Start-Up Company Realizes the Advantages of Asset Management

M4 Environmental Management is a limited partnership between Lockheed Martin Corporation and Molten Metal Technology, Inc. Formed in August 1994, M4 works with government and commercial sectors nationwide to recycle hazardous wastes. The 100,000 square-foot M4 Technology Center is headquartered in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The Center has three bench-scale, experimental Radioactive Processing Units (RPUs) and one large production unit. The company's headquarters building is located nearby.

The Challenge
Immediately upon incorporation, M4 realized the impact an effective asset management solution could have on their new company. Therefore, a team of individuals came together to discuss the need for an asset management tool. It included representatives from the operations, procurement, instrumentation and controls, information technology, and of course, the maintenance department. With millions invested in equipment and research, this team wanted a sophisticated yet easy-to-use asset management system.

The Solution
After identifying company-wide requirements, M4 reviewed four packages and finally chose Datastream because of its strong market presence, stable flagship product, as well as its reliable implementation services.

The Results
M4 now has a cost-effective tool to practice preventive maintenance, control inventory, and reduce overall maintenance costs. The most immediate benefit was being able to ensure the correct inventory was available for start-up.

"Datastream hit the ground running," says Margie Dyer, manager of corporate information. "Their engineers threw on hard hats and safety glasses and started assigning equipment and inventory numbers as well as setting up preventive maintenance schedules for our Radioactive Processing Units (RPUs). In just nine weeks, the system was taking root and we had a forward path to integrate with our process control software of choice, Wonderware®. We were much better prepared to begin production with the help of Datastream's implementation services."