Once an asset-intensive company has mastered the basics of Enterprise Asset Management (EAM)—ensuring the people, processes, and data are in line—it allows for the exploration of what can be done in the future.

The latest technologies, such as machine learning and predictive analytics, are being built into EAM software. SAP Intelligent Asset Management (IAM) incorporates these technologies in products such as SAP ASPM (Asset Strategy and Performance Management).

We’ve worked with customers that have mastered the basics and want to make the leap into IAM. One customer, a European chemical company, wanted to implement SAP ASPM to help determine optimal maintenance strategies. The company is implementing ASPM along with Asset Central Foundation (ACF) and SAP Predictive Maintenance & Service (PdMS).

Creating an SAP ASPM Proof of Concept

Before implementing new software, ensure your organization will successfully be able to it. For this client, we set up a proof of concept (POC) with the following goals:

  • Learn more about SAP ASPM – This was to help the customer and Rizing develop a better understanding of ASPM’s capabilities and how the tool could help find the best maintenance strategies. We attended sessions at SAP’s offices to learn what ASPM has to offer.
  • Prototype ASPM Risk and Criticality Assessment – Risk and Criticality Assessments are one of the functions in ASPM that measure the effectiveness of maintenance strategies. In this prototype, we set up relevant data and a criticality matrix to perform the assessment.
  • Prototype ASPM Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) – Same as with the Risk and Criticality Assessment, we set up the necessary data infrastructure to perform the FMEA.
  • Proofing the Reception of Sensor Data in PdMS – Sensor data is a critical component of predictive maintenance.

Building a Roadmap to SAP ASPM, ACF, and PdMS

The six-week POC stage included the learning and prototyping. It gave the chemical company insight into its SAP ASPM adoption path and implementing ACF and PdMS.

We helped determine what functionality they could deliver in the pilot phase and made  recommendations for necessary changes required to setup ASPM.

Additionally, the POC documented the set up of ASPM, ACF, and PdMS, including the technical integrations required with the company’s existing SAP ERP and MII (Manufacturing Integration and Intelligence).

Finally, we documented all required authorizations for the ASPM tool and how to create the functional location/equipment sync with SAP Asset Central.

Next Steps

While a POC identifies the technical requirements of an SAP ASPM implementation, it only touches the tip of the functional technology iceberg. Get end-users involved in the project early by including them in the explanation of the technical integration side of the project. This helps them understand how new tools will apply to their jobs.

Ultimately, Intelligent Asset Management is about enabling your people with the latest software with the most effective time and money saving tools.

Before that happens, it’s important to explore the future to ensure your organization knows what needs to be done to deploy and adopt that software.

Learn how your organization can adopt the latest SAP EAM technologies by watching the  “Get the Basics Right and Explore the Future.” on-demand webinar.