Author | Dirk Janse van Rensburg, Head of On Key Software Solutions

AI is moving fast, but the winners won’t be the ones with the flashiest algorithms. Advantage will sit with organisations that have quietly done the hard work of responsible asset management – structuring data, closing work orders correctly, and treating asset information as something to be stewarded so that it can start earning an “AI dividend”: a step-change in reliability, cost control and reporting that flows from the asset knowledge you already have.

On Key is that vault of knowledge – a single place where hierarchies, work history, manuals, contracts, meter readings and condition data live together. It’s also why Verdantix named On Key a Leader in the 2024 Green Quadrant for Enterprise Asset Management Software, with a perfect score for Vision & Strategy.^{1, 2}

From system of record to living asset brain

The conversation is shifting from “Do you have an EAM?” to “What can your EAM help you decide?” Verdantix now assesses EAM and CMMS platforms not only on core functionality, but also on how well they support analytics, AI, and integrated ESG reporting across complex portfolios – taking you beyond a compliance-driven system of record to something closer to a living asset brain that connects reliability, cost, and sustainability.

That living asset brain is only as good as the information you feed it.^3,4 Recent CSRD data-readiness research found that more than 80% of businesses struggle with audit-ready ESG data due to fragmented systems and manual processes – the same patterns many asset teams recognise in spreadsheets and incomplete asset registers.

Five AI agents that will matter next

Over the next year or two, that groundwork will show up as practical AI agents working alongside your teams inside On Key, not replacing planners, technicians or engineers, but amplifying them.

The Copilot

First, imagine a Reliability Copilot that reads your asset histories and real-time signals, spots patterns that hint at emerging problems, and recommends condition-based interventions.

The Guardian

The Service & SLA Guardian watches the flow of work across sites, contractors, tenants, or internal customers, highlighting jobs at risk of breaching SLAs and helping you direct capacity to where it matters most.

The Scribe

The Compliance & Audit Scribe takes on the heavy lifting of demonstrating that you did the right work at the right time by assembling evidence from registers, work orders and sign-offs into clear narratives for regulators, insurers or internal audit.

The Optimiser

The Inventory & Cost Optimiser learns from how you actually consume parts and materials, linking failures, lead times and stock levels to suggest smarter reorder points and expose chronic over- or under-stocking.

The Analyst

Finally, the Narrative Analyst steps back from day-to-day noise to read trends in downtime, cost and backlog, then explains where performance is drifting and which levers you can pull next.

These agents are not science fiction.⁵ In the latest Verdantix benchmarks, AI and generative AI are now core evaluation criteria for EAM platforms. In the 2024 global corporate real estate survey, 83% of organisations expect to increase CMMS/CAFM spend as they modernise maintenance and reporting. For organisations that already run On Key well, this wave is an opportunity, not a threat.

Three practical steps to earn your AI dividend

Treat your EAM software as an asset knowledge platform

Tidy the foundations – asset hierarchies, criticality ratings, failure codes, manuals and warranties – and close the loop on work orders so that context lives in On Key, not only in people’s heads.

Design “agent-ready” workflows

For each key process, ask: If I wanted an AI copilot to help here in two years, what data and decisions would it need, and how should we capture that today?

Start where value and readiness intersect

Choose one or two use cases where data in On Key is already strong, and the value is obvious – for example, predictive maintenance on a critical asset – and use those as test beds to prove value before you scale.

Time to collect the dividend

AI could be the wave that narrows global gaps – or it could widen them. Those who’ve taken asset stewardship seriously and invested in platforms like On Key to curate their asset knowledge will be the ones who can harness AI as a tailwind rather than just another buzzword. You’ve walked the walk as a responsible asset owner. Now it’s time to collect the dividend.

References

1. https://www.verdantix.com/venture/report/green-quadrant-enterprise-asset-management-software-2024
2. https://www.onkey.com/on-key-recognised-as-a-green-quadrant-leader-for-industrial-eam-software-2024/
3. https://semarchy.com/press-releases/csrd-compliance-data-readiness-study/
4. https://www.esgtoday.com/83-of-companies-say-collecting-accurate-data-for-csrd-reporting-requirements-will-be-a-challenge-workiva-survey/
5. https://www.verdantix.com/client-portal/blog/green-quadrant-benchmark-reveals-what-really-sets-commercial-building-cmms-platforms-apart