Did you know that IFS Ultimo offers an SAP certified solution that integrates seamlessly with SAP to ensure data consistency and reliability? This is noteworthy because even the most robust enterprise resource planning (ERP) system can lack the comprehensive in-depth asset management features and data integrations today’s industrial firms need to power-up best-in-class maintenance practices and processes in a controlled, cost-effective and efficient way.
The relationship between pure play enterprise asset management (EAM) and ERP systems is an important topic. What maintenance, technical and business teams sometimes find surprising is that IFS Ultimo provides an extensive range of asset management tools and interfaces that can be tailored for specific industry sector needs.
Safety First for Total Ertvelde
For example, the people at Total Ertvelde are committed to safety, and the integration of maintenance and safety became an important criterion when they were on the lookout for a new maintenance management system. Previously, Total Ertvelde used the PM module of SAP, with additional Excel files and hardcopy documents. The company moved to using Ultimo on top of its SAP system.
“We needed to find one system that could incorporate all this,” says Steven Permentier, maintenance engineer and project leader for Total Ertvelde. “We worked with separate documents for last minute risk assessments (LMRA), a separate system for work permits and a third system for lockout tagout (LOTO). All hardcopy only.” Now, all this is registered digitally in Ultimo, improving safety but increasing efficiency as well.
Total Ertvelde operates the second-largest lubricants plant in Europe. The factory is highly automated and is continually upgraded and improved. Total Ertvelde supplies oil to various market segments, such as automotive and industrial markets and marine.
All aspects of safety are important. And by digitizing vital signals and procedures in Ultimo, safety is embedded at Total Ertvelde. The integration of maintenance and health & safety (HSE) has created efficiency, there’s better insight into unsafe situations and their follow-up, and the company can fully meet HSE legislation.
Permentier continues, “Safety is our main priority. But obviously we have to make sure that it remains doable for our people. Thanks to the mobile units we have been able to increase the efficiency of our technicians.”
Work permits are important for HSE at Total Ertvelde; they are all registered in Ultimo. The plant also uses the LOTO module a lot. Previously, technicians worked with paper forms, which were kept in the control room. Every time something was modified, the technician had to return from the workshop to the control room. Now they work on their tablets and can remain on site.
A streamlined reporting process
Reporting is so much quicker when using Ultimo. In the old situation reporting was done by phone, by mail or just informally when you ran into someone; not all of these reports were actually picked up on.
“Now everything is registered correctly, and the reporting process is streamlined,” continues Permentier.
For urgent reports the production supervisor directly manages the technician. A work form is generated at once and linked to an LMRA. Next, the need to have a work permit or LOTO will be
considered. Non-urgent reports are handed over to the job preparator who can link personnel, material, etc. to the reports.
Periodical maintenance and maintenance routes
Periodical maintenance (PM) plays an important part at Total Ertvelde. The complete management of PM, with maintenance routes and PM models, is done in Ultimo. Total Ertvelde not only uses Ultimo for preventive maintenance but also uses HSE- or HSQ-related matters for PM plans. PM models can also be used for testing, calibrations, inspections and such. For example: to avoid leaks Total Ertvelde regularly has to inspect valves. They use maintenance routes in Ultimo for this purpose.
Permentier explains, “It is important that no valve is forgotten, and a maintenance route
gives all the information we need.” The information is also of use during audits. “Audits have become easier to do,” says Permentier. “Where we used to have SAP, PM and lots of Excel files to look at, we now generate an outline of PM models, verifications, calibrations, etc. straight from our Ultimo software. And we really are keen to keep everything in one system.”
This is a step towards the future way of working as Total Ertvelde envisions it. At the moment, the management of exchange parts is done in SAP, but this will be incorporated in Ultimo as well. Total Ertvelde also intends to start with the module Shift Handover and barcode scanners.
Manufacturer Integrates Seven SAP Plants
Total Ertvelde is not the only example where SAP and Ultimo have co-existed. A leading multinational enterprise in the food packaging manufacturing industry worked with IFS Ultimo and our partner Becolve Digital to make its maintenance management more flexible and agile while meeting the needs of the teams in charge of these functions.
Seven of its plants are located on the Iberian Peninsula, which forced the company to ensure their optimal functioning. The enterprise worked with SAP as a corporate solution for digital management of maintenance. The team in charge of this area had indicated that the tool did not cover all their needs, due to: -
Lack of visual schedulers for the agile and suitable handling of the thousands of work orders generated by the enterprise every week
No mobility tool available to move about the plant and execute the work orders or refer to information on the assets (they did everything on paper)
Non-user-friendly environment for the working conditions and available resources, and for the day-to-day work.
Integrations with SAP, which is software that is of vital importance for organizations, are often handled as independent projects owing to their inherent complexity, but also due to the multiple adaptations to be made. This is an unappealing scenario for IT teams.
In order to complete the integration, the project had to facilitate the exchange of assets, maintenance requests, orders and plans for corrective, preventative and conductive maintenance. The idea was to be able to implement a solution that would easily adapt to the customer’s specific circumstances, without the need for programming, or large-scale modifications.
What appeals to project leads is the ability to implement Ultimo in stages. This allows for a smooth transition and helps minimize operational disruptions. In practice, organizations will usually start with everything related to asset management. Progressively, everything related to maintenance will be incorporated, starting with corrective and preventative maintenance, to also including conductive maintenance.
Following on from this, various standardized scheduling tools and work plans can be introduced, to help properly manage servicing schedules and skilled labor planning. In addition, Ultimo offers extensive reporting capabilities, configurable access and security roles, as well as multi-site, multi-language, multi-time zone and multi-currency support. Ultimo aligns perfectly with the specific needs of global enterprises. By implementing these features step by step, organizations can optimize their maintenance processes, enhance efficiency, and fully leverage the benefits of a ‘best of both worlds’ scenario by enhancing their SAP ERP system with Ultimo’s best-of-breed EAM solution.
To read these stories in full, or to sneak a peek at our forthcoming webinars on this topic, head over here.
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