10 Steps towards paperless mobile enterprise asset management

By EAM Consulting Inc. Topics: Infor EAM, Infor, Infor EAM Mobile

The prospect of paperless operations has been a lofty and typically unattainable business goal for years. But managers in the most forward-looking, strategically focused organizations are preparing the way for a transition that often spans large, complex engineering and maintenance operations.

The opportunity for enterprise asset management (EAM) systems is massive. In most companies, technicians have always received instructions from hard copy work orders, recorded all their activity on paper, and handed those results to clerks for retyping. If they needed shop manuals or schematics, they turned to printed copies. The system was slow, the information flow was inconsistent, and the lack of easy access to usable maintenance records made it difficult to forecast future needs or expenses for business planning purposes.

But now, more and more industry leaders are maximizing the power of mobile access to enterprise asset management systems to minimize their reliance on hard copy records. The resulting system puts critical information at technicians’ fingertips, while giving management immediate visibility on work processes and bottlenecks.

Here are 10 steps any organization can take to shift its existing business in the direction of paperless operations using mobile EAM. 

Action StepWhy It Matters 

 

 

1 

 

Create your paperless vision 

 

A big transformation needs a big vision to keep it going. Decide what you want to achieve and why, then work backwards to the present to set your direction. 

 

 

2 

 

Set measurable goals 

 

Translate the vision into measurable goals that will help you track gradual improvements in operational efficiency and performance. 

 

 

3 

 

Build senior executive ownership 

 

A successful transition depends on senior executive ownership. 

If you don’t already have management onboard, this is an essential step—because no major shift in practice will succeed without it. 

 

 

4 

 

Assess your operations 

 

By documenting your existing business processes, you get a sense of how an electronic system like Infor EAM Mobile can help you streamline and optimize day-to-day operations. 

 

 

5 

 

Revisit your vision 

If you’ve been struggling with a vision of a paperless operation, an interim target to minimize paper might be more realistic. If your vision needs to adapt to your front-line reality, this is the time to make the change. 

 

 

6 

 

Start with a pilot test 

A pilot test is your first reality check on a great idea. Pick the work group that is most attuned to the process change you’re trying to introduce, 

or most in need of an efficiency boost. Then test drive the new system to see how it works in practice. 

 

 

7 

 

Document successes and lessons learned 

The successes and lessons learned that you take away from the pilot test will help you build a more robust program for wider rollout. Document thoroughly, listen carefully, and make sure you draw out every ounce of insight you can from the initial experience. 

 

 

8 

 

Complete the rollout 

 

Depending on the size of your operation, the rest of the rollout might proceed in phases, and could take weeks or months. 

 

 

9 

 

Measure results 

Measurement begins as soon as an operating unit adopts the new system. You can track success against your original goals for the transition, and eventually benchmark operating units’ performance against each other. 

 

 

10 

 

Revisit your vision and repeat the process 

The best businesses commit to a process of continuous improvement, where every change or innovation becomes a platform for the next. The results of your initial move toward paperless operations will likely shine a light on the next set of opportunities to boost productivity and cut costs.