Satisfied customers stick with maintenance vendor

Technology snobs dismiss the IBM iSeries (formerly the AS/400) platform as a low-tech relic, but satisfied users don't care. Case-in-point: the Avantis unit of Invensys has more than 350 customer sites running Avantis.XA, an asset management solution that recently marked its 20^th birthday.

Tolko Manitoba Kraft Papers started with the product in 1989 and has added functionality ever since.

"Avantis.XA is by no means perfect," says Eric Ellenor, business systems coordinator for the Manitoba-based forest products manufacturer. "But the core functionality in Avantis.XA is deep and still offers considerable opportunity to expand the way we do business. And because Tolko Manitoba is 400 miles from the closest service center, availability and support are very important. The iSeries is bulletproof; it just never goes down."

Proven technology also is a key reason Jacob Nickodem belongs to the iSeries fan club. "Just plug it in and it works," says the systems and security administrator for the Rayonier forest products manufacturing plant in Jesup, Ga. "This platform requires virtually no IT support. What we have with Avantis.XA is a product and a platform that are working to meet the needs of our users. Our people are very satisfied with it."

But even iSeries fans keep an eye on what's happening around them.

"I've been involved in reviews of computerized maintenance management systems [CMMS] every five years or so," says Tolko Manitoba's Ellenor. "[At the corporate level] Tolko looked at the options in 2000 and J.D. Edwards' CMMS was selected based on Tolko's business requirements and integration with our already installed JDE Financials. However, Tolko Manitoba continues to run Avantis.XA as long as it remains cost effective and meets our objectives."

Likewise, Rayonier sees a day when it may upgrade to a more contemporary platform. "But we won't move just because it's the latest and greatest technology," Nickodem says. "Because it will take a great amount of resources to change to any new technology, we're going to make sure such a change is properly justified."

Meanwhile, Invensys stays diligent in delivering an application that won't end up being the reason these customers switch platforms. "We've always delivered annual releases on the iSeries product," says Kim Custeau, a director at Invensys Avantis. "Over the years, we've added support for a new Windows look and feel, project tracking, and more."

Ellenor also cites new modules to support reliability-centered maintenance and repairable spares. But what really gets him excited is the promise of future enhancements. Two notable items: Invensys is working to enable Avantis.XA to communicate with the plant floor and deliver Web-enabled functionality.

If upgrades like that continue, Avantis.XA and the iSeries might still be working together 20 years from now.