GSI Unveils Maintenance App for IBM i

Published: July 27, 2010

by Alex Woodie

Gamma Software Inc. (GSI), an IBM i business partner based in Oregon, recently launched Maintenance Scheduling System (MSS), a new RPG-based application designed to help companies manage and automate the equipment maintenancetasks involved in the maintenance of equipment.

MSS ensures that maintenance is completed by automatically generating work orders for equipment based on preset factors, such as a certain number of miles, hours, or days of use. Each work order can support up to 999 tasks, and each task can have an unlimited number of instructions, according to GSI.

The software tracks the cost of maintaining equipment according to labor and materials used. MSS can requisition parts from inventory, if it's stocked, or entered separately as a non-stocked item, the company says. The software maintains details on maintenance tasks, costs, and meter-reading for the life of the equipment.

The software will find a home in any industry, GSI president and CEO Gary Mayfield says. "The system can be used by any company that has any kind of equipment that needs to be maintained," he says via e-mail. "Vehicles would be the most common thing but could also include pumps, heating/air conditioning units, or machinery in a manufacturing environment."

GSI's first customer is a dairy in Nova Scotia that needs to keep delivery trucks and plant equipment running well. Other prospects are considering using the software to help maintain ambulances, hospital equipment, mill equipment, and logging trucks, Mayfield says.

MSS uses a 5250 interface, but a GUI is planned for future releases. The software is fully integrated with the rest of GSI's lineup, including its purchasing, inventory, accounts payable, and general ledger products, which are used by about 60 AS/400, iSeries, System i, and Power Systems shops.

Pricing for MSS is tier-based and starts at $15,000. For more information, see the company's website at www.gamma-software.com.

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