SRO upgrades a global US shipping company to the latest Maximo version.

The shipping division of US energy company undertakes major IBM Maximo digital upgrade of their global fleet with SRO Solutions.

SRO Solutions has been selected to carry out a full digital upgrade of the IBM Maximo asset management system used by the company's 30-strong global shipping fleet.

The Client has used Maximo alongside SRO’s data replication tool (SDR) to manage its vessels' running and maintenance for more than a decade. Databases onboard each ship log a wide range of information from work orders to maintenance schedules, while the SDR tool allows that data to be shared securely across the entire network. The system is specifically designed for use in remote locations where internet connection is poor, allowing each ship to receive the same quality of service as a connected site onshore.

The upgrade project will involve moving all 30 vessels to Maximo version 7.6.1.2, as IBM is due to end support for the current version of the software (7.6.0) in September 2021.

SRO successfully completed a similar Maximo upgrade for the company in 2016, using SDU - a bespoke data utility product that cuts the amount of downtime required for the work from weeks to hours.

Tony Lackey, SRO Solutions managing director, said:

“In this type of situation where a business is using Maximo aboard multiple offshore assets, the amount of system downtime required to complete a software upgrade is of huge significance. Many companies simply cannot risk facing a prolonged period of downtime that could drag on for weeks. SDU removes that uncertainty.”

Over the coming months, new versions of the energy firm’s Maximo databases will be built and shipped to each vessel. Meanwhile, the SDU tool will continually sync data between the old and new system, allowing them to run in parallel while the vessels continue normal operations. The final switchover can be completed in just a few hours once testing is complete.

Mr Lackey added:

“Without the SDU tool to sync data and allow the old and new systems to work in tandem, you would have to stop each vessel using replication while building and physically shipping out a new Maximo environment. That could result in days or weeks of downtime for the replication, potentially impeding operations significantly.

“If something goes wrong and a vessel cannot reach an agreed location to receive its upgrade, you would then have to fly a pen drive containing its new Maximo environment to wherever the ship was heading next. All of a sudden, that specific vessel might be facing additional weeks without replication.

“SDU ensured the previous Maximo upgrade project went to plan, and we completed the entire fleet within a week. We are delighted to have the opportunity to support them again and look forward to achieving a similarly smooth outcome.”   

Planning for the Maximo upgrade began earlier this month, and the project is expected to complete in Q4 2021.