Let's face it-manual inspections are becoming a thing of the past. They're slow, can be inconsistent, and rely too much on human effort. In a world where efficiency is everything, businesses are turning to automation to streamline their processes, and IBM's Maximo Visual Inspection (MVI) is leading the way.

If you're new to Maximo Visual Inspection, or just curious about how it works, let me break it down for you in a way that's easy to understand. Trust me, this is something you'll want to know about, especially if your work involves any kind of visual inspection or quality control.

1         The Problem: Manual Inspections Just Don't Cut It Anymore

In industries like manufacturing, transportation, and utilities, visual inspections are key to maintaining product quality and safety. But when these inspections are done manually, they can take forever and leave room for mistakes. We've all been there-long, tedious processes that could easily be improved. That's where Maximo Visual Inspection steps in.

2         What Is Maximo Visual Inspection?

Simply put, MVI uses artificial intelligence to automate visual inspections. Whether you're trying to detect defects in products, analyze videos, or even just sort images, MVI helps make the process faster, more accurate, and less dependent on human eyes.

Here are some of the standout features:

• AI-Powered Automation: MVI uses AI to analyze data at scale and automate the whole inspection process.
• Mobile & Edge Compatibility: You can run inspections on mobile devices (iOS) or edge systems. This is super handy if you need to do inspections on-site or remotely.
• Customizable AI Models: Not all inspections are the same, so MVI lets you train models specific to your needs. Need to detect specific objects or segment images.

3         How Does It Work?

If you're wondering how this all comes together, here's the process, step by step:

1. Import Your Data: Drag and drop your images or videos into MVI. It supports common formats like JPEG, PNG, MP4, etc.​
2. Label the Data: This is where you tag the objects in your images or videos. MVI makes this easy with auto-labeling that can identify objects for you, or you can do it manually if needed​
3. Train the AI Model: Once your data is labeled, MVI trains a model based on that data. You can either tweak the settings to fit your needs or use pre-built models to speed things up.
4. Deploy the Model: After training, you can deploy your model to run inspections. This can be done on mobile devices, edge systems, or integrated via API​

It sounds technical, but IBM has made the interface simple enough that you don't need to be an AI expert to get it up and running.

4         Real-Life Example: French Railways company

One cool example of MVI in action is a French railway company. They're using MVI to automate and speed up their inspections, cutting down the time spent on manual checks while improving accuracy. With MVI, their teams can focus on more critical tasks without sacrificing inspection quality​.

5         Why Should You Care About Maximo Visual Inspection?

Here's the bottom line: Maximo Visual Inspection is designed to make life easier for anyone who relies on visual inspections. It's fast, precise, and, best of all, easy to use. You don't have to spend weeks learning how to use it, and it can save you hours-if not days-of manual work.

Here's what sets it apart:

• Speed: AI-driven inspections are much faster than manual ones.
• Accuracy: Automated labeling and model training reduce human error.
• Flexibility: You can run inspections on the go with mobile or edge devices.
• Simplicity: The drag-and-drop interface means you don't have to be a tech genius to use it.

6         Final Thoughts

Maximo Visual Inspection is a game-changer, especially for industries that rely heavily on visual inspections. Whether you're working in manufacturing, transportation, or utilities, MVI can save you time, reduce errors, and streamline your entire inspection process.

If you haven't already, I'd recommend giving MVI a look. It's one of those tools that makes you wonder how you ever got by without it.

What do you think? Have you tried Maximo Visual Inspection, or are you thinking about it? Feel free to share your thoughts or experiences below!

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Ghribi Houcem
Senior consultant manager
Capgemini
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