1. PG 32 AFRICA PRINT JOURNAL AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 www.AfricaPrint.com
FEATUREFEATURE
ASSET ENABLEMENT AND
CALIBRATION PART 3
BY RIAN VAN DER MERWE
During my twelve years as a consultant in the asset environment, I have lost track of how
many assets I have seen that have never been utilised to their full potential or never even
been taken out of their boxes. Asset enablement is all about making sure that the asset
that is put to work is delivering the best service for its purpose and therefore justifying the
expenditure thereof.
The enablement phase is post procurement. At this
stage the investment has been committed to and
the focus shifts to enabling this asset to function
properly.
There are a number of potential stages in the
enablement phase, including:
• project management
• environmental preparation
• setup, install, configure and calibrate
• integration
• training
• marketing.
Each of these points will be briefly discussed
below.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Most enterprise clients register an official project
when implementing new assets, processes or
systems. A project manager is then appointed and
given key deliverables and a timeline to enable the
product within a specified budget.
Project management is one of the key components
of enabling a new asset correctly. Often there are a
number of role players in a company that each play
an essential part in the enablement of an asset.
These role players can potentially be individuals
from finance, procurement, IT, legal services, etc.
A project manager should be a neutral party that
assists to obtain the correct level of input from
internal and external role players in order to meet
the set deliverables.
ENVIRONMENTAL PREPARATION
Different assets would have different requirements.
In the case of a large digital printer for instance,
one would consider the following factors from
an environmental perspective to ensure that the
environment is correctly prepared for installation:
• Circuit breaker on the DB board to support the
device.
• Sufficient power and network points should
be available.
• Sufficient space for the device footprint to
allow for opening of side doors and pulling
finishers forward on rails.
• Sufficient ventilation.
• Room temperature control.
• Access control.
SETUP, INSTALL, CONFIGURE AND CALIBRATE
I have just purchased a new laptop and have
experienced afresh how much effort is required
after taking the product out of the box before it can
replace my old machine. In order for me to use the
new machine I had to do the obvious, like charging
the batteries and switching it on, change power
connectors and screen output ports, configure
software, load all my personalised applications,
configure the settings, transfer my data, etc. The
enablement of a tool that was designed to be ’plug
and play’ took me five days. In the past I have taken
short cuts and was eventually forced to format my
machine and do it properly.
Additional to the setup and configuration, I read the
tutorials and electronic manual on my new product
and found that it had powerful advantages to my
old machine. Had I not read this, I would have
continued to use this product in the old fashion
that I was used to and would not get the benefit of
wonderful time-saving features.
The setup and installation process of a complex
asset requires a step by step process to setup,
configure and install. Even seasoned technicians
make configuration errors in complex installations.
For this reason it is strongly recommended
to request that installation personnel use an
installation guide to limit potential errors.
The following additional documentation should be
provided by the installer as proof that the asset
was installed correctly:
• A completed installation checklist.
• A calibration certificate.
• A Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) checklist.
• A passed product test certificate.
• The product warrantee activation.
Documentation like these will ensure that a
product is installed correctly and is ready for use.
These documents should also be filed appropriately
for any future reference.
INTEGRATION
Often companies take almost the entire lifecycle
of an asset before they have completed and
matured an asset integration into essential back-

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end systems and processes. Even though there is
an excitement to start using the new asset and
integration might delay the launch with weeks
or even months, it is nothing compared to the
efficiency that you would gain when you complete
the integrations upfront.
Integrations require specialists from both your
internal systems as well as the asset supplier.
Once the architecture of both ends are understood,
a flow diagram should be drawn up and approved
by both parties. Once the flow diagram is approved,
both parties will develop the required plugin to
enable the integration. The integration should first
be tested in a controlled environment and provided
that it passes all tests, be introduced into the
production environment.
TRAINING
It goes without saying that an essential part of the
enablement of a new asset involves appropriate
training. There are often multiple role players that
have different responsibilities regarding the asset
that might require different levels of training, such
as operators, administrators, first line support, etc.
It is generally preferred that the suppliers offer
more formal training with a testing process, (even
if it is a practical test) to ensure that the required
skills to operate the asset is properly instilled.
MARKETING
A new asset provides an opportunity to market the
added opportunities and capacities it brings to your
clients. Companies buy assets with the core aim
to reap a return on their investments. Therefore,
besides the fact that the new asset provides
the ideal opportunity to engage with clients, the
interaction would in return lead to turnover which
is the commonly accepted test of a successful,
enabled asset.
Rian van der Merwe +27 (0) 83 257 2601
(+27 11) 234 8116 rian@fine-print.co.za
THE INTEGRATION SHOULD FIRST BE TESTED IN A
CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT AND PROVIDED THAT
IT PASSES ALL TESTS, BE INTRODUCED INTO THE
PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT.