IBM Case Studies Forging a closer relationship between maintenance and procurement

Edit This Case Study Record

	Forging a closer relationship between maintenance and procurement IBM

Forging a closer relationship between maintenance and procurement

IBM

Technology Category	Functional Applications - Enterprise Asset Management Systems (EAM)
Applicable Industries	Metals
Applicable Functions	Maintenance Procurement
Use Cases	Asset Lifecycle Management
Services	System Integration
Challenge	TimkenSteel, a leading manufacturer of high-quality steel bars and seamless mechanical steel tubing, needed to ensure that its production lines are operational at all times. Effective maintenance was therefore a top priority. However, the company sought to enhance its maintenance strategy by gaining greater visibility of parts and equipment costs. The challenge was to bring corporate-wide procurement into a single system that would allow for better collaboration between the maintenance and procurement teams to analyze and control costs. Read More
About Customer	TimkenSteel is a leading manufacturer of high-quality steel bars and seamless mechanical steel tubing. The company's business model is unique in the industry, focusing on creating tailored products and services for its customers’ most demanding applications. Supporting some of the world’s most demanding industries and supply chains, TimkenSteel needs to ensure that its production lines are operational at all times. Effective maintenance is therefore a top priority for the company. However, the company sought to enhance its maintenance strategy by gaining greater visibility of parts and equipment costs. Read More
Solution	TimkenSteel decided that IBM Maximo Asset Management was the answer to the specific challenge of bringing corporate-wide procurement into a single system. The company found that the Workflow Designer capability in Maximo was extremely easy to use and configure. Moving from a business process design session to actually documenting the designs in Maximo was an almost seamless process. Critically, developing new workflows is a matter of configuration, not customization or programming – so it can be managed without specialist technical support. This new ability for managers, procurement specialists and maintenance teams to collaborate means that TimkenSteel’s entire maintenance process is better informed and more efficient. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Functional Applications - Enterprise Asset Management Systems (EAM)

Applicable Industries

Metals

Applicable Functions

Maintenance

Procurement

Use Cases

Asset Lifecycle Management

Services

System Integration

Challenge

TimkenSteel, a leading manufacturer of high-quality steel bars and seamless mechanical steel tubing, needed to ensure that its production lines are operational at all times. Effective maintenance was therefore a top priority. However, the company sought to enhance its maintenance strategy by gaining greater visibility of parts and equipment costs. The challenge was to bring corporate-wide procurement into a single system that would allow for better collaboration between the maintenance and procurement teams to analyze and control costs.

About Customer

TimkenSteel is a leading manufacturer of high-quality steel bars and seamless mechanical steel tubing. The company's business model is unique in the industry, focusing on creating tailored products and services for its customers’ most demanding applications. Supporting some of the world’s most demanding industries and supply chains, TimkenSteel needs to ensure that its production lines are operational at all times. Effective maintenance is therefore a top priority for the company. However, the company sought to enhance its maintenance strategy by gaining greater visibility of parts and equipment costs.

Solution

TimkenSteel decided that IBM Maximo Asset Management was the answer to the specific challenge of bringing corporate-wide procurement into a single system. The company found that the Workflow Designer capability in Maximo was extremely easy to use and configure. Moving from a business process design session to actually documenting the designs in Maximo was an almost seamless process. Critically, developing new workflows is a matter of configuration, not customization or programming – so it can be managed without specialist technical support. This new ability for managers, procurement specialists and maintenance teams to collaborate means that TimkenSteel’s entire maintenance process is better informed and more efficient.

Impact #1	New insight into maintenance needs, helping to inform purchasing decisions
Impact #2	Greater control of costs with automated approval workflows
Impact #3	Instant visibility of maintenance spend for cost center managers

Impact #1

New insight into maintenance needs, helping to inform purchasing decisions

Impact #2

Greater control of costs with automated approval workflows

Impact #3

Instant visibility of maintenance spend for cost center managers

Download PDF Version

Overview

Forging a closer relationship between maintenance and procurement

Operational Impact