Invensys & Microsoft

Unrivalled integration of Invensys EAM and Microsoft Dynamics solution reduces downtime, costs and risk

Two market leaders provide uncompromised, combined best-of-breed solution


Invensys Operations Management,has announced that its flagship Avantis.PRO™ enterprise asset management (EAM) software is now more tightly integrated with Microsoft Dynamics® AX™ enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The integration of these leading software packages provides a powerful, easy-to-use solution that ensures financial and enterprise-planning decisions are made using timely, reliable information about the health and operation of all assets within a manufacturing facility or organization.

The Avantis.PRO solution is among the industry's most comprehensive EAM offerings, and Microsoft Dynamics AX 2009 is a leading business management and ERP solution, facilitating business functions such as general ledger, accounts receivable and asset value reporting. The integrated package is a standard, scalable architecture that will appeal to information technology, business operations and plant managers alike.

"As manufacturers seek to drive more and more value from their existing assets, EAM technology is becoming increasingly more strategic to their business and is equally strategic to ours," said Mike Ehrenberg, distinguished engineer, Microsoft Corp. "The Avantis.PRO EAM software from Invensys has a stellar reputation for quality and for the service that stands behind it. Together with Microsoft Dynamics ERP, we strengthen the combined value we deliver to our customers, providing a powerful, easy-to-use asset optimization solution that can grow and change with them for many years to come."

The software integration can be easily implemented, and it supports enterprise planning and decision making, improves financial and operating controls and facilitates interdepartmental collaboration. Expected benefits include:

- Greater enterprise-wide data access, which improves asset availability and utilization by providing financial systems with timely access to asset-related data, such as maintenance planning and schedules, projected failure rates and equipment service histories.
- Seamless coordination and automation of business processes, improving efficiency, increasing accuracy and eliminating data entry errors.
- Faster, easier connectivity through the use of predefined connections and standards-based integration concepts and frameworks.
- Lower costs, by implementing a scalable, out-of-the-box solution that can be upgraded as the business requires.
- Higher reliability, based on implementation of proven, heavily tested software from trusted sources.

"EAM systems can provide demonstrable results in a relatively short time frame," said Bill Polk, director of research at AMR Research, in the June 2009 AMR research report Asset Management Algebra: EAM = ROI. "In today's environment, where budgets are tight and freeing up or conserving working capital is paramount, developing and implementing a robust EAM solution can help deliver incremental profit to the bottom line."

Invensys is a Microsoft Gold solutions partner and is in the process of becoming "Certified for Dynamics" via the Microsoft CfmD Program. Invensys and Microsoft are also exploring other integration opportunities, including an active project for the integration of Invensys' Wonderware® Manufacturing Execution System technology with the Microsoft Dynamics ERP.

"This latest collaboration is a product of a long and successful business relationship that Invensys and Microsoft have enjoyed, not just with Avantis®, but with many of our products," said Sudipta Bhattacharya, president and chief executive officer, Invensys Operations Management. "Augmenting Microsoft's open development and applications environment with our experience in building solutions that address the intricacies of production environments significantly reduces risk, maximizing return not only on software investment, but on all assets."