at one place. Also he has the convenience of Bookmarking one post rather than Bookmarking all the listed documents.&&Thank youJogeswara Rao K
Apr 9, 2014
The table below shows a generic master data load sequence.&Please contribute.&Master dataWhere usedFinance data: chart of accounts, g/l accounts cost centres, profit centres, activity types, settlement, etc.Most master data objectsConfiguration data: ensure your system is configured correctly for your business processesMost master data objectsClasses/characteristicsEquipment, functional locations, work centres, materials, task lists, etc.Inspection characteristicsTask lists, order operationsMaster WarrantiesEquipmentPermitsEquipment, functional locations, ordersPartnersEquipment, functional locations, orders, notificationsDocumentsEquipment, functional locationsHR mastersWork CentresWork centresEquipment, functional locations, orders, notificationsMaterialsEquipment, functional locations, orders, notifications, BOMsFunctional locationsOrders, notifications, Task Lists, BOMs, maintenance itemsEquipment (serial numbers)Orders, notifications, Task Lists, BOMs, maintenance itemsMeasurement pointsEquipment, functional locationsPRTs (equipment, material, etc.)&BOMsEquipment, functional locationsTask ListsEquipment, functional locations, ordersMaintenance items/plans&Maintenance plan schedule&Historical orders (if required)&Historical notifications (if required)&Historical Measurement documents (if required)&Services for Object AttachmentsEquipment, functional locations, orders, notifications, plans, task lists&PeteA
Apr 7, 2014
Some of the recent geopolitical events have raised the importance of energy independence to leaders of many countries and organizations. While finding new sources of energy, increasing renewable energy sources are important and require attention immediately, they are primarily a solution for the medium and long term. The only short term and sustainable solution is to reduce energy consumption by increasing energy efficiency at all levels - individual, asset, building and manufacturing operations level. In fact, one can argue that a unit of energy saved is higher in value than a unit of energy produced since a unit of energy saved usually comes at a lower cost and lower environmental impact.&Coming back to the title of this blog post, one of the best and cheapest ways to improve energy efficiency is to keep equipment operating in the most optimal and energy efficient zone. This is where Enterprise Asset Management and maintenance operations have a significant role to play.&Traditionally, maintenance operations have focused primarily on increasing uptime and ensuring operational safety. Energy efficiency has been to a certain extent a secondary concern. This can be justified as long as energy costs are not significant. It is, however, neither rational nor smart if organizations are leaving money on the table by not running operations in an energy efficient manner, especially when it can be done easily.&That said, large energy consuming industries (mining, chemical manufacturing, metals, discrete manufacturing, real estate companies, water utilities, cities/local government operations and retailers) have begun to pay attention to energy efficiency and performance for a number of reasons, including de-regulated markets, volatility of energy prices, cost reduction opportunities and corporate social responsibility goals.&Sustained energy efficiency efforts have provided large energy consuming organizations such as Dow Chemical, DuPont and BASF billions of dollars in cost savings. Through the use of various energy efficiency and cost reduction techniques these organizations have been able to reduce energy intensity to add more value and generate more revenues for every dollar spent on energy.&Regardless of the motivation, energy efficiency and resource cost reduction efforts are focused on a few key themes. The following figure shows the primary approaches that organizations leverage to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy costs.&&All energy efficiency improvement and cost reduction strategies rely on improving visibility of energy consumption and related costs at every level of the organization, including asset, activity, shift, facility, product, batch and organization level. Understanding energy consumption, demand and related costs at a detailed level (15 minute intervals) will allow the energy teams understand where energy efficiency and cost reduction opportunities are and how they can be achieved.Demand response is a strategy that is available for organizations to reduce energy costs. Utilities offer various demand response programs that organizations can sign up to if they have the capability to reduce load quickly during emergency events. A good understanding of load profiles, essential and non-essential loads, capacity to load shed without adversely affecting operations is essential to participate in demand response programsMonitoring and improving energy performance of assets as part of routine maintenance activities is perhaps the best available approach to improving energy efficiency. Organizations can leverage existing data from SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition), BMS (Building Management System) and DCS (distributed control systems) systems to set up condition based monitoring maintenance strategies for energy performance.When energy efficiency improvement opportunities are discovered the best approach is to set up a project to evaluate, implement and monitor effectiveness of improvement action. The improvement action could be as simple as a behavioral change to as complex as commissioning of significant capital asset(s). The project based approach lends itself to improved coordination, collaboration and visibility across the enterprise and is essential for measurement and verification (M&V).&Given the importance of energy and environmental performance to organizations of all sizes, SAP has been providing
capabilities as part of
solution portfolios.&The figure shows various capabilities and solution view of SAP Energy and Environmental Resource Management (EERM).&&The SAP EERM solution leverages new developments based on SAP HANA as well as proven solution components such as SAP Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence (SAP MII), SAP Project and Portfolio Management and SAP Sustainability Performance Management. Manufacturing and Real Estate oriented customers can easily implement a practical and sound enterprise and facility/plant level energy management strategy that leverages SAP EERM solution as well as key capabilities of SAP Business Suite, including Plant Maintenance, Facility Management and Production Planning. Learn more about
and see how you can help organization reduce energy and resource consumption, costs as well as environmental footprint. After all, Sustainability is the preeminent challenge of our times. Every step and action, however small, counts.
Apr 6, 2014
Introduction:While I was giving a very detailed reply to a Discussion post sometime ago, the idea of posting this blog came to my mind.&The IssueThe client, a process Industry has several thousands of measuring points on which measurements taken at certain frequencies.&The queries were1. How can I schedule the Measurement taking?2, What are the Standard Tools available for Mass upload of the Measuring Documents?&In my reply I have added point3 as under:3. What are the User-friendlily tools available for uploading Mass Measuring Documents.&My reply was in these lines1. You know about Entry Lists (IK31). Segregate your 1000s of measuring points as per their schedules (frequency of reading). Suppose you came out with 12 lists. Make 12 Entry Lists& using IK31
with these 12 sets of Measuring points. Now make 12 Maintenance plans (Notifications) each having the frequencies as cycle periods. In the Plan title give the Entry list Number and Timing of Measurement also. if needed, like "Measurements with Entry list 243, at 10:00 AM".The purpose of Maint Plans is to remind you through a system Notification that you are supposed to take readings on the measuring points in the Entry List. Then you run IK34& and take readings for that list of measuring points.&2, If you insist on Standard& method of recording mass measuring documents, I think i have already answered. The answer is the Entry List& ()3. Coming out of the box
(i.e., the Entry List method)&We have 2 more custom models in use,&1. Module pool (Screen program) development, to upload the readings. ()In the attached picture only a part of the screen is shown, It is a wide screen, having input fields for all types of Measuring points (About 120)The Input Process here.:Enter all readings in the respective input fields of the screen and click Save&2.& BDC program using Excel template : This program also gives similar convenience as above, by filling the Excel sheet () and then upload through a Tcode. (I need not elaborate that in this case we will be having 12 Excel templates with respective M/Pts filled and named after the 12 M/Pt Groups)Also I want to mention that this BDC& program is designed to take care of all tyoes of Measuring points i.e., Measuring points with Simple Readings, Counter Readings and Valuation Codes.&&Bottom line from my sideThe ultimate user-friendliness in this area of one-stroke uploading of mass measuring documents can not avoid the ABAP& development.... And I prefer BDC& program to a& Module pool program.Note:Often during discussions related to User-friendliness, some members refer to a recently added SAP product namely SAP Screen personas . Because I do not have it at my place, unable to comment on the suitability of the same for issues like this.&&Thank youJogeswara Rao K
Apr 3, 2014
Profound shifts in society, business, and technology suggest that a new industrial revolution is under way. Manufacturers and companies in asset intensive industries must adapt to continuous change and find innovative ways to compete in global markets while achieving value out of their investment in assets. Technological innovation can help them optimize existing processes and build new services and business models. Operational excellence focused on asset management requires processes and collaboration that span organizational and geographic boundaries, enabled by the right technology infrastructure.The ISO 5500X suite of International Standards addresses these issues and describes a management system for asset management with the framework on how to establish, implement, maintaining, and continually improve it. Especially in asset intensive industries such as oil&gas, utilities, mining, and telco management of assets is an essential part of running a corporation.&ISO
talks specifically about an integrated management approach touching upon other systems for quality, environment, health and safety, and risk management. Given the integrated, holistic approach to asset management described in ISO 5500x, companies will succeed best by taking a systematic, IT-enabled approach to asset management. Businesses can certainly choose to run an asset management organization using paper-based records, spreadsheets, and disparate systems.& But in practice, they can realize greater efficiency and effectiveness if they use a single, centralized asset registry and automated system that updates and disseminates information in real time and enables departments to work from a single source of truth. &Looking at the SAP solutions supporting such an integrated approach makes you see a scope that goes beyond
and SAP's solutions for . Corporate processes for governance, risk, and compliance, performance management, corporate finance, human capital management, talent management, and even social collaboration come into play. This strengthens even more the case for running a corporation on a fully integrated suite of business applications. &Companies can start small, one plant or site at a time on their ISO 55000 journey. ISO 55000 is not a checklist how to implement an integrated system such as SAP. However, in your quest to realize the value of asset management in the sense of a management system, you want to provide real-time visibility and transparency across all organizational entities to all involved stakeholders and SAP provides the platform for achieving this goal.
Mar 26, 2014
Are you considering attending one of the most important events of the year for organizations using SAP solutions to drive Operational Excellence?&Here are some good reasons to attend the :, an integrated solution offering that enables intelligent process execution, resourceful operations, and intuitive user experiences.Hear firsthand to streamline inventory control, preventive maintenance, and repair measurements.& Discover ) to integrate real-time plant information into business systems for a holistic view of equipment performance. See
to help organizations better plan and manage risk. and increases visibility across your supply chain. Delve into in the areas of inventory, non-inventory, and services using SAP's standard exception monitors. Learn to streamline work center management and scheduling. Get an overview of the . Attend for strategies to improve the monitoring of project ideas, schedules, resources, and workflow. &We hope that you will join us, and look forward to seeing you in Las Vegas!
Mar 19, 2014
Time is money - this is especially true for software implementation projects. For the implementation of SAP&s Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Solution you can take the fast lane. With SAP&s offer for “& you do have the possibility to bring speed and simplicity to your implementation. Visit this short
to find more information and customer quotes on the value of rapid deployment solutions or
by industry or line of business.&With the availability of the “& this fast lane is now open for EAM too. This affordable package combines preconfigured software and implementation services to get you up and running, with predictable cost for a clear defined baseline scope, in 8 weeks - there are no surprises.&SAP Maintenance Operations rapid-deployment solution provides the standard maintenance processes for corrective and preventive maintenance based on SAP Enterprise Asset Management (SAP EAM) solution. This increases the transparency from process and financial perspective regarding asset utilization, helps to reduce unexpected asset downtimes and keeps track of costs of maintenance.&Given that, it provides the baseline for all enterprise asset management (EAM) rapid-deployment solution extensions. SAP Maintenance Operations rapid-deployment solution is the easy entry point for customers running SAP ERP, but not yet leveraging core functionalities of SAP EAM, allowing customers to benefit from the rich functionality SAP ERP provides with regards to managing the assets from a maintenance perspective.&Additionally, the solution serves as the basis for further expansion along the portfolio of SAP Enterprise Asset Management solutions. With the attempt “Assemble to Order& you can combine several RDS&s in one project in addition or on top of SAP Maintenance Operations rapid-deployment solution to enhance your existing live solution.Supplementary RDS&s can be, e.g. “& to add a powerful resource planning solution& and& “& to mobilize the SAP Maintenance Operations processes to improve the technician productivity and reducing maintenance and repair costs and increase technician productivity and service quality.To get an overview on SAP&s overall portfolio for Asset Management you can use the brand-new , an easy-to-use tool on our public website allowing you to get more information on our solutions for Asset Management for Industries and Lines of business.
Mar 10, 2014
Two weeks ago in Austin / TX we experienced the 10th anniversary of the SAP-Centric EAM North American conference. A lot of knowledge and best practice was shared between the more than 520 attendees from asset intensive businesses across many industries. While some topics have remained equally important over the years, like user experience, asset master data, planning & scheduling, new technology drivers are now providing huge opportunities for new strategies and business models.
&When selecting the right maintenance strategies, it gets more and more important to holistically address cost, risk, and performance, but also more tightly integrate IT and OT. IP-based communication, also called the internet of things, makes it easier than ever to include data from assets into the decision-making or maintenance execution processes. Navigating through vast amounts of data then leads to the need to store and analyze this data efficiently using in-memory and predictive technology (like SAP HANA), but to visualize the results in the context of the asset, asset system, or plant (SAP 3D Visual Enterprise and SAP Lumira). Information then has to be made available onsite in the format the users need (SAP Mobile Platform and Mobile Asset Management). &This being said, the challenge is twofold: First, raising the quality of information in the existing business IT systems while lowering that cost ofoperation. Second, connecting OT (like SCADA, process control systems, etc.) with the business IT using M2M connectivity. In this regard, cloud will play amajor in sharing both asset master and condition as well as executing the maintenance or service related processes.& During SAP-Centric EAM we have seen stunning customer presentations on operational excellence achieved today and& visions for the future like
presenting their licensing certification process& and
elaborating on integrating Linear Asset Management with GIS. & Attendees could get also a good overview about the partner ecosystem, with
presenting the enhanced Endorsed Business Solution on for SAP solutions or
presenting their new developments on asset master data forSAP Master Data Governance.& The journey to a comprehensive and mature asset management according to the new ISO 55000 series has just begun. Let's the latest technology drivers support the business for achieving operational excellence. &Check out SAP's portfolio for Asset Management using the brand-new , an easy-to-use tool on our public website allowing for getting more information on our solutions for Industries, LoB, and Technology. & &Looking forward to seeing you at
March 8-11, 2015, in Huntington Beach / California.
Feb 27, 2014
Analytics Based on BW/HANA!&It's time for a new release of Asset Analytics! This one is an exciting one. For those of you that have not read my original blog on this topic, it’s available .& The upcoming release in Q1/2014 is named SAP HANA Asset Analytics rapid-deployment solution. Let’s take a look at what’s new!BW on HANAFor the most part, the business case behind this release has not changed from the previous. With this solution, SAP is still addressing the same business requirements in the enterprise asset management area by providing the same set of KPIs that reports on asset reliability, availability, maintainability, supplies, and sustainability. Just as before, the user would start with an overview dashboard and from there navigate to more granular information to analyze preconfigured relationships between KPIs, access supplemental dashboards, and branch out to ADHOC reports to narrow the root cause(s) of a performance issue to a plant, organization unit or even down a set of equipment as a way to help drive continuous improvement initiatives -- with HANA at play, you can now do all of that with greater speed and fluidity. The SAP build team in Shanghai has made this improvement possible by modifying the original BW-based EAM data model so it can run on top of HANA as a database to catapult performance. The enhanced BI-Content (data extractors, cubes, data model, and etc.) is streamlined with BI Add-on 7.4.7. With the BW on HANA architecture, data load performance can improve by as much as 32x and query performance by a factor of up to 471x! But worry not -- We are fully aware that a segment of our customer community is still waiting for the best juncture to introduce HANA into their technical landscape. For those customers, the new release will continue to work in pure BW mode. Asset Analytics Goes MobileIn addition to HANA, the new solution architecture can also leverage the latest features of the SAP BI platform 4.1 to give you greater flexibility on the frontend by making other UI options possible including HTML-5 mobile dashboards.& The new mobile dashboards will allow asset managers to get immediate answers to their business questions and collaborate with stakeholders from anywhere on their iOS mobile device. Besides the benefit of mobility, having the BI Platform in the solution architecture will open the solution up to future UI possibilities such as SAP BusinessObjects Explorer or Lumira just to name a few examples! Just food for thought& Asset Analytics Got a MakeoverGranted, the underlying ability to solve a business problem should be foremost in any business application. But, increasingly, we are also hearing from our customers and partners that the user experience is equally important and so bearing that in mind, a good part of our effort was focused on replacing the previous flash-based UI with a more contemporary Xcelsius-based user interface that extends the power of business intelligence to more users by offering visual simplicity in analysis with sleek and fluid graphics. With so many good options to choose from, a few attributes clearly set Xcelsius apart from the pack. Xcelsius is a point-and-click data visualization tool designed specifically to create interactive analytics and dashboards on secure and live connections to the data source. You can share these powerful visualizations via Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF, the Web, Crystal Reports, or the SAP BusinessObjects business intelligence (BI) portal. &SummaryIf you’ve attended a recent SAP event or just tuned into any official SAP communications then it would be no surprise that HANA plays a major part in the overall SAP plan to bring value to its customers. You would have witnessed the incredible in-memory capabilities of HANA in handling vast data with great speed and precision – very few will object to that point. What is still an ongoing goal for SAP is to expand on the HANA use cases that can solve problems across lines of business and industries that can help our customers reduce time-to-value and increase ROI. SAP has clearly responded to this call with the recent wave of HANA-based applications in manufacturing, banking, healthcare, retail and much more that can deliver real-time data to support strategies and decision-making. On February 28th, 2014, the SAP HANA Asset Analytics rapid-deployment solution will join the existing HANA solution portfolio to bring never before insight into enterprise asset management with greater ease, versatility, and speed. Please inquire more about this solution at the next meeting with your SAP sales advisor or one of our trusted partners at or .&For additional information:
Feb 19, 2014
Here is a list of 3rd party companies that provide alternative printing options.&Please contribute.&: Document Output Management: Print ManagerAdobe: ::
Feb 7, 2014
The ASUG EAM Community has announced a three part webcast series for both ASUG members and have opening this up for non ASUG members to register as well.&With the recent publication of the ISO 55000 family of standards, the ASUG EAM Community has launched a three part webcast series that will run from February 2014 to April 2014. This series is focused on helping ASUG EAM Community members both understand this standard, what it can and will mean to them and how SAP can help support this. There has also been an ASUG Discussion group setup to facilitate conversations and the exchange for information about this topic.
They have a great group of speakers lined up to cover various aspects on this very important topic for our community. Webcast details and links to register for ASUG members and non ASUG members are included below please sign up and join in both the webcasts and the conversations in the discussion forum.This is your opportunity to learn more about this and what it can mean to your organization. It should be a great seriesif you have any questions about this series please contact ASUG EAM Community Volunteer Chair Jeff Smith via email && ASUG Webcast Series - Focus on ISO 55000 (3 Part Webcast Series) February to April 2014&& February 19, 2014 at 12 pm ET&&&&&&&&& ISO 55000 - What, Why and How&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& && March 26, 2014 at 12 pm ET&&&&&&&&&&&&&
ISO 55000 and SAP: Realizing the Value of Good Asset Management Practices&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& && April 23, 2014 at 12 pm ET&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& ISO 55000 and your Organization - Expert Advice and Guidance&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&& &&&Webcast Details and Registration Information&&1) February 19, 2014 Webcast
at 12 pm ET &&Title:& " ISO 55000 - What, Why and How&&This webcast will provide attendees an ideal, rapid introduction to the new ISO55000 standards for Asset Management.& Find out what they cover and what they mean to you.& In this webcast will share with you the latest worldwide innovations and achievements in optimized, whole life cycle asset management.& It will help you to see how all the pieces of asset management can be made to fit together in a joined-up 'management system' for Asset Management.
Presented by John Woodhouse, one of the best known international experts in the subject (and member of the ISO55000 development team), the webcast is your opportunity to hear the story and recent case studies and understand the practical implications and performance improvement opportunities that ISO55000 represents.
This session will equip you with information and understanding about what is ISO55000,why it is important, and how other organizations are improving their joined-up, whole life cycle approach to asset management.
Links to additional background ISO 55000 information in case you want to do some reading in advance of this webcast
ISO 55000 Standard&&&&
" The Asset Management Imperative - Getting Ready for ISO 55000 " Blog Series
Speaker:& John Woodhouse, Woodhouse Partnership
Registration Link for ASUG Members:& &Non-ASUG members are welcome to attend by contacting Michael Ochs (
) or Timothy Seymore (
): they can get you the details to attend.&&& 2) March 26, 2014 Webcast& at 12 pm ET&&&&& & Title:& ISO 55000 and SAP: Realizing the Value of Good Asset Management Practices&Profound shifts in society, business, and technology suggest that a new industrial revolution is under way. Manufacturers and companies in asset intensive industries must adapt to continuous change and find innovative ways to compete in global markets while achieving value out of their investment in assets. Technological innovation can help them optimize existing processes and build new services and business models. Operational excellence focused on asset management requires processes and collaboration that span organizational and geographic boundaries, enabled by the right technology infrastructure. The ISO 5500X suite of International Standards addresses these issues and describes a management system for asset management with the framework on how to establish, implement, maintaining, and continually improve it. SAP solutions enable organizations to achieve operational excellence by providing visibility and transparency of asset relevant business information throughout an entire organization. This session gives you an overview of ISO 5500 relevant SAP solutions - using them as the common information technology platform on which an organization can implement an asset management system.
Speaker:& Karsten Hauschild, SAP Registration Link for ASUG Members:& &Non-ASUG members are welcome to attend by contacting Michael Ochs (
) or Timothy Seymore (
): they can get you the details to attend.&3) April 23, 2014 Webcast& at 12pm EST&Title:& ISO 55000 and your Organization - Expert Advice and Guidance&Hear from our expert panel about their perspectives on the ISO 55000 family of standards on what companies really need to know. They will discuss if and how companies can benefit from this as well as how they might best implement in their organizations. You will receive practical insights on this topic as well as ideas for quick wins that you may wish to consider, as well as understanding more about the certification process.
This will also be your opportunity to get your questions answered and take back insights and potential action plans for your organization.&Moderator: Norm Poytner (Nexen)
Panelists: Achim Kruger (SAP), Michael Kuijl ( Vesta ), Marc LaPlante ( Meridium )Registration Link for ASUG Members :&& Non-ASUG members are welcome to attend by contacting Michael Ochs (
) or Timothy Seymore (
): they can get you the details to attend.
Jan 28, 2014
Paul Kurchina, a prominent contributor to the SAP community, encouraged me to prepare an article summarising a paper I recently wrote discussing how ISO 55000 presents a unique opportunity to re-imagine the role of engineering and technical documentation in asset management (). In the paper I argue that few firms make good use of technical information resources and suffer reduced maintenance efficiency and effectiveness as a consequence.&My original paper cites published commentary from John Woodhouse of The Woodhouse Partnership Ltd. I wrote it unaware of John’s enormous contribution with " series. I offer my deepest thanks to Paul for encouraging me to contribute a few thoughts alongside such illustrious company as John. My focus looks specifically at technical documentation issues against a backdrop of ISO 55000, but I hope to faithfully build on the foundation already provided by others.&Woodhouse notes that " ISO 55000 is the first worldwide attempt to capture the generically applicable &must do’ items for the management of any asset type&.. the new standards will also provide significant opportunities to re-examine and refine asset owner and service provider relationships, governance and regulatory frameworks and insurance, customer relations and other stakeholder confidence. " In this powerful understatement, Woodhouse asks us to re-examine every aspect of our thinking in relation to asset management, to challenge our assumptions and use the moment to seek end-to-end improvements. He observes, " While it is nothing new to ask everyone to squeeze out costs, asking them to think about how to manage assets in a more thorough and sophisticated way can have a much higher return because it spurs creativity in how to think about assets, the value obtainable from them, and how to re-engineer processes to release that value. "&Does this have anything to do with mundane manuals, drawings and parts books? Surely we already have sufficient access to enough technical documentation? Haven’t we got Document Management Systems in place and pdf files hidden in every nook & cranny? Surely this is not an example of " more thorough and sophisticated ways & (to) & much higher return " ? In any case, are the returns worth the effort?&In his article, “&, Woodhouse cites several examples of tangible benefits from better asset management – for example, “Nuon Holland: 30% &total cost of ownership’ savings&. In relation to technical documentation specifically, during the late 90’s Kennecott Utah Copper reported a 10% overall maintenance productivity improvement achieved through implementation of comprehensive access to technical documentation for all maintenance staff! These are non-trivial numbers and should, at the very least, attract some C-Suite attention.&Before putting the whole elephant on the grill, so to speak, let’s try a &sniff test’ with a& couple of simple questions: Would we allow a welder to use a new type of welding electrode without ensuring the MSDS sheet is available and understood? Would we ask a welder to repair a cracked frame or hub without providing the crack repair instructions suited to that component?&If we are honest, we should voice a resounding “ No & to the former and a hesitant “possibly& to the latter. Why ? In both cases, the element in question is just information. If we assume the welder in question is properly trained, she could be assumed to know the risks associated with welding fumes and to understand how different materials react to weld stresses.&In the first example, the health and safety risk is obvious and regulations dictate obligations for the supervisor. In the second example, an inappropriate repair might ( only ? ) lead to repeated cracking or component failure.&If it is obvious that we must provide the information to reduce health risks to individuals, why is it not equally obvious that we should provide relevant information that might impact the health of our assets? If it is obvious why we must ensure employees understand safety instructions – for example, by providing them in a relevant language, why is it not equally obvious to ensure that technical information is relevant to the specific component in question?&Now, let’s expand our horizon from the simple example and envisage a normal plant: hundreds or thousands of equipment items, each made up of ever more complex components. Suddenly the challenge of providing accurate and configuration-specific information across all equipment and components, available to all asset maintainers is manifestly different.&Moving from paper manuals to digital media is a great first step. However, have we simply replaced the old project office stuffed to the ceiling with archive boxes bulging with manuals and drawings with terabytes of pdf files bulging with the same – now digital – documents?&Is it sufficient to hold a 300 page pdf file in our DMS that includes a warning that cracks in the frame or hub of a component cannot be repaired by welding? What if there are different variants of that component, some suited to weld repairs, some not? Do we expect our theoretical welder to find that warning in the pdf file and determine if it applies to this specific component?&Data is not information, information is not knowledge & Providing a link to a large, complex document is a little like providing the raw data and asking maintainers to analyse it and draw conclusions themselves – each time a task is performed! If we are seeking those &higher returns’, then the answer is clearly, “ It is not good enough &.&In his “, John Woodhouse discusses the concept of “line of sight& as an alignment between strategic objectives to detailed maintenance actions. I think it is a fair extension of the concept to consider line-of-sight as including a direct connection between an equipment item, or task and explicit, supporting information.&By creating a LoS between an equipment item or task, we potentially remove errors from using incorrect information and we can capture the effort of converting &data’ into &information’.&The LoS concept illustrated here is enabled by software, but it is not about a software system or software product. If it was a pitch for a tool, it would have no place in a discussion about ISO 55000.The LoS concept here is about outcomes and, arguably, within the scope of the re-imagining ISO 55000 should stimulate.&Technical documentation is typically created (and maintained) externally – by OEMs, suppliers, EPCMs, etc. It represents a vast body of information and knowledge, often freely available. OEMs and suppliers are continually looking for ways to deliver increasing value with their products (albeit at low costs to themselves); we can confidently assume that bi-directional information partnerships will emerge in the future that would be seen as unwelcome intrusions today.&So, do we need to wait until our plant and equipment is available in active holograms hovering above our desk ? Do we need to wait for U.S.S. Enterprise to arrive in orbit to beam us up into the future ? The illustration below is taken from a live example where an active library of refined technical documentation is typically less than two clicks away for all operating equipment and tasks.ISO 55000 presents a potent opportunity to &re-examine and refine asset owner and service provider relationships’. The example above shows how much can be achieved with even small, but determinedly innovative steps today.&The time is right to move forward. ISO 55000 is ready - it sets the framework and provides the roadmap. The software tools are ready – and available straight off-the-shelf. The time is right to take that first step.&What are you waiting for ?
Dec 9, 2013
&It was not that long ago ( March 2013 ) that the Eventful Group's SAP-Centric EAM 2013 North American Event& ( Supported by SAP and ASUG ) was held in Huntington Beach, California. This event brought together the EAM community to network, share ideas and experiences, and explore solutions for Enterprise Asset Management. We were very fortunate to hear excellent presentations from SAP Customers, Partners and SAP Experts.&In reflecting back on 2013 as we approach the end of yet another year, I wanted to share with you some of the quotes that I obtained covering most of the SAP Centric EAM 2013 speakers. These quotes covered a variety of different EAM focused topic areas.&&For more detail on some of the highlighted presentations from the SAP-Centric EAM 2013 Event - .&Another year is soon to begin and with that
is fast approaching, I have attended the SAP Centric EAM event ever year for the past nine years and I am looking forward to the upcoming tenth year of this event. I have already registered, booked my hotel and plane ticket ...Austin will be a lot warmed than my home town of Calgary in February, so this is yet another added bonus to attending this event.&I am really looking forward to February 24 - 27, 2014& in Austin, Texas for what should be our best SAP Centric EAM event ever, especially given the excellent sessions and speakers that have been scheduled tp participate in the program. Looking forward to more great EAM insights and speaker quotes from this upcoming event.&Enjoy these quotes and I hope these words of wisdom inspire you as they have inspired the people that attended the SAP Centric 2013 Event.&I would be interested in hearing what is your favorite speaker quote from the many great quotes to chose from in list below ?&Keynote Speaker Quotes -& SAP Centric EAM 2013
SAP Enterprise Asset Management - Enabling Asset Managers and Maintenance Professionals"Of course you can use your SAP system to support maintenance execution, but imagine how life could be if you used it for linking asset management to your business objectives."&Achim Krueger, SAP&&The Top Five Transformations in SAP to Get Ahead and Stay Ahead in a Global Market" The future value opportunities for your business can be found in your data, make sure your data is accurate and reliable. "&Joseph Grobler, Reveal USA&&The Next Great Innovative Leap: Design for ROI“Our skyscrapers, office parks and plants aren’t filled with process flow diagrams.& They are filled with people.& Here is where innovation will be discovered.&&Harold Hambrose, Electronic Ink&&Achieving 100% Reliability: Learning from Top NASCAR Teams&"Why is it that we often struggle to improve the way our equipment and facilities run - faster, better, consistently ? It should be a lot easier... and it can be easy. Reliability is more about the 'human factors' than it is about new technologies and tools."&Robert (Bob) Williamson, Strategic Work Systems&How Adding a Visual Layer to EAM Brings New Depth in Maintenance&" The visual plant can be likened to having a pair of X-ray vision goggles for your plant - enabling real world transparency of your assets while navigating through layers of digital asset information.& "&Mark Foster,& Revisia&What Every EAM Professional Needs to Know about Asset Management Standards&“Unless organizations can remove the silos between their financial, engineering, operational, and maintenance organizations, they will never fully realize the benefits that they could achieve with asset management strategies.&&Terry Wireman, Vesta Partners&Main Program Speaker Quotes - SAP Centric EAM 2013
Building Integration Literacy between Major Projects & Operations" In the automobile industry, master data on a $25K vehicle (30,000 parts) & their related repair & replace procedures is readily available for any vehicle to any licensed mechanic (i.e. “Snap-On& tools & software). So why is this surprisingly difficult to attain & maintain for a& multi-billion dollar plant. "
Mario Abella, Suncor&Improving Work Planning & Scheduling Using Root Cause Analysis" We need simple robust processes to make our tools, like SAP, work for us. Then we need to stick to the process and not cheat. Then if the processes isn’t working fix it, but above all, don’t cheat. "
Keith Berriman, Agrium&A Simple Screen Modification Can Renovate a Crafts World" What if SAP were as easy for technicians to use as an ATM machine?& Creating a simple, “One-Stop-Shop& transaction inside SAP can help them execute transactions and receive assigned work with ease.& "&Wes Dean, MillerCoors&&Mobility Challenges Beyond the Application"In designing a mobile application, Customers should design the process, where-as, Users should design the screens."&Marty Johnson, ConocoPhillips&SAP Asset Data Quality Rapid Deployment Solution"& You cannot undertake effective asset management without good quality asset information &&Dean Fitt, SAP&Using BOMs to Gain Planning & Scheduling Efficiencies“The true value of SAP EAM is the integration with all the modules, if your company is not taking advantage of the integration then you are missing pieces to the puzzle.& Jeff Smith, Fairfax Water&Plant Maintenance and Project Systems Integration for Turnarounds" Rely on the data and build with what you know, use Project Systems to tell you more about your Plant Maintenance. "&Jason Seymour, Dow Corning&ROUNDTABLE: Connecting EAM Metrics to Business Goals" To get the respect maintenance deserves, show the connection between your goals and C-Suite metrics which are in the annual report.& Then, you can obtain and retain management support. "&Ralph Rio, ARC Advisory Group&Work Clearance Management: Operational Switching Achieves Greater Safety and Best Practice Compliance“ SAP Work Clearance Management is an exceptional way to improve operational safety and integrate your isolation process with your maintenance process – would I do it over again ?& You bet – only much sooner ! &&Wendy Underhill, Department of Water Resources&&Optimizing Resource Planning with Real-Time SAP" Maintenance schedulers should provide a challenging schedule, not an impossible schedule. By ensuring that resources are appropriately utilized throughout the plant and clear expectations are set, we set our trades up for success.&&Sarah Jo Rowley, Hemlock Semiconductor&Improving Productivity and User Acceptance within SAP Plant Maintenance“You are implementing your EAM solution in a new area. Time and people are scarce. How do you increase buy in, save time, and still get your required data ?& Simplify the user interface. & Jason Moore, Marathon Oil " It's all about making SAP EAM flexible, accessible, and mobile.& Enable and deploy your Maintenance workforce anywhere, anytime. "&DeeDee Kato, Synactive&Update on EAM Enhancement Packages SAP“ Enhancement packages and business functions enable you to considerably simplify the process of introducing and using new SAP developments for Enterprise Asset Management. You can selectively introduce individual new developments to optimize selected business processes. &&Dean Fitt, SAP&Managing the T&D Network: An SAP-GIS Integrated Approach&Cesar Martinez, Hydro One NetworksTyler Towers, Hydro One Networks&&Leveraging SAP HANA for Insight in your Maintenance Operations&" SAP HANA is groundbreaking technology that will allow you to aggregate and analyze asset data to gain insight you may not have believed possible in the past. "
Joyce Swanke, SAP&&SAP PM/EAM Continuous Improvement through the Cycle of Communication“Pay now or pay forever.& When data is wrong or missing, invest the time and resources to ensure accuracy.& Otherwise, you will be doomed to pay for that single error multiple times throughout the life of the asset.“
Alex Lackner, Dow CorningEffective Data Governance for Material Mass Update"Data Governance for Materials Management is not just about establishing the IT systems and data requirements for controlling master data, it's about empowering field staff with simple tools to manage the process.& Material updates made easy."&Rex Ahlstrom, BackOffice Associates&Marathon Uses Standard SAP to do Daily Maintenance Order Scheduling&“Take it to the limits – Our conviction has been to understand the capabilities and the limits of SAP, then exploit what its standard functionality has to offer prior to pursuing 3rd party bolt-ons to maximize ROI and minimize TCO.& Sarina Miller, Marathon Oil&Making SAP EAM Easier for the End User"If you want accurate and reliable asset information out of SAP,& you need to make it easy to get the information into SAP."
Kim Bassuener, Johnsonville Sausage&It's Not the Silos, It's the Bridges"SAP is a tool which gains its value and power from the strengths of those who use it. Any organization that commits its time and efforts to empowering their people, will be able to maximize the power of the SAP system.& "&Natalie Christensen, City of Abbotsford&Using Syclo Mobility to Improve MRO Materials Management"& It is hard to believe that in 2013 there are still companies that aren't taking advantage of mobile bar code reading capabilities, when you consider that nearly every store you go into has been scanning bar codes for years.& "
Gene Wakkuri. MeadWestvaco&Linear Assets Configuration Details and Demo" Many EAM business transformation initiatives do not succeed because users find it difficult to navigate new processes and they often blame the SAP system. Delivering a simplified user interface leveraging existing SAP functionality provides a more user friendly way to execute your processes. "
Augustine Spivak - Pricewaterhouse Coopers&&Tools for Contractor Service Entry&" Accurate and timely service entry by service providers, anywhere with an internet connection, with real-time comprehensive cost and progress reports."&Edgardo Rivera, Chevron Phillips Chemical&PANEL: Should the EAM Community Seek Compliance with ISO-55000 ?“ If companies do not pursue some form of a documented Asset Management Strategy (PAS-55, the developing ISO-55000 standard), the regulatory agencies and insurance companies will eventually increase their cost of doing business to a level that will make the company unprofitable. & Terry Wireman, Vesta&" The most obvious examples of strict compliance to standards are in the Airline Industry and Pharmaceuticals.& We trust both with our lives........why should EAM be any different ?& "&Norm Poynter, NLAS&" Start with PAS-55 compliance as preparation for ISO-55000 compliance when it finally comes out. When your PAS-55 compliance business gaps are bridged then pursue certification or shift to ISO-55000 compliance then certification. "&Robert (Bob) Williamson, Strategic Work Systems&" International standards and best practices are most effective when you build them into your business processes and they are visible within your day to day business data and controls& "&Joseph Grobler, Reveal USA&An EAM Policy — Can Your Organization Improve Without One?&"Why pursue EAM ?&& The rationale for EAM can be defined in terms of three goals/objectives - Safety, Reliability/Availability, and Analysis. Our efforts and behaviours have to support this rationale and EVERYONE has to understand, support and contribute through their daily activities."
Norm Poynter, NLAS Possibilities&" Out of the box& SAP EAM is void of master and transactional data and without this, its an empty shell.& Our role is to define the policies, standards, processes/procedures and measurements to ensure behaviours are established such that SAP EAM goes from an empty state to a wealth of valuable asset information"&Norm Poynter, NLAS Possibilities&Use of Integration PM-PS for Effective Long-Term Planning&" Implementing EAM is not just talking about maintenance software functionalities,& it’s foremost having in mind that our assets are at the center of the company. Optimizing their management IS optimizing our business. "&Joseph Layani - Societe de Transport de Montreal&Data Quality Taxonomy & Failure Coding Structure at Owens Corning&" Simple, robust and accurate failure reporting and asset classification in SAP can be a reality today. Just imagine ... ease of use by a craftsperson, quality data stored for reliability analysis, and an easy methodology for querying the data. "&Brian Gilson, Owens Corning and Ralph Hanneman, Meridium&Mobile Asset Management: Successes and Roadmap" Using mobile solutions SAP EAM& customers have seen reduced downtime/production delays by 20-30 percent and maintenance backlogs reduced by up to 60 percent "&Karsten Hauschild, SAP&&Achieving Operationally Efficient Information Handover in Large Capital Projects" Having master data is like mining precious metals, when it's good quality and readily available it provides generous returns on investment. "&Brian Darragh, Code Expert International“Managing Capital Project Information Handover can be like attempting to drink from a firehose.& Fortunately the technology, industry standards and best practices are catching up with the challenge.&&Mike Jordan, Utopia&&Asset Repair Process Made Trouble-Free&"Tip #1 for Asset Repair Process Made Trouble F Managing asset repair costs can be a nightmare when budgets are tight. Assign the repair cost to inventory and defer your costs until you are ready to install the asset.&&&
Kenneth Allenburg,& PSEG&Leveraging Sustainability Efforts to Improve Capacity Utilization "SAP is a tool. Putting it in a manufacturing a site in it does not make them better. Continuously coaching them on how to use it better improves the business."&Ray Kastle, Merck&&SAP& EAM Education Center Speaker Quotes - SAP Centric EAM 2013&Effective Real World Reporting&“Real world reporting involves focusing KPI’s on the core business processes.&& Without this focus, KPI’s become just a numbers game.&&Terry Wireman, Vesta“Real world reporting requires all parts of the company, even different plants, to have complete consistency of their data as it is collected and analyzed.& Unless this occurs, it is impossible to compare performance across the various organizations within the company.&&Terry Wireman, Vesta
Making your CBM Strategy a Reality&“ It’s time to step up to Condition Based Maintenance and reap the benefits of a leaner, more efficient approach to maintenance execution. &&Martin Stenzig, Vesta&Integration — Making It Work
“ Take a Modern approach to Integration. Let current Technology help you exceed business expectations. &&Martin Stenzig, Vesta
Getting Away from the Standard GUI&“ SAP is too hard to use& – We have all heard the statement, SAP has heard the statement and has responded by making significant investment in tools and the User Interface for entering or accessing information that makes “SAP easy to use &&Len Harms, Vesta
SAP 3D Visual Enterprise for EAM – Learn How it Can be a Window to All the EAM Information Your Team Needs&" Have you ever thought about how efficient you could do business with a user experience integrating 3D visualization – as provided by the latest release of SAP ? "&Rainer Jahraus, SAP&PANEL: Getting the Most of Your EAM&“ When you get great minds together, you can have a great impact on the profitability of a company. &&Kahn Ellis, Vesta&&&Interested in hearing what is& your favorite quote from these SAP Centric EAM Experts& ?&
Dec 9, 2013
[ Insights from the “Asset Management for the 21st Century—Getting Ready for ISO 55000& Seminar, May 2013, Calgary (Part 11 of 12): This blog is based on a series of interviews with John Woodhouse from , who delivered this well-received seminar. It is part of a blog series brought to you by Norm Poynter and Paul Kurchina, designed to inspire and educate by sharing experiences with the SAP Enterprise Asset Management Community. ]In the not so distant past, most enterprise applications were based on a range of data that was heavily constrained by what was collectable. It was hard to acquire data and ensure it was of high quality (and it still is for some types of data!). Now in the modern world, with the Internet of Things and the ability to collect data from a variety of different sources, automatically in many cases, you can easily end up with overwhelming amounts of data. But Big Data can often result in Big Confusion.&Some of the data has a natural home, such as asset registers and technical records. Some can be distilled, analyzed and converted into useful management information. But a large amount of it falls under the category of &it might be useful one day’—a large, often unstructured mix of activity records, asset performance and condition attributes, sometimes having localized or temporary usage but often collected just because it is now easily collectable.&The real challenges therefore are to understand what data is worth collecting in the first place, and why (how it would and should be used). Then we have to put it into organized repositories that are more like a library and less like a swamp. Here are some ideas on how you make sure that you can store more relevant data, with clearer understanding of why it is needed, without it becoming a messy liability that is neither used nor trusted.&Step 1 think of data as part of a demand-driven supply chain in which justification for collection, retention and usage has to be made from the business risk or cost of not having it (to the appropriate standard at the right time).& The apparently low cost of acquiring data and the motive that &it might prove useful’ are not enough to justify collection and retention. This bucks the trend of data provision being seen as an availability-driven process that triggers a search of usages. Demand-driven thinking requires greater understanding of how the data will be used, selective extractions from it, and what business value is achieved from using it. &The , a multi-industry R&D program to develop innovative approaches to asset management decision-making, has yielded good examples of this approach. Three of the necessary six steps in the SALVO decision-making process illuminate the demand-driven data specification.& Step 1, “Identify problems and improvement opportunities& spells out the business impact criteria for which assets need what attention in the first place, and the desirable evidence to support this identification. This includes definition of asset health indices (relevant mix of performance and condition features) and criticality measures. &Step 2 is the drill-down into the identified problems or improvement opportunities to ask why they are problems (root cause analysis).& This often reveals a mismatch between expectations and realities in the use of data to demonstrate patterns and correlations.& The noise in the system, the inherent limitations of data samples, and the volatile business environments in which data is collected (including consistency of collection method) mean that pattern-finding or &non-randomness’ is rarely provable, irrespective of the clever data analytics that are applied. Except in very rare cases, the available data will normally be constrained and &censored’ in various directions, so the collectable evidence needs to be used with great care—and with a healthy dose of realism and &tacit knowledge’ from asset design, operations, and maintenance experts. &Step 3 of SALVO covers the selection of potential actions or interventions, and these can be a far wider range of options than the technical tasks normally considered (such as inspection, maintenance or renewal).&& SALVO has identified 42 practical options that might be applicable to solve asset management problems.Step 4 then covers the business value-for-money evaluation of the potential solutions, requiring assumptions and, if obtainable, evidence of costs and short-term and long-term consequences. This step combines observable facts (mostly helpful in quantifying the &do nothing’ implications) with external data needs and the tacit knowledge of the experts in forecasting and estimating the degrees of improvement that might be achievable. This is a stage where reliance on collectable hard data is fairly limited, but at least we can be clear about the questions that need to be asked (that is, what data is desirable to support the decisions). SALVO has mapped the information needs for all 42 common decision and intervention types — the information required to determine if the interventions are worthwhile and, if so, when. For example, there are 13 specific questions or data elements that must be considered in deciding whether to buy a critical spare part and how many to hold. These decision-specific checklists help to focus on the relevant and useful information within the background swamp of confusing evidence. They, and a &what if?’ approach within the evaluation process, reveal the role of the data to support decisions.& They demonstrate the business value of collecting the right stuff, by quantifying the &cost of uncertainty’ when forced to rely on range estimates or assumptions.&&For more information,
with all of the links to the published blogs in this series.
Dec 2, 2013
[ Insights from the “Asset Management for the 21st Century—Getting Ready for ISO 55000& Seminar, May 2013, Calgary (Part 10 of 12): This blog is based on a series of interviews with John Woodhouse from , who delivered this well-received seminar. It is part of a blog series brought to you by Norm Poynter and Paul Kurchina, designed to inspire and educate by sharing experiences with the SAP Enterprise Asset Management Community. ]When trying to support asset management, CIOs typically subdivide the problem to get their heads around it and create models that center around individual physical asset records on the asset register. This makes the data library simpler (asset attributes are more consistent if they are structured by asset type, and at least some transactional data is asset type-specific) but, from the business value perspective, it is usually better to look at the way in which diverse assets work together in functional systems to deliver value and business results (which is why the assets exist in the first place). This system is harder from the IT modeling perspective, since systems usually comprise a mix of asset types, functional locations, and overlapping system and sub-system hierarchies and have complex performance interdependencies. However, it does reflect how we actually use assets to generate value—so it aligns better with performance outcomes, risks, criticalities, and value focus.&We also tend to do things to individual assets (e.g., inspection, maintenance, or renewal) but measure and get benefits from the systems in which they operate. So determining the right thing to do, and when to do it, requires us to evaluate impact at the systems level for costs typically incurred at the component asset level. A systems’ perspective is therefore essential for optimized decision-making, work prioritization, and delivering best value-for-money. It also means that you must understand what business outcomes are desired, how the various asset systems contribute to these, and only then how the individual components (assets) contribute to the performance of the systems. Dealing with assets as if there were independent data elements, needing maintenance and accumulating performance history, is like grouping parts of a jigsaw puzzle by their similarity of shape instead of referring to the overall picture and how neighboring pieces fit together.&Let’s look at electric motors as an example. Some asset management requirements and data attributes are evidently linked to the fact that it is an electric motor (rather than, for example, a pipe or an instrument).& But the same design of motor should receive very different asset management strategies, data and performance tracking depending on its functional location (or system context): such as if it has an installed standby alongside it, or if it is used only two hours a day, or if it is in a business critical role with big failure consequences. These factors are usually considered in strategy development (e.g. RCM and RBI studies) but not often mirrored in EAM systems and data structures.&Strategic planning of business priorities (e.g., investments and improvement programs) is primarily a top-down process, informed by bottom-up asset realities (constraints and opportunities in what is possible, given the assets’ condition, performance, flexibilities, etc.).& Asset systems are where these two influences collide—the performance desires of the business versus the component asset capabilities and constraints.& So, in the pyramid of assets in the total portfolio, it is the operational systems level at which strategy needs to be most carefully optimized: it is the negotiation layer, where stretch targets get set and challenged, and it is the layer where success or failure needs to be measured and reported.&For more information,
with all of the links to the published blogs in this series.