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The Maximo Application Suite (MAS) has long been recognized as a robust platform for enterprise asset management, enabling organizations to streamline and optimize their asset lifecycles. With the release of Maximo 9.0, also known as MAS 9 or IBM Maximo® Application Suite 9.0, IBM introduces several transformative upgrades that push the boundaries of asset lifecycle management.
The MAS 9.0 release is especially significant due to its integration of Generative AI (GenAI), enhancing work order management and predictive maintenance. The new user interface (UI) has been redesigned for greater usability and better visual inspection. The expansion of IoT capabilities allows for real-time asset monitoring and data analytics, making it easier for enterprises to maintain operational efficiency.
In this latest Maximo application framework, Maximo 9 continues to build on its foundation with improvements in areas such as operational dashboard, AI-driven decision-making, enhanced mobile experiences, and field service management, ensuring that Maximo Manage remains a leader in the asset management space.
What's New in Maximo 9.0?
Here’s an overview of what’s new in IBM Maximo® Application Suite 9.0 (MAS 9.0):
Version Alignment
IBM Maximo® 9.0 aligns all applications within the Maximo Application Suite (MAS) to a unified versioning system, simplifying upgrades and ensuring consistency across the platform.
Data Reporter Operator
Maximo 9.0 introduces the Data Reporter Operator (DRO), which streamlines the collection and processing of metrics across applications, enhancing overall reporting capabilities.
Enhanced AI-Driven Predictive Maintenance
The latest release leverages advanced AI algorithms for predictive maintenance, optimizing asset performance, and reducing downtime through better forecasting of equipment failures.
Redesigned User Interface
Maximo 9.0’s revamped UI improves user experience with intuitive navigation, dashboards, and role-based applications, offering greater ease for scheduling and dispatching dashboards.
Expanded IoT Integration
Maximo 9.0 expands IoT integration, enabling real-time asset monitoring and analytics, enhancing operational efficiency and asset visibility across industries.
GenAI Assistants
- Work Order Intelligence: GenAI assistants in Maximo 9.0 provide real-time suggestions for failure codes, ensuring accurate data collection and improved maintenance decisions.
- Application Onboarding: A standout feature, GenAI onboarding assistants simplify the learning curve for new users, making MAS 9.0 easy to implement and navigate—ideal for organizations upgrading or adopting Maximo for the first time.
Improved FSM
- Automated Scheduling: FSM capabilities in MAS Manage automate scheduling by using technician location, qualifications, and workload to assign tasks efficiently, improving workforce management.
- Enhanced Mobile Experience: Mobile enhancements support offline capabilities and real-time updates, empowering technicians with better tools for work order management, asset inspections, and AI-driven fixes.
Emissions Management: Maximo 9.0 tools support integration with IBM Envizi for ESG reporting, allowing businesses to monitor and manage emissions data for regulatory compliance and sustainability goals
Included Capabilities
Maximo 9.0 marks a significant shift by transitioning several previous add-ons and initially extended support into the core, included features, and ongoing extended support. This enhances user accessibility without requiring additional licensing for many key functionalities.
- Linear Asset Management:Previously an add-on, Linear Asset Management is now included, allowing businesses to manage linear assets like roads, pipelines, and railways. It supports work orders, service requests, and asset conditions based on measured distances along linear infrastructures.
- Calibration: Widely used in industries such as life sciences, manufacturing, and oil & gas, the Calibration feature ensures precise calibration of instruments and equipment. It supports loop calibration and tracks as-left values to maintain operational accuracy.
- Maximo Mobile: The Maximo Mobile application now supports both online and offline operations, allowing technicians to manage work orders, inspections, and assets in real time, even in areas with limited connectivity.
- Scheduler:The Scheduler in Maximo 9.0 includes several graphical applications like Graphical Scheduling and Graphical Work Week, allowing users to visually manage tasks, resources, and work orders.
- Reliability Strategies:Maximo 9.0’s Reliability Strategies feature offers a library of failure modes and mitigation actions for over 800 asset types. By using this library, businesses can better anticipate potential failures and improve asset performance while reducing costs.
What's Different in MAS 9.0?
Deprecation of Work Centers
In Maximo 9.0, Work Centers have been deprecated, with Role-Based Applications (RBAs) replacing them. RBAs are designed to modernize the Maximo user experience with a more streamlined and task-specific approach. However, some functionality gaps may remain, such as the lack of overtime recording for technicians and assignment creation for supervisors, requiring further configuration for certain workflows.
Maximo Anywhere Discontinued
Maximo Anywhere has been discontinued in MAS 9.0, with Maximo Mobile now serving as the primary mobile solution. Maximo Mobile provides enhanced capabilities, including both online and offline support, and integrates seamlessly with Maximo’s broader suite for work orders, inspections, and more.
User Interface Changes
Maximo 9.0 transitions to Carbon design, IBM’s unified design system, making the interface cleaner and more consistent across IBM products. The shift to RBAs has also resulted in notable UI changes, such as new dashboard layouts, repositioning of actions in the application interface, and an overall more intuitive, role-specific experience for users.
User Administration Changes
A key change in MAS 9.0 is the move to suite-level administration, where users and permissions are managed centrally across all applications. This simplifies user management and ensures greater control, although it may require admins to adapt to new authentication processes, including the use of MongoDB for local authentication or LDAP/SAML for external authentication.
Technical Changes
The migration from JMS to Kafka improves the system’s messaging performance and scalability. Additionally, BIRT reports now require recompilation to ensure compatibility with the latest version. Database requirements have also been updated, with MongoDB v5 or v6 now being the minimum supported versions. Furthermore, Maximo Spatial has undergone major enhancements, boasting up to 80% performance improvements along with more robust offline mapping capabilities.
Benefits of Upgrading to Maximo 9.0
Upgrading to Maximo 9.0 offers businesses significant benefits by increasing efficiency, reducing downtime, and improving asset performance. The inclusion of formerly add-on features like Linear Asset Management, Calibration, and Scheduler as core capabilities simplifies operations and eliminates additional licensing costs.
The new Maximo management interface comes with enhanced AI-driven predictive maintenance and integrated IoT, enabling businesses to make better, data-driven decisions. The new licensing model further contributes to cost savings, making Maximo 9.0 a more affordable and streamlined solution for comprehensive asset management.
Understanding the MAS License Model
Maximo 9.0 introduces the AppPoint system, a flexible licensing model that assigns points based on the functionality and access levels a user requires. Each user consumes AppPoints according to their role, and these points are deducted from a shared pool whenever users log in.
There are three main user types:
- Limited Users: Consume the fewest AppPoints (2-5), restricted to accessing up to three modules (e.g., work orders, inspections).
- Base Users: Consume more AppPoints (3-10), allowing access to a broader range of applications, including scheduling and planning.
- Premium Users: Consume the most AppPoints (5-15), granting full access to all applications, including advanced capabilities like predictive analytics and industry-specific solutions.
To optimize licensing costs, businesses should carefully manage security groups and user roles. Assign users only the access they need, ensuring no unnecessary permissions that increase AppPoint consumption.
Regularly auditing and controlling security group assignments can help prevent users from accidentally upgrading to a higher consumption level, keeping licensing costs in check.
How to Upgrade to Maximo 9.0?
Upgrading to Maximo 9.0 requires careful planning to ensure a smooth transition. Start by reviewing your current system setup, including customizations, integrations, and database versions, as the latest MAS release comes with new features and technical requirements like MongoDB v5 or v6.
Next, assess your current licensing model and plan for the switch to the AppPoint system, optimizing user roles to prevent unnecessary point consumption.
A key step in the upgrade process is recompiling BIRT reports to ensure compatibility with the new version. Additionally, any custom workflows or integrations should be tested to ensure seamless functionality post-upgrade.
IBM recommends engaging with either the IBM MAS environment directly or an authorized IBM Business Partner to facilitate the upgrade, especially given the architectural changes like the move from JMS to Kafka for messaging and enhancements to core capabilities such as Maximo Spatial.
Finally, conduct thorough user training, particularly with the shift to Role-Based Applications (RBAs) and the redesigned Carbon user interface.
Conclusion
Maximo 9.0 is a game-changer for enterprise asset management (EAM), bringing together enhanced AI, improved time fix efficiency, and expanded operational reporting to ensure optimal asset performance. With advanced features like failure modes analysis, offline maps, and real-time operational status tracking for critical assets, organizations can reduce downtime and streamline maintenance processes.
The new mobile device capabilities, including offline functionality, empower field technicians to access Maximo features from anywhere, ensuring seamless work order management. For existing clients, the upgrade offers a significant leap forward in terms of efficiency and productivity, especially with tools designed to enhance field service management.
To fully unlock the potential of Maximo 9.0, partnering with Banetti is the ideal solution. As an expert in EAM consulting, Banetti specializes in helping organizations implement, onboard, and maximize the benefits of IBM Maximo®. Whether you’re looking to enhance operational workflows or fully leverage Maximo’s latest features, Banetti ensures a smooth transition and helps drive innovation across your asset management strategy.