75% of EAM users report little-to-no mobile access

Users of enterprise asset management (EAM) and computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software report low levels of access to these systems through handheld mobile devices, according to a new IFS-sponsored survey of executives from industrial companies with $50 million or more in revenue.

Of these executives, 75 per cent report little to no mobile access to data kept in enterprise asset management (EAM) software, computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) or other applications used to manage maintenance and asset data. Only 34 per cent reported using a handheld mobile device to perform work in these systems.

According to the research, higher levels of access were reported by respondents using native apps developed by their enterprise software vendor and connecting to the application either through a cloud intermediary or through a direct integration into the application itself.

“The study indicates that those who limit remote access to connection solutions like VPN tend to be less likely to report high levels of access and are less likely to be working in the software from a handheld device,” IFS North America vice president for Energy and Asset Management Patrick Zirnhelt said in a statement. “Our own approach includes native Android and iOS apps for any number of different functions and an Android and Microsoft work order management app which is key for the industrial maintenance process. Our full application interface also works on a touchscreen device in Windows 8. By eliminating third-party intermediary tools, companies are in a better position to harness the benefits of mobility.”

The study, “Mobility in EAM,” is based on a survey of 200 North American industrial executives. It is available for free download at: http://download.ifsworld.com/studies.