IBM Enhances Maximo Asset Optimization with Oniqua MRO Functionality

IBM is expanding its Maximo asset‑management platform by integrating MRO (maintenance, repair, and operations) supply‑chain tools from the recently acquired Oniqua.

The acquisition, aimed at boosting industrial IoT capabilities across mining, oil & gas, and utilities, will bring cloud‑based Oniqua software into Maximo.

Oniqua’s solution automates inventory monitoring and analysis for spare parts and materials. By unifying MRO data with asset data in Maximo, customers gain tighter control over parts availability, enabling predictive ordering and maximizing uptime.

“Optimizing MRO inventory can slash costs and reduce downtime caused by missing alignments,” says Mark Peterson, vice‑president of Building & Asset Optimization at IBM Global Business Services. He notes that improved analysis can save “millions of dollars,” freeing capital for predictive‑maintenance investments.

Dan Miklovic, research fellow at LNS Research, illustrates a common pitfall: companies often keep spare‑part levels based on OEM recommendations for original equipment footprints, even after assets are replaced or retired. “In the worst case, firms hold spares for equipment they no longer own,” he writes. “Typically, they maintain inventories based on the original footprint rather than current reality.”

Peterson cites a $25 billion company that achieved $250 million annual savings by better managing MRO inventory.

Oniqua will remain a standalone service available to both on‑premise and cloud‑based Maximo customers. IBM plans to embed Oniqua functionality into other solutions, though a detailed roadmap is not yet public. The tools will fall under the Watson IoT team, and acquisition terms were undisclosed.

“Asset management is at a crossroads because of IoT,” Peterson explains. “This integration strengthens our portfolio and validates the market’s need for smarter, data‑driven asset operations.”