Understanding an EAM Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) Systems Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems have developed considerably over the last 20 years. They now combine maintenance management with asset management based upon a corporate view. Hence an EAM now refers to the management of assets for the benefit of an organization as a whole and is not limited to specific areas such as department or location. EAM systems are no longer an option but a requirement for asset intensive organizations to remain competitive. Companies must do all they can to lengthen the useful asset lifecycle of equipment as well as optimize their performance while keeping costs under control. This means that maintenance management must be able to know where all equipment is at all times, vendor information, the assets condition, repair history, repair costs, parts used, next scheduled inspection or preventive maintenance time as well as be able to accurately estimate gauge when it is more appropriate to replace versus repair the asset. When implemented correctly, an EAM will enable facility or plant professionals the ability to track and manage assets from initial planning through their designed use, installation, training, operations, maintenance and replacement. The combination of maintenance management and asset management provide a variety of benefits that include but are not limited to: For Maintenance Management 1. Reduction of labor costs as reactive maintenance is reduced and replaced my proactive procedures such as inspections and preventive maintenance. 2. Inspections can be converted to work orders using handheld devices eliminating paper based maintenance request. 3. Faster as well as more flexible reactions to emergency work orders reducing overtime and increasing equipment uptime. 4. Parts inventory is better managed as historical database provides more accurate usage information. 5. Knowledge database is created diminishing the impact of the loss of know-how by retiring workers. Great for training and transfer of maintenance knowledge base. For Corporate Facilities Management 1. 2. 3. 4.
Increased asset lifecycles through better maintenance reducing capital expenditures. Better capital analysis through more accurate lifecycle projections. Increased equipment efficiency lowering facilities energy costs. Fewer shutdowns especially unplanned shutdowns due to catastrophic equipment failures at inopportune times. 5. Reduction of paper flow promoting green objectives and lowering the carbon footprint.