Dematerialization and mobility, the pillars and compass of CMMS

Going paperless

As
CMMS software is introduced into the company, “paper” is abandoned and process disruptions are reduced, thanks to interconnections with the information system, both within the company and with third-party stakeholders (in the case of automatic integration of regulatory compliance reports, for example). Dematerialization for CMMS purposes began some twenty years ago with service requests (fault reports) issued to technical departments and service reports drawn up by technicians, followed by purchases in interaction with suppliers, then with other management systems in a machine-to-machine dialogue (e.g. SCADA, BMS/BMS). It has spread from end to end, simplifying procedures involving visas or signatures (purchase orders prior to any intervention, consultation of inspection body reports, etc.).

CMMS software is first and foremost about digital traceability in relation to the technical assets under management: who did what, on which equipment and when? Each action is time-stamped, limiting the loss of information, and each dematerialized flow enables documents, requests, actions and reports to be retrieved from a single point of consultation, speeding up related processes. Those involved in maintenance processes have rapidly understood and adopted these new practices, even if the number of companies that have deployed them across all key processes is still limited. There is still room for improvement.

Dematerialization-mobility, a matter of ergonomic course

Dematerialization brings simplification and efficiency, and means refocusing on data that is relevant to the user. For this transformation to be successful, the tools must be adapted to the processes and the people who carry them out.
A requestor on a production line can access a PC to send a request via the portal, but a mobile or itinerant person (quality controller, methods engineer, bus driver or building occupant) must be able to send a report on the spot, wherever he or she may be. In the event of a water leak, for example, you need to alert people as soon as possible, contextualizing each request with photos, landmarks, etc.

In terms of maintenance staff, a warehouse worker works part of the time on his computer and part of the time in the warehouse, while a mechanic or hydraulics technician is mobile in the field most of the time, whereas maintenance methods are more PC-based. We need to adapt to each individual with the right device and ergonomics.

Emergency repairs are not the only justification for the mobile tool; inventory management is another example: if the warehouse worker can count parts from a warehouse in real time,he limits the loss of information and gains in efficiency by immediately checking that “everything fits”. By moving the transaction and its control to the actor, via a fully digital solution, we offer a seamless process. Before CARL Touch and mobility, there were still tasks to be carried out by hand, resulting in less reliable procedures with risks of error.

A virtuous circle

Before the arrival of tablets and smartphones, technicians used to write up their reports on paper, store them in a binder for the less digital, or record them on a computer (sometimes several hours or days after the intervention). Nowadays , reports are written in the field, in front of the targeted equipment, fed by contextualized data. Data quality is improved with real-time information sharing. This technical reporting aspect becomes less tedious by lightening what is perceived as an administrative task. Digitization is sometimes hampered by the reluctance of technicians to use a management solution for controls. We had to be attentive to this fundamental question for the user: “What’s in it for me? By facilitating and accelerating dematerialization via a nomadic tool, which is practical and enhances the value of the activity, a virtuous spiral begins: information attracts information. What’s more, as the software tool became more practical and ergonomic, its use could no longer be limited to part of the maintenance tasks.
Mobility has been a factor in accelerating dematerialization, and often a decisive one. The judge of change is efficiency. If it’s obvious, the change will be assimilated!

Nomadic generation

Dematerialization and the associated ad hoc tools have been at the heart of research and development at CARL Berger-Levrault since 2010. We think in terms of collecting (dematerialization) and contributing/sharing knowledge. What the technician captures can also be used in real time, whether it’s to track a request, a checklist of operations to be carried out, diagnostic assistance (or information on a similar breakdown), to find out who has worked on the same equipment and be able to contact that colleague or service provider…

A CMMS solution provider needs to combine two areas of expertise: know-how in process dematerialization on the one hand, and the quality of the user interface on the other.
We have been working for years with experts in UI (visual experience, aesthetics, form!) and UX (user experience, ergonomics, content…). We have generic guidelines that provide a frame of reference, both for the maintenance of deployed solutions and for the introduction of new functionalities. We are taking advantage of the change in mindset brought about by the expansion of the smartphone, whose success – as well as the renewal of the generation of technicians – has enabled the combined demand for mobility and dematerialization to explode. The under-30s would no longer work on paper, and when everyone knows how to consume and connect everywhere, everyone wants to work this way.

Adaptability and ergonomics of solutions

We believe that the role of the software publisher is not limited to deploying the tool within companies or organizations. Our primary role is to act as an expert and educator in process improvement. The aim is to point out and act where this will bring fluidity, and not to dematerialize at all costs. In fact, just like messaging tools, not all dematerialized software services are always fluid!
Once configured, the CARL solution must make it possible toexploit the richness of its functionalities, without introducing rigidity. The second level of adaptability concerns the software’s ability to be customized, which is essential. For example, by adjusting the steps of an intervention procedure according to its nature, the technical context, the user’s profile…

With regard to certain industrial sectors, we have designed
flexible applications adaptable to both simple and sophisticated requirements, while maintaining a seamless experience and a coherent software system for all.

The right hard for the right soft

The mobile tool used for maintenance missions does not necessarily rely on a permanent connection to the network. The system has to be usable as close as possible to the technical installations, including equipment located in “white zones”. This requires us to design a fully operational solution, even in “offline” mode. This mode of operation involves asynchronous data updating, which adds complexity that must be mastered.

In order to minimize the number of data entries on a terminal, the ability touse new technologies integrated into devices enables greater speed and guarantees the quality of the data collected. This is particularly the case with inert technologies such as barcodes, and active technologies such as NFC(short-range radio frequency, which enables people to pay with their smartphones). When you’re working with gloves or dirty hands, in dark or dangerous areas, you’ll appreciate that you no longer need to photograph a label; you can simply hover over the equipment with your smartphone to get contextual information.

Choosing and recommending these technologies is first and foremost a question of efficiency. If it simply provides full access to reliable data, the gamble’s paid off.
Dematerialization for inventory management means first and foremost using barcodes and QR codes.
Dematerialization is also an opportunity to refine management methods and organize storage space. Storage, sorting, coding, labelling… Barcodes, NFC or RFID (a technology capable of collecting several objects at once => very useful for receiving parcels containing several items, for example). The next step is to choose the right hardware for the job (tablets, smartphones): without reselling the hardware, we can recommend the most appropriate peripheral for the context, such as map reading for a team working several times a day with maps displayed on the GIS (Geographical Information System), and we advise on the size and robustness of the tools to preserve the user experience.

Depending on the case, we recommend professional devices rather than consumer smartphones, which are “hardened”, more robust and sometimes secured (ATEX) or contextualized (sensitive areas).

Putting people at the heart of maintenance 5.0: a future that is already fascinating

The immediate future will see an increasing number of “intelligent” and communicating sensors, for optimum interaction between the system and the operator. In the medium term, we’ll be able to know in real time whether the equipment is working, with elements that will considerably reduce the time needed for diagnosis. The digital twin, the BIM (3D modeling of the technical installation or building), will be constantly updated: this is a major advance, as the gap between the digital and real visions of equipment can sometimes be counted in years! Technicians, too, will have a digital twin. He’ll be able to view his tour “live” thanks to BIM, and have access to the information he needs to modify it – in other words, to impact the modeling from his point of intervention! We’ll know the real state of the asset “as maintained” vs. “as built”.

The progress we need to make is commensurate with the current constraints and limitations of our activities in the field: we don’t really act live, and reports are always delayed, at best until the end of the intervention! Progress is within our grasp, and can be based on solutions that already exist, such as augmented reality, or the mini-projector that displays a plan or exploded view on site.
The next step in dematerialization will involve the production of virtual objects (for example, with a real-time view of equipment rotation speed) and intangible interfaces, animated by voice commands or gestures. The technician will say “I’ve completed operation 10”; this will be ticked off in the system, which will guide the operator to operation 11. Even more immersive in real time, the CMMS experience will objectify and limit ambiguities. CARL Berger-Levrault has prototypes on trial with its clients: we can virtually tele-assist the operator, intervening on what he sees, adding axes that will show him precisely where to act. We monitor procedures right through to reporting. Nothing that has been done will escape the system, so much the better for the next operator.
In short, with the entry into maintenance 5.0 from 2020, these new features will undoubtedly help to meet the major challenge of putting people back at the heart of the process.

The next revolution in augmented maintenance

The big players in the IT industry are getting into the act… The mixed reality headsets proposed by Microsoft and Apple are no longer prototypes; they already offer the possibility of learning and interacting effectively, without having to interrupt an intervention or record it later. The challenge for CARL Berger-Levrault is to produce the same functionalities, applied in a professional context.

At CARL Berger-Levrault, we’ve gone beyond the laboratory stage. Those who have taken part in our augmented maintenance trials describe the experience as highly immersive, highly intuitive and deeply memorable. We are organizing these demonstrations in situ, so that the future promised by these prototypes is tangible.
The financial investment is still high. Nevertheless, early adopters who want high-performance maintenance are watching and trying. The situation is reminiscent of the reluctance we encountered when we proposed CARL Touch on cell phones some clients wondered why they should give their technicians an expensive smartphone, and what they would gain. The consumer explosion of the smartphone has swept away these questions, and perhaps the same will be true of mixed reality headsets?

For the time being, only gamers are familiar with these headsets, but the industry majors have seized on them, setting in motion a fundamental trend that will revolutionize everyday life…
For the time being, adoption is slowed by the price, weight, autonomy and fragility of the tool, despite the obvious added value it promises. Companies will take the plunge when they feel the return on investment is within their grasp… This is the case in aeronautics. Our mission is to make a tangible contribution to these solutions, and to acculturate our clients to this future within our sights: time saved when the equipment is adapted and affordable.

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