ServiceMax Launches New Predix ASM Software for Equipment Operators
Proactive equipment maintenance continues to be a priority for power plant operators. ServiceMax, a GE Digital company that provides field service management software, on October 25 announced it has launched its Predix ServiceMax Asset Service Management (ASM), a new offering to help operators “transform their entire asset maintenance process from a break-fix model to a predictive service model.”
“Companies that operate mission critical assets have unique needs from our traditional field service management customers, such as OEMs [original equipment manufacturers] and service-only organizations,” said Scott Berg, CEO of ServiceMax. “In recognizing these pain points for operators, our new ServiceMax Asset Service Management solution was built to meet the needs of companies that service a wide array of products they operate, increasing uptime, optimizing resource utilization, and improving safety and compliance. We are committed to providing solutions that provide the best end user experience and enable unparalleled predictive maintenance capabilities.”
GE’s portfolio of Predix software is widely used in the power generation industry. Exelon last year announced a multi-year agreement to deploy Predix across the company’s six electric utilities as it looked to enhance reliability and efficient service to its customers. Exelon’s utilities are using the Predix advanced analytics to strengthen transmission and delivery systems. POWER Executive Editor Aaron Larson interviewed Brian Hurst, vice president and Chief Analytics Officer for Exelon Utilities; Brian Hoff, head of the Exelon corporate innovation team; Lisa Howard, Exelon’s external communications director; and Ankush Agarwal, director of infrastructure analytics for Exelon Utilities last October during the GE Minds + Machines Conference in San Francisco, California. That interview is available in a POWER podcast.
GE on Thursday said the ServiceMax ASM can organize delivery of service on any power plant asset and across all operator service needs, including planned, predictive, and reactive service jobs. The new software is designed to allow planners and dispatchers to shift planning to address the 24/7 nature of planned maintenance. It also allows for crew management to create and assign resources for jobs, including assisted dispatch for recommendations on the best technicians with the right skillset, certifications and availability. It also provides map views and drive time estimates to help with scheduling.
GE said ServiceMax ASM supports three major pillars—optimizing resources utilization, using asset data for smarter maintenance, and improving safety and compliance.
The software includes a mobile app to help technicians, crews, and contractors view all jobs, available resources, and map locations. It supports work orders with data on assets, location, service history, and parts. The application also provides offline access to required information.
“Unplanned downtime negatively impacts revenue and safety, which makes reducing it a high priority for asset-heavy industries,” said Ralph Rio, vice president of Enterprise Software for Massachusetts-based ARC Advisory Group. “ServiceMax, leveraging its success in field service, now offers solutions for owners and operators that are focused on asset performance and uptime in addition to technician operational excellence.”
The new software has been configured to allow customers to leverage both ASM and GE Digital’s Predix Asset Performance Management (APM) application, including access to root cause analysis, risk assessments, diagnostics and recommendations. The combined solution “allows service departments to track critical assets, plan for maintenance with minimal disruption, and deliver service efficiently, optimizing the right resources for every job, and ultimately helping operators lower service costs and eliminate unplanned downtime,” GE said.
—Darrell Proctor is a POWER associate editor (@DarrellProctor1, @POWERmagazine).