Maximo as a Data Anchor in the Digital Thread

The concept of a digital thread — a seamless flow of data throughout the lifecycle of a product or system — is essential for modern engineering organizations. Maximo, as a repository for real-time operational data, provides critical inputs that can inform upstream engineering decisions.

When connected with IBM DOORS Next via OSLC (Open Services for Lifecycle Collaboration), Maximo allows operational teams to trace asset behaviors directly back to their original requirements. This traceability helps close the loop between design intent and in-field performance. For instance:

• Example Use Case: A turbine in an energy plant is exhibiting unexpected wear. The operational data captured in Maximo can be linked to its design requirements in DOORS Next, revealing that real-world operating conditions diverged from the original design assumptions. This insight informs future design iterations.

Similarly, Maximo can integrate with Engineering Test Management (ETM) to bring real-world performance data into the test environment. Engineers can:

• Adjust testing protocols based on actual failure modes captured in Maximo.
• Refine preventive maintenance plans using validated test data and field reports.

By feeding this data into ETM, testing becomes more predictive, efficient, and risk-aware.

Supporting Compliance Across Systems

Compliance is not optional in industries like aerospace, medical devices, and nuclear energy — it’s mission-critical. Maximo’s built-in capabilities for logging maintenance activities, managing calibration records, and enforcing workflows already support regulatory needs. But when integrated with ELM tools, Maximo becomes part of a holistic compliance solution.

• Change and Configuration Management: When a change request is initiated in Engineering Workflow Management (EWM), it can be linked to related assets in Maximo, allowing change traceability from design through operations.
• Audit Readiness: IBM ELM provides version control, baselining, and traceability. By integrating Maximo, audit trails now include operational states and asset histories.
• Deviation and Exception Handling: When deviations are logged in Maximo, they can trigger risk analyses and mitigation workflows within IBM Engineering Requirements Management or Risk Analysis tools.

With Maximo as a part of this integrated toolchain, compliance reporting becomes faster, more complete, and easier to defend during audits.