Before the City of Philadelphia Division of Aviation began rolling out Maximo – a state-of-the-art software management system – a couple of years ago, staff in the Communications Center used a very analog mechanism for documenting service requests and emergency incidents.
“Before Maximo, operators would time stamp a Trouble Report upon receiving an emergency or service request call. Then they would write the incident details by hand,” recalls Louis Poinson, manager of the Airport Communications Center. “We relied heavily on handwritten record keeping. With Maximo, they can now create a service log or a work order directly into the system without the need to keep a hard copy. Everything is digital. The system helps us save time when documenting service requests and emergency incidents. It also provides a more efficient and reliable tracking mechanism.”
Poinson and his Communications Center staff aren’t the only ones who have seen a great benefit to Maximo. Milton Robinson, Acting Facilities Manager, observed first-hand how the system changed the Central Supplies and Services and Custodial units at PHL. The units were the first to implement Maximo during its initial rollout in early 2018. The goal was to make their processes fully automated, enhancing efficiency, productivity, and data reporting capabilities.
“Pre-Maximo, Custodial did not have a real means of tracking work that was performed. They were bound to an unreportable paper process” Robinson noted. “Maximo has provided a means for the Custodial unit to receive credit for their work and allow us to process it in reportable format. We also are now capturing a lot of our work through work orders where we did not in the past. Our biggest benefit comes into play when we are subpoenaed for a deposition for slip and falls in the terminals. The reportable format allows us to show we are diligent in our work.
“CSS in my opinion has benefited the most out of all the units thus far,” Robinson added. “They are 100% on Maximo and will only get better. They have adopted new best practices and Maximo has allowed CSS to perform inventory without stopping operations. Maximo has also allowed them to capture signatures electronically when deliveries are made which in turns reduces our carbon footprint from using paper.”
When it was launched two years ago, Maximo -- the cornerstone of a larger enterprise asset management initiative to improve airport facilities, effectively allocate resources, promote cost-effective decision making and enhance customer service through faster response, enhanced communication tools and more reliable facilities -- the plan was to introduce it in phases. The incremental approach would allow for more personalized training and support.
In July 2020, the next phase to be rolled out will include all airport maintenance shops. According to Denise Hurley-Forgach, Senior IT Project Manager, “This software will not only automate the work order process, but will also automate the inspections, preventative maintenance and the reporting process by utilizing the GIS (geospatial) data to pinpoint the exact location for a repair will elevate location errors for generating automated Work Orders.”
While Maximo continues to expand and improve operations among Division of Aviation units, the program is expected to get even better when new features including a new mobile solution is introduced for work order management technology and functionality. The functionality includes the use of smart devices to field and track field work and routine inspections in real time as well as to ensure complete and timely records for all work performed on the airport’s assets.
“The Custodial unit has adapted to the work order system quite nicely. They will benefit even more once the inspection module is implemented along with a new mobile solution,” Robinson said. “Looking back from where we started before we upgraded/implemented the Maximo system, we have come a long way. As we look forward to implementing more to the Maximo system, we will become more efficient with our operations and move closer to being able to calculate our total cost of ownership with our assets.”
