Maximo 7.6 to Maximo Application Suite: a successful EAM migration
In short — IBM Maximo remains one of the leading EAM solutions for managing industrial assets. But its historical version, Maximo 7.6, is giving way to Maximo Application Suite (MAS): a modernised platform with a new architecture, a new licensing model and new predictive maintenance applications. Well prepared, the migration is an opportunity to clean up custom developments and take a step forward in equipment reliability.
Maximo, the EAM for critical assets
IBM Maximo manages the entire asset lifecycle: asset inventory and hierarchy, service requests and work orders, preventive and condition-based maintenance, spare parts, purchasing and service contracts, work safety. It is widely used in sectors where plant availability is critical: energy, transport, heavy industry, infrastructure and defence.
Why migrate to Maximo Application Suite?
Maximo 7.6 was the reference version for many years. IBM now focuses its development on Maximo Application Suite and has announced the end of standard support for version 7.6. Staying on an unsupported version exposes you to security and compatibility risks, especially with recent databases and operating systems.
Beyond the obligation, MAS brings:
- a single platform combining maintenance management (Maximo Manage, the successor to Maximo 7.6) with additional applications: equipment monitoring (Monitor), asset health scoring (Health), failure prediction (Predict) and AI-based visual inspection (Visual Inspection);
- an AppPoints licensing model: a pool of points shared across applications and users, more flexible than per-module licences;
- a modernised user experience, with role-based workspaces and a mobile app for technicians that works offline;
- more frequent updates, thanks to a container-based architecture.
What changes in practice
| Maximo 7.6 | Maximo Application Suite | |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture | Traditional Java application server | Containers on Red Hat OpenShift |
| Hosting | Mostly on premises | On premises, private or public cloud, or SaaS |
| Licensing | Per module and user type | AppPoints shared across applications |
| Predictive maintenance | Separate products | Integrated applications (Monitor, Health, Predict) |
| Customisation | Java classes, automation scripts | Automation scripts preferred; Java classes to be minimised |
The most significant change is technical: MAS runs on Red Hat OpenShift. If you host it yourself, your operations teams need to master this platform. The SaaS option or managed hosting shifts that workload to a provider.
Steps to a successful migration
- Assess the current system: installed version and fix packs, custom developments (Java classes, scripts), interfaces with the ERP, GIS or SCADA systems, BIRT reports, data volumes.
- Choose the hosting model: SaaS, managed cloud or on-premises installation, depending on your security and sovereignty constraints and in-house skills.
- Size the AppPoints according to user profiles and target applications.
- Rationalise customisations: each development is either kept and adapted, replaced by a standard feature, or dropped. This is often where the biggest gains lie.
- Migrate and test: upgrade the database to Maximo Manage, adapt interfaces and reports, run functional and performance tests on real data.
- Train and go live: hands-on training on the new interface and mobile app, a cutover planned outside critical periods, and extra support in the first weeks.
Pitfalls to avoid
- Underestimating OpenShift: without operational skills, an on-premises installation quickly becomes a weak point.
- Migrating every customisation as is: you carry your technical debt over to the new platform.
- Forgetting interfaces and reports: they are often what holds up the cutover.
- Neglecting data quality: an incomplete asset hierarchy, job plans and history will later limit the health and prediction applications.
- Treating the migration as a purely IT project: maintenance managers must drive the functional decisions.
Next step: predictive maintenance
Once on MAS, Monitor, Health and Predict can be activated gradually using the same AppPoints. Start with a family of critical assets that is well instrumented and well documented: the first health scores and alerts quickly demonstrate value before you scale up.
Our approach
CNEXT supports Maximo users end to end: assessment of the current system, architecture and hosting choices, rationalisation of custom developments, migration, integration with the ERP and the rest of the industrial information system, user training and application maintenance.
Preparing your move to Maximo Application Suite? Let’s talk about your project →
