Your EAM Masterplan

Recently, I stayed at a new hotel, from a brand I don’t normally use, in the middle of what seemed like a master planned area. A few hotels, restaurants, and shopping arranged in a main street vibe, with apartment and condo complexes mixed in, all around a small lake with a bridge. Knowing my flight the next day was not especially early, I vowed to do something unusual, go for a run in the morning around this lake.

The next morning came and I was excited! I put on my Advoco workout shirt, the one I always bring, and never use, and went downstairs. Still a little gray outside, I put on music and started to run toward the path around the lake.

A minute or two more, and the path was along the side of a road with no clear path back to the lake. I cut through a few bushes, through a parking lot, and back onto the path. Again, the path ended, and I had to run through a parking lot out to the street, and back down another lot to get back to the lake. In each area the path was not connected, as if each area did not consider the bigger picture, only their section.

Designing an Enterprise Asset Management system can be like a master planned community. It’s great when you consider the entire landscape, but not so good if each area builds their own thing without working with their neighbor.

I’m sure the people in the apartments would have found greater value if they could walk a few hundred feet to the offices around the lake, instead of driving 3 miles out around and back. Are you considering the best way for information to flow from one process to the next?

I’m sure all the areas around the lake were not built at the same time, but if each had only considered that there might be a need for a continuous path for people, or information, they could have set up for it instead of creating dead ends.

Design your project with everyone in mind. Even if the ERP system is not in scope, it may be next year. Even if the department across the hall uses a different software, at least consider what if they migrate to yours. It could make obtaining next year’s budget easier if you can show you were planning for it now.

Plan for progress, and in the meantime, make every minute count.

Until next time…we are Advoco, make every minute count.

About Joe: Joe is self-described as "a classic maintenance guy gone IT." Joe worked in maintenance for many years and was a user of Infor before making the transition to helping others manage their EAM systems. As the VP of Public Sector Delivery for Advoco, Joe helps lead our team in providing innovative solutions to clients looking to get the most out of their EAM system. Our resident New Yorker, Joe traded the Brooklyn Bridge for our Berkeley office and splits his time between the East and West coasts. Have a question for Joe? Send him an email!