After attending the UK & Ireland Maximo User Group in Portsmouth, Maximo Project Manager Donna McWilliams shares her personal reflections and key takeaways from the event. 

Reflecting on MUG – 8th May: Navigating the Waters of Transformation 

The UK & Ireland Maximo User Group (MUG) on 8th May was nothing short of inspiring. Framed by themes of water and journey, the event brought together an impressive range of organisations—Wightlink, Scottish Water and Mitie —to share their stories, challenges, and plans with Maximo.  

A standout feature of this MUG was the sheer vision brought by the companies. Far from merely upgrading systems, these organisations are undertaking large-scale digital and cultural shifts—with Maximo playing a central role in their journey towards operational excellence, data intelligence, and agility. 

It was clear that MUG isn’t just a user group—it’s a community and catalyst for real change. Several attendees credited MUG connections for helping them course-correct projects, avoid pitfalls, and set up splinter groups to implement procurement initiatives based on shared lessons and expertise. 

Lessons Shared Across Organisations 

Despite varied industries, many participants found themselves facing similar challenges: 

• Overcomplicated bespoke solutions 

• Lack of early engagement with internal business users 

• Not leveraging peer experiences (the value of MUG) 

• Rushed implementations 

• Data quality and structure issues 

These lessons are shared for others, helping prevent repeated mistakes and encouraging a more thoughtful, phased, and collaborative approach. 

Scottish Water – John Wigham 

Scottish Water is steering a massive transformation programme using Maximo. With go-live planned for September 2025, their journey has included: 

• A pilot phase that built internal evangelists 

• Learning from MUG peers about data preparation 

• A shift to a 3-wave approach to avoid overreach 

John emphasised the need to bring people along for the journey and the strategic value of connecting with the MUG community. 

Wightlink – Stuart James 

Wightlink’s story took us to sea—literally. With 122 weekly sailings and over 31,000 assets, their Maximo journey began in 2015 and has evolved steadily: 

• Deployed HSE and purchasing modules 

• Now transitioning to MAS9 with mobile inventory management 

• Aiming to embed AI and real-time monitoring (IoT, sensors) 

• Using 3D scanning to create ship walkthroughs linked to Maximo for improved training and incident management 

They reinforced the importance of getting asset structures right—a rushed start came back to haunt them, but MUG connections are helping guide their future. 

Mitie – Helio Reis & Dave Bone 

Mitie delivered a powerful message: “AI or die.” 

After past missteps, they are now leveraging Maximo Application Suite (MAS9) for field service management with a renewed focus on: 

• Consistency and alignment 

• Information transparency 

• Maximo Assistant to save time querying data 

• Remote assistance through augmented reality 

Their vision? Empower people to add value by removing the friction of finding information. With £3m annual savings already realised, Mitie reminded us: Technology alone won’t save you—it’s people and process that bring transformation to life. 

IBM – Andrew Foster 

Andrew shared the Maximo Roadmap and an invitation to shape the future: 

• Join the user engagement programme 

• Vote on and submit ideas at IBM Ideas Portal 

• Explore new features in the Feature Channel 

Key highlights from the recent 9.1 release: 

• Dashboards, mobile updates, asset investment planning 

• Maximo for Renewables and real estate 

• Enhanced AI capabilities that aim to make asset data interactions feel conversational 

New Segment – MUG Club 

The MUG Committee continues to evolve the event based on community feedback and introduced a new feature: MUG Club. This session provides a platform for users to raise real-time challenges and seek advice from peers who have faced similar issues. 

Some of the key topics discussed included: 

• User Management – Managing excessive access and security group conflicts, reliance on Excel-based role matrices, and the desire to track roles directly in Maximo, potentially integrating with ServiceNow. 

• Updating Asset Records – Ensuring asset data remains accurate and current, with questions around the use of mobile or offline solutions versus manual processes. 

• Preparing for an Upgrade – Addressing user engagement, the extent of data cleansing required, adapting internal processes, and reviewing past customisations and feature adoption. 

In response to shared experiences, splinter groups have also been formed to collaborate on procurement improvements—directly inspired by the discussions and learnings from the MUG community. 

Final Thoughts 

Whether your organisation is starting out with Maximo or a seasoned pro, the journey with Maximo is ongoing. What we heard consistently was the value of doing it together. MUG is more than an event—it’s shared lessons, support, and inspiration shared with a supportive and ever-growing peer group.  

Date for your Diary  

The next MUG will be a 2-day event in London on the 25^th and 26^th November 2025, with Day 1 focussing on Technology and Demo Day and Day 2 with the User Presentations.