Last Updated on June 28, 2024 by maximosecrets

Maximo Application Suite 9.0 is a large functional release on an established architecture fit for the next 10 years in the life of Maximo. Released on 25^th June 2024, MAS 9.0 according to IBM could have been called MAS 8.12, the objective of calling it MAS 9.0 was to align all the products to the same version, however, an 8.12 release would have given the impression of a small increment, this is NOT a small set of enhancements.

This article is a bullet list of features taken from an IBM presentation; it was written on the release date. My aim is to update this document over the next several months with links to other articles that I write or update so that you can find out the details as I discover them. As Maximo Secrets main objective is to help functional consultants to understand Maximo features and use the website to prepare themselves for IBM certification for Maximo Manage, it is unlikely that no additional detail will be added to other MAS applications, Monitor, Visual Inspection or for other products like Maximo IT, Health, and Civil Infrastructure which would not be included in the Manage certification. 

Focus Areas

The focus areas of development for Maximo Application Suite continues to be Maintenance, Inspections and Reliability. In this release you will see a lot of activity has occurred in modernising the user interface through Dashboards, extending the functional capability of Maximo Mobile, strengthening the capabilities of Field Service Management and starting to build in the capabilities of WatsonX across MAS.

Some of the new applications added to Maximo Manage during MAS 8.x have been further extended, including the Operational Dashboard, Work Queues, the Work Orders Role Based Application (RBA), Reliability Strategies, the Scheduling and the Dispatching Dashboards. Sometimes this involves updates to core Maximo applications, Job Plans looks now to support milestones, qualifications are considered during scheduling, and the Routes application now has a Status field.

The Work Orders (RBA) has the addition of some AI to suggest a Problem Code based on a work order’s short and long description. To support this, an AI Configuration application has been added, to link the AI functions to the WatsonX model being used.

Maximo Mobile applications have been enhanced, mainly in Issues and Transfers which must have included much of the functionality of Manage Inventory Work Center, which is no longer supported. Calibration and Linear are also supported. Whether the other mobile applications have been enhanced, we’ll find out as more documentation is released and I get access to a system.

The Work Centers are no longer supported in MAS 9.0, several were removed in MAS 8.11, but the three remaining ones Manage Inventory, Manage Inspection Forms and Manage Monitoring Information have been replaced with applications built using the Maximo Application Framework (MAF) which has also seen several enhancements including the UI experience, improved hover-ability, and some drag and drop support. PODMAN is also supported as an alternative to Docker. The MAF is the tool used to develop Maximo Mobile and the Role Based Applications (RBA).

A connector between MAS and Envizi (ESG Reporting) was provided in MAS 8.11 and so it was no surprise to see some ESG additions being added to Maximo. The Emissions Management Dashboard is an extension to the Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) and Oil & Gas solutions. Formulas is a new application, it remains to be seen where it is used, I expect initially in Health.

Spatial and Health have both seen several enhancements with a claim of an 80% performance improvement for Spatial. There were also several enhancements to Maximo IT, Monitor, Visual Inspection, Civil Infrastructure, and the Accelerator Catalog. There were platform enhancements, Cognos 12 is now supported, and several enhancements in user management.

There is certainly a lot for me to write about over the next several months.

Enhancements to new MAS 8.x applications

I’ve been writing articles on MAS 8.x new functionality for the last year, and several will need to be updated because the application has been enhanced in MAS 9.0. I’ll provide a bullet point list of the features I’ll be looking out for but will expand on this after I have updated each article. For the Scheduling and Dispatching Dashboards I’ve been waiting for MAS 9.0 to be released before I write those articles.

Operational Dashboard

• New Dashboard Page object
• Creating and editing a dashboard page
• Multi-page dashboard layout and viewing
• Dashboards added to Security Groups
• Walk-me content

Work Queues

• Support for different Object Structures, not just work orders
• End user table column personalization extends standard queue configuration
• Customization of action labels (Postponed to MAS 9.1)
• Conditional Work Queue actions (Postponed to MAS 9.1)

Work Orders (RBA)

• Plans tab for Work Order Resources and tasks
• AI recommendations for Problem Code based on work order short/long descriptions (requires API key for watsonx.ai)

Reliability Strategies

• Complete a New Study Overview
• Import/apply/create/Import/edit FMEA’s
• Apply Actions based on Risks Priority Numbers
• I can select, assign and track the status of Actions

Scheduling Dashboard

The Scheduling dashboard is a holistic view of schedules, indicating areas requiring scheduler’s attention with navigation to detailed schedule. 

• Qualifications can now be considered during Scheduling.
• Customer Work Week configurable start date
• Support for Multiple Email Addresses for Roll Project
• Adding Milestone to Job Plans / Job Tasks
• Support for not splitting assignments in Graphical Work Week
• Support for gaps in Scheduling Compliance

Dispatching Dashboard

The Dispatching dashboard is a holistic view of schedules, based on Optimization KPI’s, indicating areas requiring dispatcher’s attention with direct navigation to exception workflows. 

• Emergency Intelligent Assignment Workflow
• Integration with Mobile (Assignments and Near Real-time Technician Position)
• Gantt View Improvements (e.g. additional Statuses, Tooltips)
• Map Views of Technician’s Scheduled Route
• Qualifications can now be considered during Dispatching.

Maximo Mobile

• Support for Calibration Work Orders
• Complex Asset Switch (as part of ACM)
• Enhanced work order assignment updates from Mobile including the ability to accept/reject assignments
• Device location is now shared with dispatchers
• Quick WO reporting
• Support for Linear Assets (creation and partial work orders)
• Data synchronization and error handling updates
• Storeroom – transferring inventory items, creating shipments and staging – Replaces Manage Inventory Work Center.

Spatial

• UI Standardization (Mobile and Desktop)
• ESRI API Migration (New Version)
• Offline Maps Enhancements
• Performance enhancements (up to 80% faster – for the Desktop version)
• Sketch Tool for Mobile
• Find My LocationA physical place where assets exist and where work can be performed. More (Geocoder)
• Indoor Mapping on Desktop
• Query Tool Enhancements
• Configuration for Maximo Object Symbology (Icons, Pinpoints)
• Home Button Tool for Mobile
• ESRI Licensing resale

MAS 9.0 new applications

Emissions Management Dashboard

Extends Health Safety Environment (HSE) and Oil and Gas solutions

• Visualise operational emissions data for better decision making
• Enable timely response to mitigate future incidents
• Connect emission reduction efforts with maintenance work activities
• Record emission data for operational reporting and regulatory compliance

Inspection Form Library

This replaces the Work Center called Manage Inspection Forms.

Maximo Management Interface

This replaces the Work Center called Manage Monitoring Information.

Formulas

• Create/Edit Object Formulas
• Create/Edit Attribute Formulas

Platform Enhancements

Technical Updates

• User and Group mapping to MAS LDAP sync
• Support Multiple IDPs for the same authentication type (SAML/LDAP)
• MAS Admin can customize CSS and White Label
• Support Self-Service Management
• Support Manage e-sig password sync
• Created the FISMA Readiness Users Guide
• Support RDS SQL on AWS and SQL Managed Instance on Azure
• CP4D 4.8 and OCP 4.13/4.14 support
• Support Cognos 12
• Support for Mongo v5 and v6
• Replaced the UDS operator for a new Data Reporting Operator (DRO) for collecting and processing metrics
• Workday Connector updated with Purchasing and Inventory Scenarios

Maximo Application Framework

• Configuration UI Experience
• Improved hover-ability
• Drag and Drop support for some UI components
• Improved Editor page layout 
• Support for upgrade of configurations in duplicated applications
• Support for PODMAN deployment as an alternative to Docker

User Management

• MAS admins can now create custom mappings for user data that is synchronized between your LDAP server and the user registry, using the suite administration interface. 
• MAS admins can now configure multiple identity providers (IDPs) for the same authentication type such as SAML or LDAP for user authentication.
• For Local (not SAML or LDAP) – MAS admins can now define the conditions that prevent local users from logging in after consecutive unsuccessful login attempts.
• For Local (not SAML or LDAP) – Define the number of consecutive password attempts before the users account is locked.
• For Local (not SAML or LDAP) – Choose to lock the account by duration or until an administrator unlocks the account
• Users can self-register to create their own login accounts and use the applications that they have access to. Before users can self-register, an administrator must enable and configure access options that are associated with each identity provider that is configured.
• MAS admins can now integrate with MAS User and Group synchronization functions from external IDP user registries via SCIM 2.0 protocol
• A MAS admin can now configure SAML authentication, to enable an initiated logout for the SAML service provider so that current user sessions are logged out before another user logs in with the same credentials.

Accelerator Catalog

• Know which accelerators are owned
• Simplify administration of accelerators
• Track status of any activated accelerators, including manually activated
• Know when an accelerator has a new version and what’s in it
• Enhance trust and credibility with an accelerator certification program for partners

Applications and Manage Industry Solutions

Health

• Health Mean Time Between Failure
• Identify and Correct Missing Asset Data for KPIs
• Health Made Easy with Out of the Box Score Calculations
• Maximo Models for Electric Transformers
• Health Accelerator Installation supports new automation and UI for MAS Accelerator download, installation, activation and deactivation (run-at)

Maximo IT

• Provides customers the ability to quickly collaborate and focus on rapid restore not worrying about data capture during slack conversations, it goes directly to the Tickets
• Integrations for Chatops and Swarm
• Slack – Completed
• Microsoft Teams – foundation set
• Enabling Integrations for DevOps and Cloud mgmt., through Jira & ManageIQ provides a CI/CD pipeline with change mgmt. governance
• Delivery of connected responsive Apps (mobile), provides capabilities to move work through processes on smaller form factor devices in a connected mode with rich functionality – focused on  
• Service and SiteA structural element of a Maximo database that is used for data separation. More reliability engineers work actions
• End user experience (Self Serve) 
• Delivery of New Service View and Insights enables agents and SRE users to quickly restore or prevent outages

Civil Infrastructure

• Allow selection of VI models that are utilized to analyze images
• Allow the inspector to markup or label defects on images which have not been analyzed using MVI
• Provide new version of fine-tuned AI concrete model
• Automation for creating defect detection folders used to store and review images during an inspection
• Improved image processing that provides better status, re-processing, filter and sorting of results
• Updated Defect creation UI which provides better user experience
• New status lifecycle for Routes allowing routes to be built in draft status before maintenance project is commissioned and activated. (Also available in Core Manage)
• New security templates for Maximo Civil role-based applications
• New architecture for organizing image files related to inspection work orders 
• New method to generate and store image thumbnails to address performance issues in defect detection

Visual Inspection

• Support GigE Vision cameras providing high-bandwidth, Power Over Ethernet (PoE), Plug-and-Play and Scalability
• Facial Redaction – image blurring technology for MVI Edge outside the detection boxes
• Data Lifecycle Management policy manager providing flexibility to enable policies based on metadata and attributes to automate removing historical images and videos
• MVI Edge Alert Templates

Monitor

• Redesigned the UI to fully integrate EDC and IoTp capabilities into a unified and intuitive user experience in a single user flow
• Easier to administer devices and gateways with detailed views of all the information they need such as connectivity relationships, hierarchy and operational status
• Includes a sample data stream that can be used in demos, trials and provide users with examples to test
• Enhanced Monitor with Workplace Analytics/integration with IBM TRIRIGA.  Capabilities and dashboards designed to help space planners monitor and analyze how spaces are utilized
  • Deliver TRIRIGA Building Insights (TBI) use-cases within Monitor. 
  • Leverage a single IoT and technology stack that runs in MAS and TAS to minimize duplication of effort and speed up delivery
  • Support new integrations between TRIRIGA and Maximo and enable common UI and use cases.
  • Support import of TRIRIGA location hierarchy data into Monitor
  • Support integration of CISCO Webex devices into Monitor to support sensor-based occupancy tracking of spaces within a facility (e.g. meeting rooms) 
  • Support integration of CISCO DNA Space into Monitor to track Wifi based occupancy across the building.
  • Enable visualization of floorplan, heatmaps and occupancy KPIs in Monitor to support Space Planner use cases in TRIRIGA