The main difference is that they have different purposes! SAP is an ERP with a Fiscal Core. It is very common for customers using SAP ERP to have IBM Maximo in Asset Management, integrated and connected.
When we talk about these two well-positioned systems, we can see common points between them, but there are some items that can make a big difference in a successful implementation and on the way to the Journey to Industry 4.0.
In both SAP PM and IBM Maximo you upload data from your ERP systems, assess risks, use analytics to identify possible equipment failures. It keeps assets running, so that planning and scheduling of maintenance tasks can take place with integrated processes, providing better visibility of your assets.
IBM Maximo has several modules within it, which we mentioned in the previous articleIn addition to essential management, it will manage work, inventory, services, teams, team skills, contracts and purchases.
IBM Maximo is agnostic, it has connectors for integrations with SAP, native Oracle or generally with any ERP, so no matter what your tax system, you can have IBM Maximo, this is a very important differentiator!
As SAP is an ERP with a fiscal essence, its additional modules are integrated with it and as they are accessories, improvements always take precedence over the ERP module. This is one of the main reasons why many clients in Brazil and around the world use ERP integrated with IBM Maximo.
IBM MAXIMO is now IBM Maximo Application Suite, what does that mean?
This means that asset management is the foundation and the first step on the journey to Industry 4.0. IBM Maximo Manager manages your assets and will have all the data and inputs for monitoring your assets online!
IBM Maximo Monitor receives information from your sensors and, together with inputs from IBM Maximo Manager, generates real-time information on the health of your asset, generating alarms and important information so that you can take instant action!
The 52-week planning brings you the cost of man-hours, spare parts and the total annual cost of maintenance. Its sensors send the information to the monitor and through this centralized and integrated information it takes you to another level of Industrial Maintenance!
Have you heard of Predict, Machine Learning and AI?
These terms are being thrown around, many companies and professionals want to have them in advance and, as we say, start with the roof! The journey is a safe, structured way to build your path to Industry 4.0, which is 100% connected and with predictions.
Machine Learning is a type of Artificial Intelligence that learns from a sequence of data that it receives frequently. This frequency generates a common model for that company and its set of assets. By cross-referencing the data from IBM Maximo Manager, IBM Maximo Monitor, Sensors and variables inherent to each business, it generates predictions, analyzing, simplifying and directing the entire maintenance process.
Assuming the asset management system is up and running, this process takes about 6 months before we have the right database to start predicting. We don't recommend using a purchased database with generic pre-formatted data for various assets. A piece of equipment "x" 20 years old may be extremely depreciated in one plant and superbly maintained in another. Using a generic database, there will be many false positives and the time taken to adapt and adjust this data may be the same as the timeline for building your data!
IBM Maximo has been the best and largest asset management system in the world for over 3 decades, and today it is the most widely used and prepared for Industry 4.0. Having a solid and efficient ERP gives you the fiscal confidence you need. Together with the IBM Maximo Application Suite, your company will get to Industry 4.0 faster, more structured and more productive!!!