Many organizations use outdated EAM or CMMS solutions that do not empower frontline VIPs at all, leading to frustration and poor decision-making. Many organizations lack up-to-date information on their assets, struggle to increase their uptime, manage costs, and extend the lifespan of their equipment.
IFS Ultimo EAM helps to create a more relaxed environment with better planning, fewer disruptions, a better grip on costs, and powerful KPIs to steer on. IFS Ultimo strongly focuses on usability, flexibility, and the practical utilization of technologies like cloud and AI to increase productivity and job satisfaction.
Customers worldwide, like Argent Energies, BP Castrol, Consolidated Metco, DSM, Haribo, Hutchison Ports ECT, London Gatwick Airport, Ravago, Recticel, Stolt Nielsen, Vion Food Group and Trivium Metal Packaging trust us to optimize their frontline VIPs satisfaction and the performance of their assets.
IFS Ultimo differentiates itself from the other big, leading EAM vendors because it’s easier to use, easier to implement, and easier to integrate, including a range of certified ERP and APM integrations. IFS Ultimo EAM has an unmatched time to value and user adoption. And the investment in IFS Ultimo EAM is much lower than that of other big EAM solutions.
IFS Ultimo differentiates from CMMS vendors because it offers a scalable solution without dead ends. IFS Ultimo customers are supported throughout every stage of their asset management journey. From early days when operational CMMS capabilities suffice through to strategic, financially optimized EAM practices, including fully integrated processes for health, safety, and environmental commitments.
IFS Ultimo Enterprise Asset Management Maturity Model
The IFS Ultimo EAM Maturity Model provides a deeper view of the potential growth of the organization. It illustrates how to reach a higher level of EAM maturity by moving from reactive maintenance management to a predictable and cost-efficient asset management structure encompassing all operational functionalities.
First steps in digitization
At Rockfon Chigago, one of the challenges the company wanted to overcome with EAM was the need for more data over assets. Previously, maintenance tasks were recorded only on paper. This made it impossible to gain a comprehensive overview of the maintenance actions taken and to identify what had been replaced and when. Introducing IFS Ultimo eliminated this issue, as every step is recorded digitally in the software, making it easy to track each piece of equipment and the maintenance tasks relating to it.
With IFS Ultimo’s extensive mobile working features, technicians can now access essential information about the assets on the go and record their tasks on their iPads without returning to the office. The maintenance team works in three shifts, which used to make efficient management challenging as supervisors didn’t always have time to speak to each employee before their shift. With IFS Ultimo, this is no longer a problem, as supervisors can plan jobs in advance and send them directly to the workers’ iPads so that everyone knows what they need to do at the start of their shift.
Switching to IFS Ultimo has also simplified communication. Before, the reliance on paper-based processes opened up room for human error when printouts got misplaced or were not read on time, resulting in jobs being missed. Now, all workers can access real-time information about assets through the EAM software, regardless of where they are.
Overall, IFS Ultimo has played a vital role in helping Rockfon modernize its operation and bring new efficiency into the maintenance processes. Despite initial concerns about how staff would react to the new software, introducing EAM and mobile working turned out to be straightforward. Staff became quickly familiar with the user interface, and even employees with little experience with iPads soon became confident in using the software to record their daily tasks. Happier and more productive technicians.
From Baseline Maintenance to Comprehensive Asset Management – 40% less downtime
Kisuma Chemicals is part of the Japanese Kyowa Group, producing high-quality additives for the polymer production and processing industry. Kisuma has four production lines that operate around the clock.
The company’s initial engagement with IFS Ultimo focused on straightforward CMMS capabilities to provide operational asset maintenance, including corrective and preventive work orders.
With its practice of continuous improvements, Kisuma’s operations are always evolving. This meant that the company needed deeper EAM capabilities over time to support the business.
Today, the company relies on IFS Ultimo to deliver rich EAM functionality that supports a range of capabilities. For example, work permits; shift handover; integration with existing enterprise infrastructure such as the financial system, business intelligence; and Kisuma’s fully integrated failure modes, effects, and criticality analysis (FMECA) strategy.
Working with IFS Ultimo, the company continues to progress its asset management model. What began as simple CMMS maintenance functions has evolved into a comprehensive EAM implementation. During all stages of evolution, the frontline VIPs of Maintenance, Safety and Operations were happy to work with the system.
Asset Management that Scales Globally
Ravago is a world player in the field of chemical production, with over 30,000 customers across 55+ countries. In 2013, the company implemented the basic version of IFS Ultimo within a single plant, providing core CMMS functionality to help maintain its assets.
The need for more comprehensive EAM capabilities became evident as the company grew. Ravago wanted to standardize work models across locations in support of its Operational Excellence program, while increasing the availability of assets and optimizing safety within the workplace.
Ravago upgraded to IFS Ultimo in the cloud with a global rollout. The expanded implementation extended deeper EAM functionality across multiple sites in different time zones, using multiple currencies and languages, financially integrated through a certified IFS Ultimo-SAP interface.
With operations now optimized within the cloud, Ravago benefits from immediate access to new features. For example, Job Planner and Autonomous Maintenance, providing the company with a flexible and scalable EAM model globally, keeping the frontline VIPs happy and productive.
Conclusion
The need to manage and maintain assets will never go away, so it’s important that your asset management technology scales easily with the growth and success of your business.
For some IFS Ultimo customers, this means starting small, with basic CMMS maintenance that easily expands to more comprehensive EAM capabilities as the business requires. There is no need to pay for functionality you’re not ready to use. Instead, IFS Ultimo extends to support your business when and as you need it.
IFS Ultimo offers you direct insight into every step in the asset lifecycle. You are in control every step of the way, allowing you to design or adjust your maintenance strategy to optimally manage your assets.
IFS Ultimo offers clarity about your assets, in terms of hierarchy, relation and location. By registering all relevant information about your assets, you build towards a greater understanding of your assets, which will bring you the insight needed to take well-informed decisions to extend their longevity and improve their availability.
IFS Ultimo reduces downtime by enabling proactive maintenance, employing real-time monitoring and predictive analytics to monitor potential issues before they cause disruptions. Ultimo empowers collaboration and enhances asset lifecycle management, leading to more efficient use of resources and less overall downtime.
Other blogs written by Ewout Noordermeer
