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Keeping equipment in peak operation condition is mission-critical for plant operation and profitability. But having the right information at your fingertips to locate, maintain and repair equipment efficiently and cost-effectively while in the field is easier said than done.

The SAP Plant Maintenance solution houses valuable information for field teams, but it’s often stored away from where work actually gets done. Tasks are often completed in remote areas, which means they’re offline, delaying data capture and sharing. It’s a process that greatly benefits from mobility. That’s exactly what Fink-IT Partner Solution has delivered in its FITS/Plant Maintenance Suite.

“We knew we needed to help our customers improve their plant maintenance operations through extending their SAP PM capabilities and mobilizing processes,” says Daniel Dorst, CTO and Head of SAP Future Technology department at Fink-IT Solutions. “Specifically, customers needed to be able to create notifications, review equipment, work on maintenance orders, complete checklists of repair and maintenance steps, identify components taken from the warehouse, check their object lists, report on costs, and then hit the complete button.”

“We chose Neptune Software as our platform for developing the FITS/Plant Maintenance Suite because it was built on SAPUI5 technology and Fiori Design Concept, and at the time very few companies had successfully launched Fiori-based apps. It also offered offline capabilities, which was important to our customers,” says Daniel. “The ability to work independently from anywhere with Wi-Fi or mobile was key.”

The FITS/Plant Maintenance Suite was developed as a modular set of apps, so customers can choose what they want. Fink IT Solutions did not aim to rebuild SAP PM in a mobile way, rather, it sought to automate how information is gathered and shared to extend the solution capabilities and provide a more complete, 360-degree solution for plant maintenance operations. It was an approach that proved effective for its customers, whose operations extend across the globe.

“Many of our customers’ IT departments operate with minimal staff, who typically focus on handling new projects. They need support in handling existing projects, keep apps running, and handle the needs of employees,” says Daniel. “That’s why we make the Plant Maintenance Suite also available as a managed service solution so that when problems arise, we can take over from a first or second level of support depending on our customers’ needs.”

Customers including Infraserv Hoechst, Würzburger Versorgungs- und Verkehrs-GmbH (WVV) and Thyssenkrupp are benefitting from the Fink IT solutions each day.

“The great thing with Neptune Software and the FITS/Plant Maintenance Suite is that we can offer a complete mobile way of working,” says Daniel. “We extend what you can do with SAP, so you can manage the equipment maintenance process from end to end.”

Users can investigate what’s broken, decide what to do about it, then create an order or assign a ticket for repair. The ability to add photos and track GPS location makes it much easier to manage equipment across wide spaces and saves a significant amount of time. Where previously, workers were handed papers to begin the repair process, today they have the mobile device with them and can see whenever a new order arrives. They have all the information they need–whether online or offline–and can even switch between apps to order materials to complete their repairs or access repair manuals.

They can drill down on key measuring points and meter readings to better understand how equipment is running. They can complete maintenance checklists which can be linked to quality management for even greater efficiency. Plus, equipment maintenance history is easily retrievable for the next person. There’s also greater visibility around the costs of completing work. Teams can track how long repairs take, how long equipment is offline, what materials are required for certain repairs, and more.

A history tab gives teams visibility into when they may be repairing the same issue repeatedly, allowing them to take proactive steps to replace the broken item for greater stability. Additionally, the solution helps plants comply with regulatory guidelines, providing all the necessary data at your fingertips–documented proof of when and how you monitored, repaired and maintained your equipment.