Enable Document Versioning Support in Maximo Application Suite DocLink

Description:

Currently, Maximo Manage’s DocLinks functionality allows users to attach documents to records, but it lacks native support for document versioning. This limitation forces organizations to either integrate with external document management systems (DMS) or build custom solutions to handle document revisions, approvals, and version tracking.

I propose that IBM enhance DocLinks by introducing versioning capabilities, including but not limited to:

• Check-in / Check-out mechanism
• Automatic version numbering (v1.0, v1.1, etc.)
• Version history view and rollback
• User-based version authorship and timestamps
• Optional approval workflow per version

This feature would greatly benefit asset-intensive organizations that need to track engineering documents, procedures, drawings, or compliance records over time—especially in regulated industries like utilities, transportation, and oil & gas.

By embedding versioning into the native DocLinks system, IBM can improve usability, compliance support, and collaboration without requiring costly external DMS integrations.

Business Justification:

• Reduces dependency on third-party DMS solutions
• Enhances traceability for audit and compliance
• Simplifies collaboration across maintenance and engineering teams
• Supports digital transformation by reducing reliance on paper-based document control