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Mobile maintenance
Grahame Done, Infor’s UK sales director for services industries, outlines the steps independent rail maintenance companies can take to ensure successful mobile projects
Many maintenance operations, procedures and working practices in the rail industry have not changed for many years and many could benefit by the introduction of modern technology.
Recent developments in mobile technology have meant that companies can streamline the administration of maintenance processes and improve the accuracy of maintenance information. Modern handheld devices are easy to operate and can work in the harshest of environments, reducing the time, and improving the accuracy of vital maintenance records.
However, when embarking on a mobile maintenance project, the challenge for the engineering manager is to motivate engineering teams to embrace new working practices so the project delivers the maximum benefits in productivity.
Infor believes that organisations can follow four steps to ensure mobile maintenance projects are successful and stay on the right tracks.
Establish objectives
A hurried project will not gain the trust and commitment of the people involved. Equally, a change in culture and working practices will not happen overnight. All parties and stakeholders need to invest their time to make the project successful.
Scope processes before implementing solutions
It is imperative that working scenarios and requirements are determined early on. And, as technology and processes change, there must be flexibility to develop and adapt these requirements.
Business processes and working practices should enable companies to make informed technological choices. Through detailed scoping, a specialist IT partner can address the different needs and requirements to build in specific features to a system.
Work with a specialist partner
Organisations need to identify the objectives of the project and work with a trusted partner to understand how these can be met. When working with partners, organisations must be confident that the necessary expertise is on hand to provide advice on working practices. Trust is of the essence.
Win support and construct a project team
The success of the project will be determined by the ability to win over users. This needs to be balanced with the technical expertise. The outputs of the project should be based on user needs, not just on the technology available.
Box out
Case study Infor has worked with GrantRail Group Limited to implement Infor Enterprise Asset Management (EAM), formerly Spear Technologies, to manage the inspection and maintenance of 100 miles of track in one of Corus’ UK steel plants.
The software enables GrantRail and Corus to maintain accurate records and ensure the entire track is inspected and maintained within GrantRail’s rigorous preventative maintenance regime.
The software operates on mobile hand-held devices so that inspectors can consider each element of track infrastructure at every location and raise works orders as necessary. Inspectors are alerted to the sections which are due for inspection and presented with a check list of items for consideration. When the inspector returns to the office, the details on the hand-held device are automatically updated on to the system. The team can then prioritise and plan strategic works. This helps to ensure the continuous operation of the rail system within the Corus steel plant.
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