Powerful Beginnings
In the mid 1980's, the San Diego based Four Winds Enterprises was experiencing the pains of successful expansion of their core business.
A growing fleet of equipment, scattered around the world, needed systematic management of maintenance records to meet safety regulations and
budget mandates. As part of an escalating business plan, Four Winds - known for their technical savvy, innovation and willingness to purchase
the best tools in the industry - became one of the first companies to purchase the newest generation of IBM "Super Mini" - the System 38.
Although this system had an advanced architecture and relational database that revolutionized data handling, Four Winds quickly discovered there
were no applications available to meet equipment maintenance management tracking requirements. To this end, Four Winds found the best available
Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) on the previous IBM generation of mini-computers and struck a deal to develop a new and more
powerful version to integrate into the System 38. The resulting "MainTracker" system was the first of its kind to provide advanced client/server
technology based CMMS in a platform as powerful and affordable as the System 38 itself. Four Winds developed sales and support to distribute the
new system to a fast growing industry that embraced the System 38 and the subsequent IBM AS/400.
Desktop Revolution
As the desktop generation of PC's began to thrive throughout industry, Four Winds customers were looking for an advanced,
affordable DOS-based CMMS. Four Winds teamed up with a leading application provider to offer an advanced PC-based solution to a wide variety of users;
from Corporations such as Tyco Electronics and AT&T Bell Labs, to cities such as Battle Creek, Michigan. Continuing to innovate and in response to
demands in the CMMS arena, ATS/Four Winds developed one of the first comprehensive CMMS applications on the new Microsoft Windows platform.
The ECTA Maintenance Productivity Enhancement Tool (M-PETŪ) remains one of the most powerful systems available using the strong and secure client/server
relational database engine to protect user data and assure adequate resources to manage expanding history records. The open architecture, hosted on a
number of database platforms, provides one of the most flexible, configurable and changeable systems on the market today.
Total Integrated Options
In the 1990s, Four Winds Enterprises purchased the CMMS business and renamed the company to Four Winds Group (FWG) to better reflect the growing
need to deliver total CMMS networked solutions to clients world-wide. FWG offers turn-key solutions from hardware to installation, training, support
and integration to hand-held units, as well as remote database synchronization in response to needs from clients as diverse as Ford Motor Company, the
Kauai Water Department, and the Departments of Transportation for the states of Hawaii, Massachusetts and Washington.
Operations and Maintenance Implementation
Today, M-PETŪ supports multiple data platforms, hand-held work order generation, full spare parts management, using Materials Requisition and
Planning (MRP), as well as graphics and video clip integration to text fields. FWG added an operations and maintenance specialty and established the
Northwest Regional Office, responsible for advanced implementation and integration of M-PETŪ features and functions. FWG now had the expertise to
provide every aspect of sales, training, implementation and support of the M-PETŪ application in any environment from small shop to state-wide DOT
environments. Systematic Preventative Maintenance practices, ISO supported documentation and OSHA safety are incorporated in our implementation plans
for new and existing customers alike, providing comprehensive work procedures for safe completion of work tasks.
CM3 Total System Solutions from One Location
The newest innovation brings the M-PETŪ application itself to Four Winds Group. Starting officially in 2006, the total suite of M-PETŪ applications
will be owned by FWG with direct control over support, services and development. Now the full range, from product to services and support, will be
controlled within one organization. We are fully able to address your total requirements for Computerized Maintenance and Materials Management a
specialty we refer to as CM3. How can we be of service to you? Contact us and let us show you how we work with your team to "get er done".
