Press Release:  Maintenance Information In The Palm Of Your Hands

TIG International introduces its Plant Maintenance Assistant (PMA) tool, a mobile computing solution built specifically for maintenance engineers.

TIG International has announced the release of its Plant Maintenance Assistance, a software application delivering on the long-awaited promise of automatic, paper-free collection of information when performing maintenance on any piece of equipment.  The Plant Maintenance Assistant allows an organisation’s valuable maintenance engineers to spend more time maintaining equipment, by eliminating laborious paper-based reporting and recording procedures and freeing engineers from the need to lug heavy maintenance manuals with them for multiple jobs.

Specifically built for the latest mobile computing devices, the Plant Maintenance Assistant solution can run on any handheld device that runs the PalmOS or Microsoft CE software.  In order to unleash the full power of the software however a ruggerdised bar code scanner is recommended.  These devices are modified Palm units with a built-in bar-code scanner, allowing all of a job’s information, such as materials used or work conducted, to be captured via simple scanning procedures.

The Plant Maintenance Assistant is able to retrieve information from an organisation’s maintenance system, allowing engineers to carry an electronic jobs list in priority order as well as a description of what is required for each job.

The PMA tool allows the automation of job closure and status reporting.

It conveys job information, such as required start and end times as well as expected effort to the maintenance engineer.

It can also automatically record material consumption against a job, provide detailed instructions and record new notes regarding a specific activity.

The software also allows ad hoc or unplanned reporting of maintenance tasks, to be entered into the system as new maintenance jobs are discovered.

Once an engineer has completed a shift or list of tasks, the information flow is reversed and the organisation’s computerised maintenance system is updated with the most recent information captured on the engineer’s hand-held assistant.

TIG International’s Plant Maintenance Assistant is a data collection system designed to bring a company’s plant maintenance functionality to life.  It allows organisations to maximise their workforce productivity, provide the highest levels of accuracy and accountability while eliminating paperwork from maintenance procedures.  Having the ability to enter information about a job as it’s worked on, means that engineers don’t need to try and remember what they’ve done and can continue on to their next job immediately.

The Plant Maintenance Assistant also does away with computer jargon on the display, using instead industry standard terms that engineers understand.  This also increases the ease with which engineers are able to learn the operation of the solution, ensuring rapid uptake throughout an organisation’s workforce.

The PMA tool is currently available with an Open Database Connectivity (ODBC) interface and a text-file interface. However TIG International specialises in directly interfacing with ERP systems and specific interfaces to these systems such as SAP R/3 and Mincom MIMS are being produced.

Complete solutions

TIG International's goal is to provide companies with easy to install and use mobile computing solutions that are most appropriate for each individual company’s business requirements.  TIG International does not rely on any one hardware provider, but helps companies choose the most appropriate tools for their business requirements.

TIG only supports mobile equipment with a proven track record in the conditions that companies demand.  All equipment is put through TIG International’s own detailed assessment criteria before it is added to its recommended products list.  TIG International is constantly working with the leading manufacturers to ensure it is fully briefed on the latest product developments and importantly can transfer this knowledge independently to its customers.

TIG's solutions are enhanced by the integration of bar-code, RFID and even voice recognition technologies, where appropriate, to capture information and apply it to fields on the user screen then interface this information with the customers enterprise system.  By combining barcode data collection with TIG International's mobile solutions, companies can increase their data collection accuracy, reduce the time required for data collection, eliminate paper-based procedures, and significantly reduce resource requirements.

About TIG International:

TIG International is the Australian enterprise mobile computing solutions provider. TIG International offers a range of technical consulting and support services including integration, software application development and mobile computing.  TIG International’s customers include Johnson & Johnson, OPSM, Sony Australia, Varian, IP Australia, Department of Treasury, Qld Project Services, BridgeStone, Director of Public Prosecutions, Steelmark, Novartis Seeds, Reebok Australia, Australian War Memorial, Australian Federal Police, Orica Explosives, Santa Clara Transport, Department of Communications and the Arts, Australia Post, DETYA, Health Care Australia.