New technologies can transform the management of assets to make
them more productive and less costly to maintain. Annie Gurton
reports
Just as new technologies are revolutionising supply chains,
retailing and customer support, dramatic changes are taking place
in the world of asset management. Whether fixed or mobile, digital
or intellectual, assets form the crown jewels of any business.
Competitiveness and survival depend on whether they are cherished,
protected and managed efficiently.
Historically, asset management required physical checks on the
location and status of plant and equipment and maintenance of all
intellectual property. Asset management software has been available
for some time and will compute the depreciation and value of
assets. But this pales with the powers of the new generation of
asset management solutions.
All checking and monitoring procedures are now automated so that
physical checks are only required occasionally and assets virtually
manage themselves. Not only is the need for people dramatically
reduced, but assets can be proactive about service and maintenance,
generating previously over-looked revenue benefits in several
ways.
Unfortunately, many IT managers are just waking up to the
potential commercial and financial benefits of new generation asset
management or recognising their importance to strategic
decision-making.
Alison Barnes, marketing communications manager with PSDI, a
provider of enterprise asset management solutions with its Maximo
product, says, "Enterprise asset management has been around for a
while. But it is now enhanced by Web, wireless and intelligent
technology and offers more than standard benefits of asset
management software."
Enterprise asset management gives real-time control over the
location and knowledge about use and status of assets. Armed with
better knowledge of the service records and life-cycle of items,
managers can consolidate asset management activity and plan for
long-term development.
Even better, assets will virtually manage themselves, requesting
servicing and maintenance before it is essential, ordering
consumables and alerting managers when redundant. The first benefit
of asset management is in savings in resources and staff.
"With use of GSM, wireless technology, embedded chips and
tracking devices, it is possible to know exactly where all assets
are. This reduces staff and time needed to monitor location and
status of items," says Barnes.
The second benefit is the 'invisible loss' of assets when they
go missing or become unusable because they are in the wrong
location or not serviced.
Barnes adds, "New asset management enables a firm to manage the
infrastructure of offices, plant and facilities more effectively by
better scheduling and managing of maintenance-related work."
Intelligent assets
Assets are now intelligent enough use wireless application
protocol to call an engineer before service or maintenance work
becomes essential. Consumables like toner drums can be ordered
before they run out by linking assets to the e-procurement system,
eliminating paying for inventory of toner. Barnes adds, "It is also
possible for production lines and manufacturing plants to keep
themselves going indefinitely by requesting servicing and
replacements before they are due and the system goes down. The
savings on management staff and downtime can be considerable."
Gemplus, a supplier of smart embedded chips, has products to
monitor medical equipment, industrial garments and books. A
spokesperson for the company says, "Gemplus supplies handheld
readers linked by radio to laptop computers, to identify medical
units, engineering tools and record and update information in a
central database. The database is accessible via corporate intranet
and allows real time access to critical information about location,
distribution, service and product status on a global basis."
This system has enabled a subsidiary of Bio Medical Research,
BMR NeuroTech, to efficiently determine inventory shipping status
and provide accurate and timely information about costly specialist
medical equipment. The Gemplus technology prevents it getting lost
and ensures it is in use for maximum time. The technology also
enhances the power of hospital managers to make timely and
well-informed decisions. In the US, Gemplus systems are used for
textile identification and garment tracking. An ultra-thin tag, so
fine it can be sewn to fabric, is used for expensive special work
garments so people wearing them, can be tracked in real-time.
Embedded intelligence
Although firms might continue using old asset management systems
and processes, they will become more apparent.
John Mahon, vice-president of sales with asset management
software supplier Tally Systems, explains,"While some firms are
figuring out what systems they have, how they are configured, what
intellectual assets they have and how they are monitored, their
savvy competitors will generate extra income from previously-hidden
digital assets and get better performance from plants and
equipment.
"There are obvious benefits from using the new Internet and
wireless-based asset management technology. It includes embedded
intelligence. These are ensuring the firm is paying and receiving
the right amount for software licences, so there is no risk of
falling foul of the Federation Against Software Theft or losing
revenue from potential clients.
"Also, mobile equipment doesn't go missing or lose out on being
upgraded," adds Mahon.
"Managers can understand better the current state of enterprise
and assets, making better informed decisions."
Tally's products can track all hardware and digital assets
wherever located; protect mobile assets and ensure all
remotely-based applications are up to date; and establish
connections between leases, contracts and service agreements within
financial systems and products. All TS products alert the
appropriate managers when actions need to be taken, making
management more pro-active and less labour-intensive.
Ultimately, all assets will be linked and accessible by
authorised managers using Internet and wireless technology.
Robin Mannings, principal consultant with BT's Mobility
division, says, "There are still issues to be clarified like
standards. There needs to be more widespread agreement so products
and asset management systems can talk. New computer mark-up
languages under XML will provide convergence of existing variations
and render asset information accessible from devices across many
different electronic access channels."
Mannings also predicts biometric control systems will be used to
ensure only authorised managers have access to information and they
will control the systems by voice. Eventually, all access systems
for status information will be electronic.
He says, "The integration between new technologies is evolving.
At the moment, power of asset is only in the imagination. But the
point is those companies, which ignore it will be last to adopt it
when it moves to fast, intelligent automated systems. The business
benefits and bottom line advantages new technology asset management
will deliver will set forward-thinking enterprises apart from the
rest."
t Planes, phones & automobiles: IBM's wireless application
proposals, p50
Keep tabs on your assets
The barcode is already used extensively for management of plant
and equipment assets. Soon, GSM telephones with integral barcode
readers will automatically meter asset identity, location, service
and usage status and send information with a timestamp to the
central database and server using the new GSM packetdata system
General Packet Radio System (GPRS).
Mobile devices and items will be on an Internet connection which
will not be charged by the unit of time (as with data calls) or per
message (as with the SMS services). GPRS is becoming the de facto
standard for mobile data and communications links, including asset
management applications.
One dimensional bar codes will be replaced by other printed
media like 2D barcodes and pictorial watermarks. Eventually it will
be possible to use printed radio frequency identity tags, even on
wet and live assets.
Bluetooth is likely to become adopted for asset management.
Suzanne Stuart-Smith, of standards consultancy e-centre, says,
"Radio will also be used increasingly for asset control.
Information will be put on Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)
tag which will send signals to automatically link to central
servers. It will no longer be necessary to use scanners because
radio waves will transfer required information."
Stuart-Smith points out the Home Office has recently created a
'chipping of goods' initiative and is providing funds to use RFID
more widely. "The incentive behind the Home Office's move is
reducing crime and increasing ability to track and provenance of
goods. But there are other benefits for businesses which adopt
technology."
GSM technology tracks mobile assets
The challenge of tracking mobile and remote workers' equipment
is more challenging than monitoring items permanently in one
location.
A Global Positioning by Satellite (GPS) system called
PurpleFinder exploiting Web and satellite technology is being
marketed by a firm called Pole Star. PurpleFinder features the
ability to locate assets in a remote or off-site location in
real-time, communicating with assets using embedded chips and
micro-modems and monitor items with sensors and diagnostics. It
then reports to authorised managers.
Julian Longstone, vice-president marketing with Pole Star, says,
"PurpleFinder uses GPS in conjunction with land-based communication
services to provide global, two-way, real-time Web-access to
standard and exception-based asset positions, messages and
monitored data. It is a simple, easy, flexible and cost-effective
way to track fleet, IT and engineer's equipment and other assets.
All that is required is a simple transceiver unit for each asset
connected to an Internet-enabled device. No other special hardware
or software is required."
As well as management, PurpleFinder has a specific role in fleet
and route management and other applications. Longstone says,
"Managers in many types of enterprise need ways to monitor assets
which are moved away from a central location."
Benefits include reduction in theft, because prospective thieves
know the item is being tracked, better use of assets as they are
not 'lost' and no more confusion about identity and life cycle of
specific products, because each is tagged.
He adds, "PurpleFinder is widely used in marine environments. We
are building its presence in container tracking and fleet control.
There are also new land mobile applications coming online.'
Benefits of smart assets
- Assets do not get lost (because location is not
known)
- Assets are maintained better. Engineers are alerted of
maintenance requirements before service is needed
- Assets can order own consumables direct from the suppliers,
saving time
- Assets are pre-sold before the lifecycle is reached, enabling
best prices to be recouped
- Assets are used more effectively within enterprises, avoiding
the need for renting or purchase of unnecessary
duplicates
- Helpdesk support is more effective
- Digital assets are logged more accurately and in more
detail
- Illicit flaunting of copyright or patents is
minimised
- Charges for use of copyrighted material is made
automatically
- Licences are managed more efficiently
- Can include digitised photographs and other graphics. Systems
can search and monitor the Internet for illicit use of copyrighted
material