A Conceptual Model of the IT Ecosystem for Asset Management in the Global Manufacturing Context

Abstract

This research proposes a new conceptual model of the IT ecosystem required in the scope of global asset management. To accomplish this aim, the functionalities required by maintenance management are integrated with those required by Asset Management needs, thus extending the current scope of work of extant IT systems to a lifecycle management perspective. The allocation of the functionalities to three asset control levels (operational, tactical, strategic) is propaedeutic to derive the IT ecosystem structure based on three main software families. The model has been built along a collaborative project with a world leading company in the food sector. Lessons learnt on the proposed IT ecosystem for a centralized AM over geographically dispersed production plants are reported.