Where the Solution Meets the Real World Jamie Markham 02.09.2026 A personal reflection on Maximo workshops, collaboration and why being on site helps teams understand how solutions are used in practice. Where the Solution Meets the Real World A personal reflection on Maximo workshops, collaboration and why being on site helps teams understand how solutions are used in practice. Written by Bob van de Ven, Application Consultant at MACS, following an overseas client visit with Robert Molenkamp, Lead Consultant. Introduction It is not every day that members of the MACS team travel tens of thousands of kilometres to support a client. When I first joined the company, I certainly did not expect that one year later I would be delivering workshops in such a remote and impressive environment.Luckily, Robert and I were given the opportunity to do exactly that. Since it was such a memorable experience, I wanted to share a little of the story and, more importantly, what it reminded me about the value of spending time with customers in person. The client environment The client operates in a highly specialised environment, where the availability and performance of critical assets are essential to the organisation’s day-to-day work. From a Maximo and asset management perspective, this made the visit especially interesting.The Maximo systems and processes we support are not just abstract workflows on a screen. They sit behind real operations, real people and real decisions. Being able to see that environment first-hand gave us a much deeper understanding of why effective maintenance, lifecycle management and digital transformation matter so much. The project The client had been using Maximo for many years and was preparing for the next stage of its transformation journey. Alongside a planned move to Maximo Application Suite, the organisation wanted to review and improve its maintenance processes, with future growth and operational complexity in mind.A series of Maximo solution workshops was planned to explore requirements, review best practice and discuss how the platform could better support the business. On paper, this was a structured set of workshops. In practice, it quickly became something much more valuable. The trip The first thing that became clear after arriving was how much care the client put into people and relationships. Everything was well organised, from travel arrangements to accommodation, and we were made to feel welcome straight away.That may sound like a small thing, but it makes a difference. Before the workshops had even started, we had already met people from different parts of the organisation, shared conversations outside of meeting rooms and started to understand the culture behind the project.Travelling to a customer can sometimes be viewed simply as a project cost. But experiences like this show how much value there is in being present. A video call can cover requirements, but it does not always show you the full picture. Being there helps you understand the atmosphere, the priorities and the reality of how people work. The workshops The workshops were based on our Maximo best practice approach, adapted to the client’s requirements. However, they quickly became open discussions about the possibilities within Maximo and how to align the organisation’s business processes for the future.The process discussions became one of the most important parts of the visit. They helped shape the action list that came out of the workshop notes and highlighted areas where decisions, definitions and new ways of working would be needed.Another major topic was integration with wider business systems. As with many transformation projects, the technology was only one part of the conversation. The real focus was how information, processes and people could connect more effectively.Overall, the sessions were very productive. We could see that the client valued the insights being shared, but also that there were some important decisions ahead. The time between this first set of workshops and the next phase would be used to discuss, define and agree as many points as possible. Seeing the work behind the system Outside of the workshops, we also had the opportunity to see more of the operational environment behind the processes. This was one of the most valuable parts of the trip.It is one thing to work on Maximo from behind a desk. It is something else entirely to see the assets, teams and environments that the system supports. That context made the work feel more tangible and gave us a much clearer understanding of the scale and importance of the client’s operation.For me, this was one of the most inspiring parts of the visit. It connected the work we do in Maximo with the real-world outcomes the client is trying to achieve. Outcome of the visit The trip must have been a significant investment, but in my opinion it definitely paid off. It was extremely valuable to gain an in-depth understanding of the organisation and its processes.Meeting the team in real life, spending full days together and having open conversations significantly reduced the distance between both parties. It also added a lot to the overall collaboration. We could sense that the client was genuinely pleased to have us there and felt supported during what is, understandably, a complex transformation process.Looking back, the visit was not only memorable because of the environment, but because of the people we met and the insight we gained. Seeing the client’s world first-hand gave us a much better understanding of the scale, complexity and importance of the work they do.More than anything, it reinforced how valuable it is to spend time with customers in person, building trust, sharing knowledge and working together towards the same goal. Successful Maximo transformation is not just about software, systems or go-live dates. It is about understanding the people, the processes and the environment behind every project. Bob van de VenApplication Consultant at MACS Robert MolenkampLead Consultant, MACS Share:
Where the Solution Meets the Real World A personal reflection on Maximo workshops, collaboration and why being on site helps teams understand how solutions are used in practice. Written by Bob van de Ven, Application Consultant at MACS, following an overseas client visit with Robert Molenkamp, Lead Consultant. Introduction It is not every day that members of the MACS team travel tens of thousands of kilometres to support a client. When I first joined the company, I certainly did not expect that one year later I would be delivering workshops in such a remote and impressive environment.Luckily, Robert and I were given the opportunity to do exactly that. Since it was such a memorable experience, I wanted to share a little of the story and, more importantly, what it reminded me about the value of spending time with customers in person. The client environment The client operates in a highly specialised environment, where the availability and performance of critical assets are essential to the organisation’s day-to-day work. From a Maximo and asset management perspective, this made the visit especially interesting.The Maximo systems and processes we support are not just abstract workflows on a screen. They sit behind real operations, real people and real decisions. Being able to see that environment first-hand gave us a much deeper understanding of why effective maintenance, lifecycle management and digital transformation matter so much. The project The client had been using Maximo for many years and was preparing for the next stage of its transformation journey. Alongside a planned move to Maximo Application Suite, the organisation wanted to review and improve its maintenance processes, with future growth and operational complexity in mind.A series of Maximo solution workshops was planned to explore requirements, review best practice and discuss how the platform could better support the business. On paper, this was a structured set of workshops. In practice, it quickly became something much more valuable. The trip The first thing that became clear after arriving was how much care the client put into people and relationships. Everything was well organised, from travel arrangements to accommodation, and we were made to feel welcome straight away.That may sound like a small thing, but it makes a difference. Before the workshops had even started, we had already met people from different parts of the organisation, shared conversations outside of meeting rooms and started to understand the culture behind the project.Travelling to a customer can sometimes be viewed simply as a project cost. But experiences like this show how much value there is in being present. A video call can cover requirements, but it does not always show you the full picture. Being there helps you understand the atmosphere, the priorities and the reality of how people work. The workshops The workshops were based on our Maximo best practice approach, adapted to the client’s requirements. However, they quickly became open discussions about the possibilities within Maximo and how to align the organisation’s business processes for the future.The process discussions became one of the most important parts of the visit. They helped shape the action list that came out of the workshop notes and highlighted areas where decisions, definitions and new ways of working would be needed.Another major topic was integration with wider business systems. As with many transformation projects, the technology was only one part of the conversation. The real focus was how information, processes and people could connect more effectively.Overall, the sessions were very productive. We could see that the client valued the insights being shared, but also that there were some important decisions ahead. The time between this first set of workshops and the next phase would be used to discuss, define and agree as many points as possible. Seeing the work behind the system Outside of the workshops, we also had the opportunity to see more of the operational environment behind the processes. This was one of the most valuable parts of the trip.It is one thing to work on Maximo from behind a desk. It is something else entirely to see the assets, teams and environments that the system supports. That context made the work feel more tangible and gave us a much clearer understanding of the scale and importance of the client’s operation.For me, this was one of the most inspiring parts of the visit. It connected the work we do in Maximo with the real-world outcomes the client is trying to achieve. Outcome of the visit The trip must have been a significant investment, but in my opinion it definitely paid off. It was extremely valuable to gain an in-depth understanding of the organisation and its processes.Meeting the team in real life, spending full days together and having open conversations significantly reduced the distance between both parties. It also added a lot to the overall collaboration. We could sense that the client was genuinely pleased to have us there and felt supported during what is, understandably, a complex transformation process.Looking back, the visit was not only memorable because of the environment, but because of the people we met and the insight we gained. Seeing the client’s world first-hand gave us a much better understanding of the scale, complexity and importance of the work they do.More than anything, it reinforced how valuable it is to spend time with customers in person, building trust, sharing knowledge and working together towards the same goal. Successful Maximo transformation is not just about software, systems or go-live dates. It is about understanding the people, the processes and the environment behind every project. Bob van de VenApplication Consultant at MACS Robert MolenkampLead Consultant, MACS
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