PPC has renewed its contract with leading physical asset management company Pragma for the next two years during which it will be upgraded to the latest version of On Key 5 in June 2014.
Says Marthinus Burger, National Project Manager at Pragma: “During this process we’ll support them with custom development by our software team and the development of PPC-specific Analytics models and other reporting requirements, assist with the development and implementation of an interface to SAP and also help them with consultation and training during the upgrade process.”
PPC recently migrated from Baan ERP to SAP ERP. Burger continues: “As with most big ERP implementations, one common objective is to consolidate all possible systems into the central ERP. The same questions were therefore asked regarding the engineering system, i.e. whether the business should continue with a best of breed CMMS system or rather migrate to SAP PM.”
Dirk Janse van Rensburg, ACC Tools Manager at Pragma, adds: “On Key is superior to its competitors when it comes to the configuration and optimisation of complex asset care plans. PPC has invested hugely in developing accurate asset care plans for its critical asset base and they require an information platform where they can easily configure and maintain these asset care plans. With intelligent inheritance and change control functionality, On Key allows PPC to keep its asset care plans accurate and relevant as its business environment changes.”
Continues Burger: “We have a very longstanding relationship with PPC (from around 1998) and our team from CEO level down to execution level has always been available to PPC for discussion, knowledge sharing and debates around best practices and leading edge development in the asset management arena. Apart from this we have a fulltime resource that delivers various services to PPC on head office, site and product development level. I’m convinced that this relationship and the service we are offering to them along with the availability of excellent local support have played a part in their decision to continue with our On Key system.”
Janse van Rensburg further comments that over the years, the Pragma-PPC partnership has greatly influenced the evolution of On Key. “Pragma sees PPC as a mature and responsible asset owner with good and disciplined business processes. Pragma often relies on the input from PPC when new functionality or business logic is designed in On Key, thus benefiting the broader On Key community.”
With regard to the customisation of On Key for PPC, Burger continues: “Over the years PPC has been integral to certain designs within the On Key suite, with additional modifications and enhancements currently in progress. This will ensure that PPC can offer a user-friendly solution, which will also enable managers at various levels to make informed decisions based on sound and up-to-date information. New functionality like Analytics also impressed them a lot and is expected to add huge value to the business.”
Adds Roald van Zyl Smit, Asset Care Centre Manager at Pragma: “One of the key functionality features of On Key is the asset care plan development tool, which PPC uses extensively to manage asset maintenance standards. The flexibility and speed at which changes can be made and new enhancements be introduced across the organisation have been key functionalities in PPC’s asset care strategy. This extremely powerful continuous improvement platform has therefore also been a key reason for PPC staying with Pragma’s On Key.”
Concludes Janse van Rensburg: “PPC’s mature approach to asset management is based on a dedicated, centralised asset management team headed up by Louis Fouche. The team drives standardisation and excellence to the different sites across their organisation. Another core ingredient of their success is their ability to move asset management accountability down to all levels in the organisation. Artisans and operators are all involved to some extent and their involvement is measured and incentivised.”
“After intense feasibility studies PPC is confident that Pragma and On Key 5 offer us the best of breed tools that we require to continue to manage our assets effectively and responsibly. Central management and site ownership are key in decision making, standardisation and continuous improvement initiatives, which are effectively supported by the tools that Pragma provide. We are proud to extend our fruitful partnership with Pragma and expect to see even more value in time to come,” says Louis Fouche, PPC Asset Care Manager.
