Dear All,
I would like to offer some advice (or warnings) on this issue if I may. Particularly on the downsides of a few of the hand held devices that I have seen regularly used throughout various markets.
I would counsel people to be careful of anything that requires you to develop external scripts to MIMS. There are a number of very basic reasons for this.
1. The templates for work execution lie within the MSO690 module (Standard jobs) By creating external scripts there is an effort in duplicating this template bank. Therefore weakening the total solution. This is a terrible error in my view because it relegates the entire system to one of merely producing administrative records rather than managing the work as such. (Eg producing an indication that work needs to be done rather than producing the work order, with procedures etc)
If there are differing pieces of equipment then the amount of external templates to the system begins to increase markedly until such time as there is a need for management of both these sscripts was well as the system itself.
2. There is often the need to continue engaging the vendor for development and management of said scripts.
3. There is, at times, a lack of ability to create works arising from type work orders.
4. These hand held devices, which sometimes represent palm tops style PC´s, are often not suitable for the rugged environments in which many maintainers work. I think this is part of the trend towards IT people taking poorly informed decisions for asset management people.
I have seen one very rugged barcoding style solution that enabled the vast majority of information to be entered rapidly and in a way that does not require technicians dealing with palm top style pc´s. However for my money the best products are still out of the reach of most companies in economic terms.
Hope this is of some interest.
Oz...