MP2 to MAXIMO | Warby Consulting

IBM Maximo – Industry-leading CMMS, Optimized for Facilities Transitioning from MP2

Optimized Specifically for Quick Adoption by MP2 Users
The Cleanest Data Migration Available
Custom Elements: Enhanced Applications, Additional Reports, Start Centers, a Mobile Inventory App, and More
Designed and Carried Out by a Certified Expert in Both MP2 and Maximo and IBM Business Partner.

Call for a no-obligation preview, with the option to see your own MP2 data in Maximo!

“Jesse’s expertise, organization, and concern for our needs was evident through all phases of our transition [from MP2] to Maximo. His familiarity with MP2 was enormously helpful as he was able to explain concepts and answer questions from our perspective. Jesse is a personable, hardworking individual who displays a high level of integrity. He works diligently to meet or exceed target dates and provides better than expected results. An excellent product at an excellent value, I would highly recommend Warby CMMS Consulting.”

-Maintenance Manager

Combined Cycle Power Plant

Infor MP2 has been an excellent CMMS/EAM program – one that I’ve enjoyed working with for over 12 years. But we have to admit that it’s an aging product and will probably be phased out within the next few years.

Maximo Asset Management is IBM’s workhorse CMMS that sets the industry standard in maintenance management software. Mobile applications, email tie-in, automated workflow, an integration platform, screen customizations… there are virtually no limits on what you can do to make Maximo work for you. But it’s not just powerful, it’s also easily scaled down. Unlike some elephant-sized solutions, Maximo can be configured very well for use at smaller facilities.

Nobody likes transitioning between enterprise software solutions, but as an expert in both platforms, I’ve developed a solution specifically for MP2 facilities moving to Maximo that helps ease the pain. This includes a tried-and-tested data migration path, change management and training designed specifically for MP2 users, UI enhancements, custom forms and reports, a mobile barcode application that works with most MP2-printed labels, and much more.

This isn’t a shoddy, pre-packaged, one-size-fits-all solution. Together, we’ll put together a plan tailored to your specific needs, and I’ll even do a mini MP2 assessment to identify potential data improvement opportunities. As my clients will testify, you’ll have my full attention before, during, and after the transition.

I’d like to prove my concept by giving you a preview of my solution using your own MP2 data. That’s right, I’m offering to let you see what your data will look like before even discussing a proposal.

Interested? Read on for details, examples, and screenshots. Then reach out to me to discuss how the next phase of Asset Management can be so much more exciting and pain-free than you ever imagined!

Applications Tailored for MP2 Users

I’ve made major changes to the most commonly used applications (‘Service Requests’, ‘Work Requests’, and ‘Work Order Tracking’), with an eye on three priorities.

Simplify and consolidate the user interface. One common complaint about Maximo – in fact, something that competitors often use against it – is that the screens are cluttered, cumbersome, and overpacked with unused fields. I’ve streamlined these applications to make them more practical. For example, the Work Order Tracking application has over 500 fields spread across 11 tabs. To enter time, comments, failure codes, and required specification information, a technician would have to visit four different tabs. I’ve gotten rid of about 150 fields and 6 tabs and made others only visible when relevant. Now, all reporting of actuals can be done in single tab.
Tailor the applications for MP2 users and MP2-specific data structures. For example, MP2 relies heavily on multi-equipment work orders. Although Maximo has this capability, it is not heavily emphasized. I’ve moved these fields so that they are front and center and made other slight adjustments so that it’s more familiar and user friendly.
Add additional functionality. In one example, I’ve created a whole new tab to display nearby work orders, service requests, and approaching PMs, even allowing users to dynamically change the parameters to determine how high up/down the hierarchy to look and how far into the future to project PMs. This allows a planner to quickly identify potential chokepoints or synergies and also to view other work orders that have been performed at the same location or in the same area.

Before I go on, let me mention that redesigning applications was delicate work. On one hand, I wanted to create an environment that provides an easy transition for MP2 users and better fits specific MP2 data structures. On the other hand, I didn’t want to turn Maximo into something unrecognizable. So it required some careful balance that I think you’ll appreciate.

In the image below, check out a few of the things I’ve done to the ‘Work Order Tracking’ application.

Here are a few other examples of the many smaller application enhancements that I've made.

An optional, simplified invoice process which meets the basic need to record invoices against receipts while avoiding the longer process of full invoice control.
Additional tabs on existing applications to show things like PMs associated with job plans, work orders associated with locations, etc.
Fields to quickly link related records. For example, a user can open a service request and see if a work order has been generated. If it has, they can open the work order directly from within the service request.
A 'Work Type' field for service requests, which then populates the work type on work orders.

Simplified User Experience via Intuitive, Dynamic Start Centers

In Maximo, efficiency means getting in, doing your work (well), and getting out. It’s all about minimizing the time you spend clicking, scrolling, and looking for stuff. That’s why I’ve built start centers that allow users to quickly see the things that concern them (like work orders assigned to them or requisitions requiring their approval) and jump right to those records with a single click. Managers have common reports and visual KPIs right on their start centers. You can do stuff like line up KPIs for comparison and set them to launch reports to get the supporting details.

I’ve built several start center templates into my solution (like the two below), but of course we’re going to spend some time tailoring them to your exact needs.

Unparalleled Attention to Details of Data Migration

Hundreds of contractors are willing to migrate your data into Maximo. I’ve worked for them, and I’ve done it many times. But it wasn’t until I started Warby CMMS Consulting that I was able to dedicate the time required to really get it right.

Here’s an example (my apologies if this gets a bit long-winded, but it’s so very important that I thought it was worth the time):

PM schedules (tasks) in MP2 can have more than one equipment record, each with different schedules. Maximo, on the other hand, relies on “routes” for multi-asset PMs. Because of this difference, most vendors would simply break out each task/equipment relationship into a unique PM record. (One MP2 task with four equipment records becomes four different PMs in Maximo.) That means the number of PM records (and worse, work orders) that you have to manage grows – possible a lot.

I’ve taken the time to do it the better way. My migration path creates the proper routes and applies them to the PM records, keeping things clean and familiar and as close to the way MP2 works as possible, while still using Maximo as intended (no jimmy-rigging).

But the work doesn’t stop there. MP2 allows you to stagger equipment schedules on the same PM task, whereas Maximo does not – they must all have the same ‘Next Due Date’. So if they’re staggered in MP2, then what? Well, in that case they actually do need to be broken up in Maximo, unless the client would prefer to synchronize them first. (By the way, that’s a huge, potentially headache-saving question that only someone with experience in both systems would even think to ask.)

It doesn’t even end there though. What about the historic work orders that would now be matched incorrectly to their parent PM? Yes, I’ve even taken care of that, writing my migration to divide these work orders up, making sure that labor, materials, and comments are appropriately assigned to the correct work order.

This is just one example of the care that I’ve taken to ensure that my solution gets it right, even if “getting it right” involves a whole lot of extra work.

Zero Downtime, and Pick Up Where You Left Off

Because I’ve done such careful preparation, the transition itself can usually be done in a single evening, so there’s no need to plan for extended downtime.

And because I’ve designed this so effectively, there’s virtually no need for extra preparation on your part (pre-releasing PMs, printing WOs, manually PO tracking, etc.). If you have a partially-received PO in MP2, you can leave it as is and finish receiving it in Maximo. That level of same-for-sameness is something I’ve never seen offered anywhere else.

Training Performed by an Experienced MP2 Expert

Even I underestimated the importance of this until I carried out my first Maximo training session with a group of MP2 users. But it makes perfect sense. How could a trainer unfamiliar with MP2 possibly respond to a user who asks “how PM task shadowing works in Maximo”? Could they explain the difference between equipment (MP2) and assets/locations (Maximo), contrast blanket POs (MP2) with blanket purchase contracts (Maximo), and anticipate the need to distinguish between the different meanings of the terms like “task” and “location”? Probably not.

Not even I realized how helpful this would be until I carried out my first Maximo training session after migrating from MP2. Being able to relate to the trainees’ familiarity with the previous system instills confidence, improves comprehension, and ultimately leads to a smoother transition experience for end-users.

Custom Reports

Maximo has a whole suite of built-in reports, and I’ve filled in some of the gaps with my own series of 12 custom ones. Here are a few highlights.

Customized PO and Work Order Forms – presented and laid out much cleaner and more efficiently than the out-of-the-box versions. There’s also a space for your own T&Cs and company logo.
Un-invoiced Receipts – Receipts that have not yet been invoiced. There are two versions of this report: one for full usage of the ‘Invoices’ application and another to support the optional, simplified invoice process which I’ve created.
PO Commitment – Approved, unreceived purchase orders, grouped by either PO line or by GL account.
Monthly Work Order Metrics – various important metrics, such as number of work orders released, number and percentage of PM work orders, number and percentage of backlogged work orders, and more, sandwiched between the beginning and ending counts for the past 12 months.
PM Summary – a high-level summary of all PMs. Most importantly, this report includes a field indicating if whether or not the PM was completed according to its most recent cycle.