Maximo Open Forum

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  • 1.  anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 09-30-2020 11:01
    Is anyone in the group using Control Desk for Maximo?  I need an ITSM solution, and, honestly, I'd love it to either power up or kill off Maximo.  I want something that will suit us as a true Enterprise Service Management solution.  So far, I've looked at over 20 ITSM systems, and none of them seem capable of defeating Maximo.  If ITSM can't do Facilities Maintenance well, then I'm hoping that Facilities Maintenance (Maximo) could expand to do ITSM well.  The online reviews for ICD are few, but rank it highly.  I'd love some real-user feedback, or, even better, if someone knows someone who can do a product demo for it.
    #EverythingMaximo

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    Travis Herron
    Pensacola Christian College
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  • 2.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 09-30-2020 14:07
    Travis,

    For the most part, most IBM Partners extend Maximo to cover IT assets, work requests, and workflow.  Maximo is easily able to cover all of those tasks.  For instance, we have extended two Maximo clients in the last few months to do this.  One is issuing 1100 laptops across the nation and needed a way of tracking all the details with it.  We also added capabilities to Maximo for a client in California to handle all of their IT requests and IT inventory.

    So I say all of this to say, If you already have Maximo, I would suggest extending it versus purchasing an ITSM solution (even IBM Contol Desk) to cover it.   



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    Richard Minnigh
    Intelligent Technology Solutions, LLC
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  • 3.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 09-30-2020 15:25
    I did encounter a consultant who recommended the same, but there are several issues & missing features, such as:

    -- completely lacking a Service Catalog
    -- Knowledge Base (Solutions) can't embed videos, and currently aren't part of the customer portal portion of maximo-x
    -- doesn't seem to integrate well/easily with many other tools we use or will be using (many ITSM vendors have pre-built connectors for other products like Okta, Slack, Outlook 365, etc.)
    --"easy" branding of the customer portal
    --AI/machine-learning assisted customer service portal
    --(if we wanted) ITIL- aligned Incident, Problem, and Change Management
    --building forms (Ticket Templates) that have dependent questions, e.g. if requesting "hardware" and a question is Type with choices LAPTOP or DESKTOP, if they choose LAPTOP then ask if they need a docking station, keyboard, or mouse; but if they choose DESKTOP then docking station doesn't make sense and mouse and keyboard would be included so don't ask those questions, but maybe ask if they need 1 or 2 monitors.

    and more.

    Yes, if we just wanted ITAM and non-ITIL ticketing, Maximo itself could work.  But I definitely need a more robust customer front-end than Maximo offers.

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    Travis Herron
    Pensacola Christian College
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  • 4.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 09-30-2020 17:12
    Travis,

    To your point, I think it comes down to return on investment.  Maximo can be made to do several of the items you noted, some that Service Desk has inherently.  


    To your specific points. 
    -- Service Catalog ---- True, this can be done in Maximo but requires a significant effort on the client to develop and for the partner to create.  

    -- Knowledge Base (Solutions)True, however, we have seen tie-ins that get this accomplished like with FreshDesk.

    -- IntegrationNo argument on the easy part.  However, integration is integration.  If you have a definition for what you want to do, Maximo can interface with any API.  This also became easier in 7.6.1.

    --Customer Portal - This is legitimately not "easy", but it's doable with some jsp edits.  

    --AI/machine-learningThis is "It depends". Machine Learning just means that someone trained a model to do something.  Can it be done, yes.  It's time and money investment. 

    -- ITIL- aligned Incident, Problem, and Change Management -- This can be re-created using SR, HSE has it too, but it's not IT targeted.

    -- Building Forms (Ticket Templates) - Not something easily done in Maximo without doing some significant app designer work.

    Bottom line is, it comes down to features absolutely necessary versus how much is willing to be paid.  Regardless, you aren't talking about a few thousand dollars with any path.  Both are a significant investment. 



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    Richard Minnigh
    Intelligent Technology Solutions, LLC
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  • 5.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 10-01-2020 12:42
    Hi Travis,

    We are about to implement this in my organization and I have to say I am very excited for our go live date. 

    Our Organization has started using Maximo with an intended IT focus for about a year, and honestly it's been a pretty positive experience.  We have been provided by our vendor with a training environment to the new system and it all looks very exciting! It's a whole different skin too which is a bonus because it looks more modern now. Our workforce is general are a in their mid 30's to late 40's so the 'look' of Maximo puts people off because of how old it looks - but that's another conversation. 

    We are reviewing our assets as we input our data into Maximo and again - positive experience. Of course there are a few things that need to be customized for our type of business but overall, again, pretty positive! 

    I would love to connect! Maybe we can bounce ideas off of each other. Let me know!


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    Lourene Mamucud
    Winnipeg Airport Services Corp
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  • 6.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 10-02-2020 09:21
    Travis,

    I've implemented TSRM  along with Maximo for Service Providers for a telecom company for their 100+ Service Desk team. It is more in line with ITIL methodologies with modules like Incidents, Service Requests, Problems, and Knowledge Base. All of that along with the OOB Maximo workflows, integration capabilities, reporting and customization ease in 7.6. 

    Megha Tatiya

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    Megha Tatiya
    MIL Corp
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  • 7.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 10-02-2020 15:22
    Enlighten me please. . .what, if anything, are the differences between Tivoli Service Request Manager (TSRM) and IBM Control Desk (ICD) for Maximo?

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    Travis Herron
    Pensacola Christian College
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  • 8.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 10-05-2020 10:05
    Travis,
      They are just different names from previous incarnations. IBM Control Desk formally known as IBM SmartCloud Control Desk formally known as Tivoli Service Request Manager (TSRM).

    -- Kenneth


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    Kenneth Frohne
    KBR, Inc.
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  • 9.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 10-06-2020 09:50
    Hi Travis, I am not very familiar with Control Desk myself but Vetasi is one of the primary providers in Europe. I can put you in touch with that team if you like.

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    Graham Drinkwater
    Vetasi
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  • 10.  RE: anyone using Control Desk for Maximo?

    Posted 10-06-2020 10:10
    Thanks, but I don't think that will be necessary.

    I have a trial of ICD from IBM.  Here's my conclusions so far (if anyone with experience with ICD/TSRM/SCCD, and has any other observations or experiences to share, please do):

    <u5:p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px 0px;"> PROS:</u5:p>

    --Maximo's Workflow seems to be more powerful than many other vendors' workflow software<u5:p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"></u5:p>

    --Maximo has many features that I have yet to see an ITSM system incorporate:  meter-based ticket scheduling (Preventive Maintenance), "floating" PM schedules, routes, safety planning, more depreciation methods, and job plan sequencing come to mind . . .<u5:p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px;"></u5:p>

    --looks like ICD has software license management capabilities, which not every ITSM system offers


    CONS:

    --can't embed videos in Solutions (KB), though they could be attached<u5:p></u5:p>

    --can't make dependent questions on forms  (this capability was added for Inspections on 7.6.1.< 2? >, but it doesn't exist in Ticket Templates, Classifications)<u5:p></u5:p>

    --integrations are (relatively) a pain, since IBM offers pre-built connectors to almost nothing, whereas most modern ITSM systems have connectors to dozens or hundreds of other systems<u5:p></u5:p>

    --Maximo is hard!  Competitors have done much more to make their products no code/low code<u5:p></u5:p>

    --ICD gets little product support and development

    --no easy, OOTB way (that I see) to restrict which Offerings and Solutions can be seen by different user groups (for us, I'd at least need to make some Offerings and Solutions available to all, available to just students, available to just staff/faculty, or available to just supervisors)
    <u5:p></u5:p>

    --personally, I don't like the newest Maximo skin nor the Self-Service Center app interface (the one that's NOT the customer portal) -- it looks 'dated', like 15 years old<u5:p></u5:p>

    --work management has some powerful features, especially if you buy the Scheduler add-on, but it doesn't reach to true project & portfolio management (many ITSM systems at least try to dabble in that, with an app that has a Gantt chart, can show milestones, risk registers, etc.)<u5:p></u5:p>

    <u5:p> </u5:p>

    All that said, I have the impression that there's no ITSM system that can do ESM well enough to be able to replace Maximo, and Maximo with ICD can't do ITSM well enough to want to use it.  I'm going to end up with two systems.  :-(

    <u5:p></u5:p>

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    Travis Herron
    Pensacola Christian College
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