Insert Key Solutions introduces the bi-monthly publication of The AnswER. Our goal is to encourage interaction and discussion regarding the industries we serve and the solutions we develop for improving Equipment Reliability. Your feedback is strongly encouraged and welcomed and we invite you to enlist others to read and use our newsletter to its fullest.
For more information or to leave feedback, please contact Mike Donaldson, Business Development Manager. Mike can be reached at MDonaldson@InsertKey.com or by phone at 484.785.1755.
- Insert Key Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary!
- Performance Monitoring: Are you sure it's happening within your organization?
- IKS Makes Significant Product Suite Enhancements with Software Platform Version 4
- ERX Speeds IKS Software Implementation through “shoulder-to-shoulder” Training
- Are You Effectively Managing Your Observation Program?
- Webinar coming in March - PM Basis and Performance Monitoring
- IKS User Group Conference 2010 – September 2010 / Mendenhall, PA
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A Message From Evan Niemkiewicz, President and CEO, Insert Key Solutions, Inc.
As the co-founders of IKS, Joe Passarelli and I, give our thanks and appreciation to all the customers and people who have participated in making IKS what it is today. We are all very proud of what we have been able to achieve over the past 10 years and we consider ourselves to be fortunate to be successful especially with the recent economic struggles. It is certainly a testament that our customers do see value in our products and services and that it is important to |
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| their businesses. I think I can speak for everyone at IKS in that we are passionate about the work that we are doing and it is very rewarding. We are achieving our vision and are now in a better position than ever to take our software products and services to a new level. | |
IKS came from humble beginnings in a basement office with a small, focused customer base. IKS has experienced consistent growth and is now a company of approximately 50 employees with two office locations, our headquarters in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania and an office in Midland, Michigan. A key element of the IKS vision and mission was to be a product company and we now have established a life cycle for more than 20 commercial software products for Equipment Reliability, Site Security and Access Authorization. IKS has developed a large customer base including generation and transmission & distribution companies in North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim. IKS has an affiliate company, ERX (Equipment Reliability eXcellence), which increases our capabilities to offer a more comprehensive solution to our customers while maintaining the most effective business models.
We have come a long way in our first 10 years and we have set aggressive goals for the next 1, 3, 5, and 10 year horizons. We are going to strive hard to innovate at the desktop level to provide a transparent and powerful user experience that will benefit the industry. Our new version 4 platform release, which we are launching in 2010, is a step in that direction. We look to everyone’s involvement in continuing to shape our vision, mission, and offerings in the future.
Thanks to everyone and best regards,
Evan Niemkiewicz
President & CEO
Insert Key Solutions, Inc.
| The IKS ER Software Suite now includes powerful Performance Monitoring functionality for System Engineers, Component Engineers and PdM Program personnel. This functionality facilitates the documentation of the basis for monitoring in the form of comprehensive Monitoring Plans, as well as, automating the actual monitoring of systems and components. Users can perform real-time monitoring through extensive integration capabilities, defined alerts and alarms, and charting functionality. |  |
In addition, IKS has incorporated innovative automation to demonstrate accountability so that risks are understood and for management to have confidence that performance monitoring is actually occurring at required intervals. Systems or Components with an inadequate monitoring basis or which are not being regularly assessed are easily identified. This is possible with the IKS centralized architecture and standard relational database platform as opposed to maintaining spreadsheets scattered across the organization. IKS has received very active industry support to put the correct model in place and believes this approach is truly innovative.
For more information and to arrange a software demonstration, please contact Evan Niemkiewicz, President & CEO, and visionary for this functionality within the IKS ER Software Suite. Evan can be reached at Evan@InsertKey.com or by phone at 484.259.1703.
IKS announces the Version 4 software application platform for the Equipment Reliability Suite of products. The new software platform includes improvements to the user interface including the overall look and feel, as well as the ability for users to further customize their experience.
Software applications on the v4 platform encompass dashboard functionality available at different areas within the software, such as PlantIQ™ components, ProgramIQ™ Programs and SystemIQ™ Systems. The home page of these products has also been converted to a user-configurable dashboard. All products will be deployed with a baseline set of Gadgets, with room for future expansion and customization to fit individual customer needs.
The Version 4 platform utilizes Microsoft .NET framework 3.5, which incorporates built-in AJAX libraries that were only available in a separate installation in previous framework versions. Supporting the new front-end application enhancements are other new features, such as fully database-driven configuration options, and centralized data integration structures, which will help to simplify the deployment and maintenance processes for customer IT Resources.
In addition to the new software functionality, IKS has been actively testing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 and Oracle version 11g for all currently supported IKS products. With the Version 4 platform, support is also added for Windows 2008 Server and Internet Information Services 7.
Version 4 upgrades for PlantIQ®, LTA ManagerTM, KPI GeneratorTM and ERDashboardTM will be completed in the first half of 2010, with other core ER applications to follow through the remainder of the year. Transition plans will be developed with individual customer resources to ensure all technical and functional requirements are addressed well in advance of any future updates.
Tim Johnson is the Director of Software Development at Insert Key. He can be reached at TJohnson@InsertKey.com or 484.259.1710.
| ERX, an affiliate company of IKS, has process expertise that can assist in software implementation and change management processes. Recently, ERX developed course materials for “shoulder-to-shoulder” training for System Engineers/Managers who are being introduced to the IKS software module, SystemIQ. The intent of the materials is to provide more in-depth, hands-on training in addition to classic “button-pushing” software training. ERX Consultants with extensive nuclear power generation experience assist users in mapping every-day activities |  |
| and tasks to software functionality to optimize use and efficiency. The scope of the software tool, SystemIQ, includes System Health Reports, Action Plans, Notebooks, Walkdowns, Performance Monitoring, as well as extensive integration to supporting applications such as Work Management, Corrective Action, etc. | |
Recently, ERX performed this “Shoulder-to-shoulder” Training for a U.S. Nuclear Operator who was implementing SystemIQ and the results were impressive. Half-day sessions were performed for 8-10 system engineers at each station in a one-on-one fashion and at the user’s own workspace. The focus was normal day-to-day activities. For example, users that rarely used system notebooks learned how to build and maintain an effective system notebook In SystemIQ that will be a key element in the station’s knowledge retention strategy. The user’s who wanted better use of their system health reports were coached on how to use the software tool to communicate health status and action plans that can be understood and prioritized by management. Users having a drawer full of oil-stained system walkdown notepads learned how to document, organize and perform electronic versions that focus on sound performance monitoring and aging management. Power Users trained by ERX will have comprehensive system Action Plans that proactively prevent failures, save time and save their plant money.
By creating eight to ten power users of the IKS tools at each facility, these individuals can now act as subject matter experts to coworkers and new hires to perform continual coaching and hands-on training. This puts the knowledge and the expertise on-site and develops a living process for System Engineers.
For more information on this topic, contact Jeff Jeanguenat who is a lead ERX consultant specializing in System Engineering, Engineering Programs, and Maintenance Basis Development. Contact Jeff at JJeanguenat@ERXllc.com or 484.259.1752
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Observation ManagerTM, a new software application from Insert Key Solutions, streamlines the process of collecting and reporting observation data. This is achieved by providing a centralized database to store all observation data, which is entered using a configurable data entry form. Observation Manager also provides an “Inbox” which is coupled with email notifications to hold users accountable for observations they need to perform as well as observations they need to review or approve. Since the observation data is now centrally located and electronic, an observation program manager can view the current status of the observation program in real-time. Users can define observation goals by department and track their progress towards that goal at any time. Contact data for department heads is available on demand to quickly contact someone who may be falling behind. |
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Another benefit to Observation ManagerTM is the ease in which performance indicators can be automatically generated from collected data. Any number of performance metrics can be generated, such as “Number of Unsatisfactory Observations” or “Number of Observations Completed vs. Goal.”
IKS has used our extensive knowledge of the industry and process automation software to create a low-cost, high-value solution to managing your observations program.
For more information or to arrange a software demonstration, please contact Matt Dixon, Product Manager. Matt can be reached at MDixon@InsertKey.com or by phone at 484.259.1711.
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© 2010 Insert Key Solutions, Inc.