Uralkali's specialists and the consultants for Borlas in Moscow have completed a joint project. Being the second biggest IT-project in Russia, it is aimed at computerizing the maintenance of equipment. The new information system, Maintenance Management (MM) is based on the system Oracle E-Business Suite.

With the MM's launch, a unified information system starts working. It enables the Uralkali's specialists to do a full screening of all types of maintenance work, ranging from routine repairs to overhaul repairs. It will contain the information on the types, units and the companies fulfilling the repair work, including the maintenance plans for medium-term periods. The information on repair technologies has also been filed in the information system. It also indicates the terms of repair work for a certain type of equipment, including mining complexes and so on.

"The new system will enable us to calculate the repair work costs and improve the cooperation between the repair services and Uralkali's manufacturing sector. It significantly decreases the repair work term and optimizes our expenses to purchase spare parts," said Alexei Chibisov, financial director at Uralkali. At the beginning, the system will be implemented at the most labor consuming and most expensive repair work. Then from April, maintenance of the mining complexes will be operated under the new system. Next, the company plans to implement the new system to pump repair, floatation machines and on-the-ground conveyors.

General director at the consulting group Borlas, Alexei Ananin believes that his company has provided the client with the solution to increase the efficiency of their business and maximize production.

"With introduction of the new system, another logical step is completed in expanding the functional capacity of the resource management system. Based on Oracle E-Business Suite, It will significantly increase the planning and realization of maintenance work. It will also help us reorganize repair services and centralize the purchasing of spare parts. The MM is the most important part in the chain of the cost reduction program. It helps the company move ahead and achieve its ambition of being in the leading position in the global potassium chloride market," said general director at Uralkali, Maxim Bakshinsky.