Leading-edge manufacturers are discovering that they can improve production efficiencies and manage MRO expenditures by integrating their Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) with Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems. Many manufacturers are already using PLM technology to design products, test them and automate their production. This same technology can be integrated with EAM solutions, like IBM’s Maximo® Asset Management to manage manufacturing assets involved in production, such as the plant itself or its equipment, like conveyors, robotic cells, CNC machines or materials handlers. For companies already employing IBM PLM for design and production, integrating EAM solutions like Maximo increases manufacturing availability of production equipment while reducing overall plant MRO costs through better service and maintenance programs.