Linear Assets Overview

IBM® Maximo® Linear Asset Manager is a separately licensed product extension. Your license agreement determines whether you can access linear asset functionality, which involves multiple applications. If you do not have an IBM Maximo Linear Asset Manager license, you can ignore all references to it here and in other applications. The IBM Maximo Linear Asset Manager will be referred to simply as Linear Assets in most instances.

How Do I Tell If I Have Linear Assets?

Open the Assets (SP) application and look at the tabs.

If the tabs include a Features tab and a Relationships tab, you have Linear Assets.
If the Features and Relationships tabs are not present, you do not have Linear Assets.

What Does Linear Assets Include?

Linear Assets comprises the following functionality:

the Features application
two additional tabs in the Assets (SP) application: Features and Relationships.
additional fields, sections, and sometimes actions in the following applications:

Assets
Preventive Maintenance
Work Order Tracking
Quick Reporting
Condition Monitoring
Routes
Service Requests
Create Service Requests
View Service Request
Relationships

What is the Difference Between a Linear Asset and a Point Asset?

A point asset is an asset whose length or measure is not integral to its maintenance. A point asset is what you typically think of when you talk about assets. For example an airplane has length, but you maintain it in terms of specific parts, not with respect to measured points along its length. You use the regular Assets functionality for point assets, even if you are licensed for Linear Assets.

A linear asset (also known as a continuous asset) is an asset that you maintain in segments, such as a road, pipeline, or railroad track. You make measurements along the linear asset to specify work, monitoring, metering, placement of signs, and so forth.

How Do the Additional Fields and Sections Appear in the User Interface?

Linear Assets uses a conditional user interface. The fields and sections you see in some applications depend on whether the asset you are working with is a point asset or a linear asset.

When you create an asset record, you specify whether the asset is linear. If it is linear, the relevant fields and sections appear in other applications when the asset record you are working with is linear. They do not appear when the asset record is a point asset. For example, in Work Order Tracking, when you create a work order you see a standard set of sections and fields on the Work Order tab. If, in the Asset field, you select a linear asset, the Work Order tab displays an additional section, Linear Segment Details.

How Do I Use Help With Linear Assets?

Help for linear assets is an extension of the regular help. In the Assets (SP) application, topics specific to Linear Assets appear in subsections under the relevant grouping. For example, the Tabs section includes a Linear Assets subsection for the two additional tabs in Linear Assets. These topics are an extension of the Help. You still consult the regular Assets Help topics for many of the tasks you perform with linear assets.

In some applications, such as Preventive Maintenance and Work Order Tracking, the regular help topics include linear information where relevant.

The Features application is restricted to Linear Assets. All of its help pertains to linear assets.