In today’s ever-changing business environment, Maximo user forums serve as vital platforms for users to exchange insights and tackle challenges collectively. Last week saw the return of the Maximo Energy Forum in Aberdeen which brings together a supportive community who are open and willing to share insights, learnings and more importantly lessons learnt. Donna McWilliams (Managing Director) shares her takeaways from the forum, highlighting key themes and invaluable insights gained from discussions on topics ranging from the importance of steering groups to data quality and management/mismanagement of security groups.
First up was Luke Bowes from SSEN Transmission talking about Managing Critical Infrastructure Data. Luke’s presentation sparked a lively discussion on managing security groups in Maximo, particularly around the challenges of managing numerous exceptions, especially after a company reorganization that results in changes in roles and responsibilities.
Frequently, requests driven by personal preferences (the ‘I wants’) are not thoroughly evaluated, leading to multiple user groups and a heavy administrative burden. One company shared that they only had 4 groups for Work Management and this worked for them without the administrative burden. The conversation also touched on MX Data Studio, with participants expressing positive feedback on its usage compared to MX Loader.
Next up was Teri Greig from Sercia discussing Materials & Logistics – Maximo & Mobility. Teri shared the roadmap for improving Material Tracking to prevent undue delays and reduce costs. For handling Rentals and eliminating unnecessary equipment rental and for tracking repairs more effectively instead of costly replacements.
Ultimately, they are aiming towards being able to manage all kit and rentals in Maximo and linking to the work order for better decision making and more efficiency. Managing repairs and rentals emerged as particularly challenging tasks which seemed to be a common issue with others in the room. Teri also highlighted the advantages of working groups / steering groups in the business who have ownership of Maximo decisions. This is something that has helped them work towards embedding improvements at Serica.
The final presentation was from Roy Milne from Asset One sharing his insights into Unlocking the Value of Asset Data. Roy got everyone’s attention kicking off with a bottle of whisky and proceeding to compare Asset management with the distilling process. It was a very interesting and insightful presentation and highlighted the importance of data quality which ultimately hinges on good governance and processes. One example that is all too common is that the risk document does not align with the risk matrix in Maximo. Roy also shared a case study demonstrating $30,000,000 in Opex savings over a three year period. If that doesn’t convince you of the importance of asset data optimisation I don’t know what will. The session wrapped up with a panel discussion, a slight change to the usual format, and it went down really well with everyone.
Russell Bee gave us an update from IBM which triggered a discussion around plans to move to MAS 8. A poll conducted during the session revealed that 42% of the attendees had plans and budget in progress for the move. We were reminded of the upcoming end of support for Maximo 7.6.1 in September 2025 and that MAS 9 is due for release in June, aligning with an annual release schedule moving forward. Russell also tied back to Roy’s presentation, emphasizing the significance of Data Quality in ensuring readiness for utilizing MAS Health & Predict. Tying back to Teri’s presentation on materials management, there were some great questions and discussions regarding tagging methods, including QR codes, Barcodes and RFID. RFID seemed to be the preferred choice due to the durability and cost-efficiency. The challenge is resources to get this in place but the long-term benefits would outweigh the initial investment.
This is just a glimpse into the valuable experience of attending a Maximo user forum. The upcoming UK & Ireland User Group will be hosted in Dublin on May 15-16th. This offers another opportunity for valuable insights. Best of all, these groups are free, and the knowledge you bring back to your company is truly invaluable.