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Industry Q&A

Have a question about your equipment, supply chain issue, or other non-MaintainX product specific question? Ask it here!

  • 24 Topics
  • 53 Replies
24 Topics
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
🏆 State of Industrial Maintenance Report 2024: Share Your Insights, Earn Rewards! 🏆

🏆 State of Industrial Maintenance Report 2024: Share Your Insights, Earn Rewards! 🏆 We're thrilled to announce the release of our first annual State of Industrial Maintenance Report for 2024! To celebrate, we're kicking off an exciting community discussion series with chances to earn rewards. Let's dive in!📊 About the ReportOur comprehensive report, based on a global survey of 1,165 MRO professionals, reveals fascinating insights into the current state of industrial maintenance, including:The paradox of decreasing downtime incidents but rising costs Impact of aging equipment on operations Growing skilled labor shortages Shift towards predictive maintenance strategies🔍 Curious? Check out the full report here. 🎁 Earn Rewards! Over the next two weeks, we'll be posting a series of questions based on key findings from the report. This is your chance to share your experiences and insights - and win!For this kickoff post: The top 5 replies with the most likes will each earn a $50 gift ca

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Eric F.Emerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
How to associate electrical parts in large enclosures with assets

Hello,We are working to setup our MaintainX CMMS. I am curious what you all do in the following situation.  Example: we have a cooking kettle as a parent asset in a processing room location The kettle has associated valves, pumps, mixer/agitator, gearmotor, etc. which seem to make sense to be child assets of the kettle.  On the other hand, we have electrical enclosures that might have 6 VFDs, many circuit breakers, fuses, harmonic filters, PLCs, etc inside. The equipment in the enclosure powers and controls 6 different assets. If the VFD for the kettle product pump motor is in the electrical enclosure, do you all make the VFD a child asset of the parent kettle asset?, or do you make the electrical enclosure the parent asset and everything of great enough value inside the enclosure is a child asset of the electrical enclosure?Or would you have a parent electrical asset for each production room and then breaker panels, electrical enclosures and everything inside, conduits/wiring in the r

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Guy Leppin
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Maintenance Professionals the Bridge to Industrial AI Success

In a recent article our CEO, Chris Turlica, highlights a critical challenge facing many organizations: the potential loss of irreplaceable maintenance knowledge as experienced professionals retire. The stakes are high, with studies showing North American aviation companies losing 11.5% of their maintenance workforce annually, and up to 40% of maintenance professionals potentially retiring across industries within five years. Chris suggests a straight-forward solution: combining human expertise with AI to create intelligent systems that can capture, preserve, and distribute this critical knowledge. Rather than replacing workers, these AI copilots would enhance their capabilities, helping document insights and making crucial information more accessible to both veteran technicians and new recruits.Read the full article here. Join the conversation! What challenges have you faced in preserving institutional knowledge at your organization, and how do you think AI tools could help bridge the

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JCathey
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Building Trust in AI: Insights from the Field

I recently wrote a piece for Smart Industry about something I keep seeing out in the field. Companies are under pressure to “do something with AI,” but many are skipping a key step: getting buy-in from the teams who actually use it.  Check out the article here:https://www.smartindustry.com/artificial-intelligence/article/55276845/if-ai-isnt-the-problem-what-is-maybe-trust-from-frontline-teams Here’s the gist: If your technicians don’t trust the system, they’re not going to follow its recommendations. And honestly, they’re often right not to. I’ve watched smart people ignore alerts because the data didn’t make sense, or worse, because they couldn’t tell where it came from.  My take? Building a unified data foundation (a single source of truth) should come first. It creates the shared operational reality and transparency your team needs to trust AI in the first place. That means your AI tools should be pulling from credible sources like OEM equipment manuals, standard operating procedure

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nickhaase
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David MitchellEmerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
Equipment reassingment

How do you reassign equipment, so the meters and all related information follow the reassignment?

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James Beers
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Sidiki SakoEmerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
Time zone management

Hi MX teamThank you for your regular updates and invitations. I’m pleased to be part of this matter.I have a concern regarding time zone management in MX within our company. We have several units around the world, and we often create work orders (WO) assigned to teams regardless of their location. However, due to the differences in time zones, the WOs sometimes switch to overdue unexpectedly.Is it possible to set a different time zone for each location on MX so that WOs can be tracked effectively?Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Navigating the 'AI Trap'

 As co-founder of MaintainX, I believe that manufacturers are falling into an "AI trap" by rushing to implement artificial intelligence solutions without proper understanding or foundation. In this article, I explain that while AI will reshape manufacturing within five years, most people tasked with bringing AI strategies forward don't really understand the technology or how it works. This leads to failed implementations and wasted resources.The key to success lies in building a strong data foundation that combines both machine data (from sensors/IoT) and human-generated insights (from operators and maintenance records) before jumping into AI adoption. At MaintainX, we see this pattern emerging across the industry, where pressure from boards and FOMO (fear of missing out) are driving hasty AI implementations that ultimately fail to deliver value.Read the entire article here.Engage with our Community:The article discusses the importance of capturing both machine data and human-generated

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James Beers
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JAMES Howard ISEmerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
VISITOR / CONTRACTOR LOG BOOK VIA PORTAL?

Has anyone set up a portal for a visitor / contractor / vendor portal to log visits?I’m setting up a work order request portal to see if I can get my contractors/visitors to use in place of a log book/guest desk check in routine.Our factory does not have a main reception desk that is ever manned, however, we need to know how many people are in the factory other than our time card workers for evacuation and safety purposes.The front door is either “Buzzed in” or if we know someone is going to arrive we go out to meet them… but we have no log in desk.We also have a policy that contractor insurance is checked for being current before work begins on their visits.I'm building a custom work order request  portal with instructions for the vendors as a work around and putting instructions for our safety and insurance policy validation in it, printing up giant QR codes on a sign that “mandates” they check in for “self service” check ins/check outs at our service entrances where contractors snea

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Cavalry ClubEmerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
wine enthusiasts wine locker control board

The unit in question is a wine enthusiasts tower with 3 units inside full power from the going to all 3 units but the controll board is not lighting up installed a new one still same issue help would be appreciated 

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Ignacio Garrido
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
🏆 State of Industrial Maintenance Report 2024: Topic 2 - Preventive Maintenance Gap 🏆

Hello again, MaintainX Community!We're back with another finding from our State of Industrial Maintenance Report 2024. Let's dive into our second discussion question and another chance to win prizes! 🎁 Win Prizes! Remember, your insights are valuable! For this post:The top 5 replies with the most likes will each earn a $50 gift card!(This will be tallied across each question at the end of September) 🤔 Our Second Question Our report revealed a significant gap in preventive maintenance practices:While 86.8% of facilities use preventive maintenance, 59% dedicate less than half their time to it. Where does your facility stand? What challenges do you face in increasing time spent on preventive maintenance?How to Participate:Read the Question: Reflect on the finding and question above. Share Your Insights: Post a reply with your experience and thoughts. Be specific and detailed! Engage: Like and comment on other posts to support your fellow community members.Tips for a Great Response:Share

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Barrettmarx
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
🏆 State of Industrial Maintenance Report 2024: Topic 3 - Tackling the Skilled Labor Shortage 🏆

Hello MaintainX Community!We're back with our third and final discussion question from our State of Industrial Maintenance Report 2024. This time, we're addressing a critical challenge facing our industry. Let's dive in! 🎁 Earn Prizes!Your insights are more valuable than ever! For this final post:The top 5 replies with the most likes will each earn a $50 gift card!Don’t forget - you can still submit replies to our first and second questions to win!🤔 Our Third QuestionOur report highlighted a significant challenge in the maintenance industry:60% of respondents cited skilled labor shortage as the main barrier to improving maintenance programs. How is your facility addressing this challenge? Share your strategies for attracting and retaining skilled workers.How to Participate:Read the Question: Reflect on the finding and question above. Share Your Insights: Post a reply with your experience and thoughts. Be specific and detailed! Engage: Like and comment on other posts to support your f

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nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Trending in Industry: The Power of Data in Manufacturing

We recently came across a fascinating episode of the (R)Evolutionizing Manufacturing podcast that got us thinking about the role of data in our industry. The hosts, Jeff Winter and Scott Achelpohl, dive deep into how data is shaping the future of manufacturing.It's a bit of an eye-opener, isn't it? We all know data is important, but hearing experts break down just how crucial it is for digital transformation, decision-making, and even financial success really puts things in perspective.This got us wondering about our own experiences with data in maintenance and manufacturing. Have you ever had a "lightbulb moment" where good data helped you solve a tricky problem? Or maybe you've struggled with poor quality data and seen how it can throw a wrench in the works?We'd love to hear your stories! How has data impacted your day-to-day operations? Have you implemented any cool data-driven initiatives lately? What challenges have you faced in collecting or using data effectively?Your real-world

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nickhaase
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G FrosEmerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
Has the freight industry turned around?

I’m looking to get back into the freight industry I have been off work and not keeping up and I was wondering if anybody knows if the industry and Rates and turned around from the down slopes was on

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James Beers
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Trending in the Industry: Workforce Training and Knowledge Retention

The WSJ recently published an article about Boeing's huge challenge of training new employees after many of their experienced workers left.This got us thinking about our own experiences with knowledge transfer. Have you ever started a new job and felt overwhelmed trying to learn everything from scratch? Or maybe you’ve been the one tasked with training newbies while juggling your regular work? It’s tough, right?Boeing's story is a reminder of how important it is to have good training programs and ways to pass on vital knowledge. When seasoned workers leave, they take years of experience with them, and it's not easy to fill those shoes.We’d love to hear your stories. How have you handled situations where important knowledge needed to be passed on? What’s worked for you and what hasn’t? Maybe you’ve discovered a great way to make sure new team members get up to speed quickly, or maybe you’ve faced some hurdles along the way. Let’s chat about it! Your experiences and insights can help all

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James Beers
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Analytics Insight: AI Innovations Driving Resilient Manufacturing Processes

Analytics Insight recently published an article about how AI innovations are driving more resilient manufacturing processes.This got us thinking about how AI can revolutionize maintenance operations. Imagine a world where AI not only predicts when a machine will need maintenance but also optimizes supply chains to ensure everything runs smoothly. This isn't science fiction—it's happening now and promises to become even more critical as technology advances.Have you seen AI in action in your workplace? Maybe it's helped streamline your operations, reduce costs, or improve product quality. Or perhaps you're curious about how AI could benefit your team but aren't sure where to start.We’d love to hear your thoughts and experiences. How do you think predictive maintenance powered by AI can improve maintenance operations and manufacturing resilience? What benefits have you seen, or what challenges do you foresee?Let’s chat about it! Your insights can help us all understand how to harness AI's

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pwalker5656Emerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
How do I set up a recurring PM work order semi annually for safety items and inspections

Ensure fire extinguishers are present where required. Ensure fire escapes and stairs are free of obstructions. Ensure chemicals are disposed of according to the instructions. Ensure chemical products are sealed, clearly labeled, and stored.  Determine if first-aid kits are well-stocked.   Ensure safety signs and equipment labels are visible and in good condition. Check and clean respirators.  Check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.  Check fire alarm system. Check condition of fire escapes. 

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James Beers
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Brent WollastonEmerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
Creating Work Order using API

Hello,Does anyone have experience of creating a MaintainX workorder via an API from a MES (or equivalent system which is used to track the Asset equipment running status)?  What is desired is that if an Operator sets an Equipment Asset to Offline (due to a fault condition), that a Corrective Workorder is automatically created in MaintainX (bypassing the Request step).The generated Workorder reference number could also be passed back to the MES as the reference ID for the downtime event.ThanksBrent

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Mike
MikeSkilled Contributor
asked in Industry Q&A
"Closed" Loop Water System?

Closed-loop water systems are water circulation systems that function in a contained environment where the water remains isolated from the atmosphere and the makeup requirements are minimal- NIH Technical News BulletinIf the top of a water holding tank is covered but not sealed airtight, is the system still considered isolated from atmosphere?

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nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Trending in the Industry: Exploring AI Regulation

Stay updated on the trends shaping maintenance and operations to drive smarter decisions.Today’s article is from the World Economic Forum: Why Regulating AI Can Be Surprisingly Straightforward (Providing You Have Eternal Vigilance)Key Takeaways:Straightforward Regulation: Effective AI regulation is achievable with a commitment to transparency, accountability, and continuous oversight. Ethical AI Development: Balancing innovation with ethical considerations ensures AI serves humanity positively. Industry Impact: Proper AI regulation can significantly enhance operational efficiency and safety in maintenance and operations.At MaintainX, we believe that responsible AI development is essential for building a future where technology truly serves humanity. This means embracing transparency, accountability, and adaptability as core principles in our AI-powered maintenance solutions. By focusing on outcomes and mitigating risks, we can unlock the full potential of AI to optimize operations, red

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nickhaase
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Industry Lingo Question

How do folks at your company refer to the maintenance, operations, safety, operations teams?For example, are they referred to specifically as it relates to their job (ie Maintenance - ‘techs’ or ‘technicians’)?Are they referred to as frontline team? Operations team? Shop floor team? Also, I’d also love to hear what you would prefer if you don’t necessarily love the way your organization refers to those groups today. 

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nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Manufacturing Monday: American Manufacturers Seek Perfection as Quality Issues Mount

Great article in the Wall Street Journal today on how American manufacturers are scrambling to manage quality control challenges and hoping digital solutions can help. https://www.wsj.com/business/american-manufacturers-seek-perfection-as-quality-issues-mount-6883d6b8?st=oorkkz5xa1pquc3&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink What best practices or tools does your team use to help manage quality control that have helped reduce or eliminate quality issues??

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James Beers
nickhaase
nickhaaseMaintainX Community Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Industry Trend Predictions for 2024

Let's talk about your predictions for 2024! What industry trends do you think might make a big impact this year? It can be related to your specific industry or more broadly around reliability.Join the conversation:Share your prediction: Share a trend that you think will be impactful in 2024 for your industry or organization. Tell us why: Briefly tell us why you think it's a game-changer Implications: What could this mean for your work or others across the industry?

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nickhaase
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Sofus MikkelsenEmerging Technician
asked in Industry Q&A
Documents & Certificate Library

Good day.I have Several Assets that have Certificates. That I need to keep together withe asset. the same assets I need the have external Inspections on some yearly some bi yearly.  just wondering how other users are storing Certificates and Inspection Reportsand keeping track of expiry date’s

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nickhaase
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SamaDamaMaintainX Team
posted in Industry Q&A
Anyone else get hit by the cold front?

We got a quarry in Boston that got a dump of snow this last week and set us back a whole day in production. What weather management strategies do you have? Or do you just forecast that in your projections? 

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