Infor Gives EAM an iPad Interface

November 6, 2012 Alex Woodie

Organizations using enterprise asset management (EAM) software from Infor can now interact with that software through an iPad, the company announced last week. EAM Mobile provides an extension to several Infor EAM products, and will be particularly beneficial to workers in the field or remote locations.

Infor offers several EAM products, including EAM Enterprise, EAM Enterprise Sustainability, and MP2. All of the products are based on the MP2 software that Infor obtained with its Datastream acquisition in 2006; it rebranded it EAM Enterprise in 2007. Both products run only on Windows and Unix servers, but as Infor10 applications, they can share data with other IBM i-based Infor10 ERP systems (including the old MAPICS, BPCS, Infinium, System21, and M3 products, all of which have new, longer names) through Infor’s ION Connect middleware. EAM Enterprise Sustainability adds energy- and environmental-management capabilities to the core EAM Enterprise foundation.

You would be hard pressed to find a better use for tablets that EAM, which by its nature requires workers to go out into the field to maintain and care for assets, such as trucks, trailers, heavy equipment, and other large pieces of machinery that live out in the open.

With EAM Mobile running on an iPad, field service workers can get direct, touch-screen access to the Infor EAM application while servicing the assets under management. EAM Mobile provides access to a range of EAM functionality, including access to work orders and work order history, and the capability to order parts, book labor hours, and add images to the work file.

There is also a calibration module that lets users measure the accuracy of gauges and meters (such as odometers or hour meters), and a meter reading and replacement module that lets users enter metered values for equipment. For organizations affected by the FDA’s 21 CFR Part 11 rules, EAM Mobile provides record-locking and electronic signature capabilities.

“Our EAM Mobile application takes critical tools directly to the workforce and strengthens the communications link between the field and the office on all aspects of asset management, supporting more confident decision-making and productivity,” says Kevin Price, director of EAM for Infor.