Asset Performance Management Update from Datastream

Web-based 7i adds upgraded calibration, auditing, reporting and geographic information system functionality

Web-based 7i adds upgraded calibration, auditing, reporting and geographic information system functionality

Greenville, SC — September 24, 2004 — Enterprise asset management (EAM) Datastream Systems has released the latest version of its Web-based EAM solution, adding upgraded calibration, auditing, reporting and geographic information system functionality to its flagship offering.

The newest version of Datastream 7i, an asset performance management solution, includes upgraded capabilities to let users from the shop floor to the executive suite access the Web-based solution to leverage business intelligence and streamline their operations and asset management processes, the solution provider said.

"The enhancements to this release of Datastream 7i include product functionality that enables customers to deploy easy-to-use and easy-to-configure zero-footprint HTML interfaces that match the roles of end-users," Datastream said in announcing the new solution.

In addition, Datastream 7i includes broader key performance indicator (KPI) and alerting capabilities to enable customers to access the information they need to make business decisions when they need it. This feature is intended to shorten the amount of time required to identify and resolve asset performance issues, helping to reduce their impact on operations.

The new version also provides beefed up regulatory compliance features, including the addition of a calibration module to Datastream 7i Extended and the ability to apply auditing rules to custom fields and comments. This facilitates compliance and reduces the risk of costly violations for customers in regulated industries, such as pharmaceutical, oil and gas, and nuclear power, according to Datastream.

Elsewhere, geographic information system (GIS) integration, including geo-coded address searches, allow companies to find assets via a specific street intersection. This integration also includes the ability to map out locations of multiple assets for more effective planning and scheduling.

Inspections capabilities in the new version are designed to enable customers to set up and execute inspections through Datastream 7i Extended, providing users with a Web-based interface to add defined columns in order to support more complex inspections.

The purchasing and materials management capabilities in 7i include new support for blanket purchase orders, including monetary and status change security controls. Features also include the services procurement ability to book hours and the percent of contracted-work complete and document accomplishments for billing and invoicing purposes.

Finally, the updated Web-based interface includes new work module capabilities that enable employee qualification specification, warranty processing enhancements, Microsoft Project 2003 integration and support for the vehicle maintenance record system (VMRS) standard, which provides the pre-populated codes essential for fleet management applications.

"Large enterprises in regulated industries, such as pharmaceutical and government, want to extend their enterprise applications to new platforms and users while also maintaining strict compliance control over work processes," said Datastream President and CEO Larry Blackwell. "Datastream 7i delivers on both fronts. Its Web services foundation enables customers to extend the application through role-based interfaces and provides fully integrated support for regulations such as 21 CFR 11 in pharmaceutical, GASB in government and VMRS in transportation."

In discussing the new solution from Datastream, Houghton Leroy, a research director with technology consultancy ARC Advisory Group, highlighted the role of real-time performance management as an essential business strategy for enterprises today. "With its advanced asset performance management capabilities, Datastream 7i can deliver the visibility and extensibility enterprises require to optimize the performance of their assets on a global scale, while also uniformly enforcing compliance procedures," Leroy said.




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