International Furniture Manufacturer Streamlines Interface Between Maximo® and Oracle® Financials with QuickPick™ for Maximo

“QuickPick for Maximo has helped us gain the full power that Maximo has to offer—easily and cost effectively.”

Innovation, operational excellence, and smart application of technology go hand in hand toward building business success. So when one of the world?s most innovative manufacturers of office furniture was looking for a technology solution to streamline its asset management and MRO purchasing processes, Work Technology?s QuickPick for Maximo was a natural choice.

Integrating Maximo and Oracle Financials

Already a user of MRO Software?s Maximo, along with Oracle Financials, the company required tight integration between these two applications to achieve its corporate objectives. While a recent integration project tied these two applications together, certain aspects still did not match. So, to ensure a smooth and complete integration, an additional, complementary solution was needed. The solution of choice: QuickPick for Maximo from Work Technology Corporation.

?QuickPick for Maximo enables us to validate data between several different data sources to make sure everything is properly synchronized,? said a company representative. Specifically, QuickPick for Maximo ensures that a valid Fixed Asset (FA) number is matched with a valid General Ledger (GL) account well before this data reaches the Oracle application. In addition, QuickPick for Maximo is used to validate order unit values in the Inventory and Purchasing lines. As a result, all purchasing can be performed in a single system?Oracle Financials?while the Maximo user need only work within the Maximo application.

Enhancing Maximo for IT Procurement

QuickPick for Maximo is also used extensively to enhance a Maximo implementation for the IT Procurement group at this company. It was necessary to make fields visible to the IT Procurement group that were not visible to other Maximo users. In addition, special value lists had to be created to filter data that is specific to the IT Procurement group, to distinguish them from other values that are specific to Maintenance. ?Using QuickPick for Maximo, we are now able to keep data specific to each application,? said the company representative. ?It has helped us save time and ensure accurate data.?

Another important capability provided by QuickPick for Maximo is dynamic value lists. ?In a very short time, I was able to add dynamic value lists to the Maximo Asset Catalog using QuickPick for Maximo,? said the company representative. ?It has dramatically increased our effectiveness in scrubbing inventory and equipment descriptions using the Asset catalog in Maximo.? This company has also written and tested code in QuickPick for Maximo that will lock down the item description in Maximo so that description changes can only be made through the Asset Catalog.

Reducing Errors and Saving Money

The latest enhancement to Maximo is put to work in the user restrictions area. A basic issue has been that adding data to the user restrictions area in Maximo requires SQL scripts, which needed to be simplified. In addition, this company separates each facility by assigning an area code in Maximo. For example, a user in area ?ZMM? cannot view work orders or PMs in any other area. Problems can arise, however, if a user accidentally assigns a work order or PM to another area, then is unable to view that data.

To solve this problem, a custom application was created in Maximo, adding fields for user ID, name, area, and access privileges. QuickPick for Maximo was then used to validate access in all applications of Maximo, enabling users to access all data for global reporting, but edit only those areas for which they have access privileges. The results have been significant: ?We reduced errors and data corruption, while saving time and money,? the company representative reported. ?Because the whole process is simplified, we have fewer training requirements and less data entry for the Administration group. And all this means fewer support calls.?

Transforming Maximo Into a Trusted Corporate Solution

QuickPick for Maximo has enabled this global furniture manufacturer to maximize the value of its technology investments in Maximo and Oracle Financials. Data is more accurate from end to end, and that has boosted the trust and confidence of not only Maximo users, but also users in Corporate Finance. ?Maximo is now a truly corporate solution,? concluded the company representative. ?QuickPick for Maximo has helped us gain the full power that Maximo has to offer?easily and cost effectively.?