Condensed Page Layout

Business Justification / Description

Maximo is widely used across industries for high-volume, transaction-intensive workflows such as procurement, maintenance, and inventory management. However, current standard application layouts are not optimized for efficient data entry or review.

Common usability challenges include:

• Excessive vertical scrolling

• Inefficient use of screen real estate

• Overuse of single-column layouts

• Critical fields distributed across multiple sections

These limitations increase transaction time, reduce productivity, and create unnecessary cognitive load for users. These issues are not unique to any one organization—they are broadly experienced across the Maximo user community.

This enhancement request proposes a modern, flexible, and upgrade-resilient page layout framework that improves usability and aligns with current enterprise UX standards.

Current Behavior

• Standard layouts require extensive scrolling to complete transactions

• Fields are vertically stacked with excessive spacing

• Limited flexibility in layout density and positioning

• UI configurations require rework after upgrades

• Limited support for multi-column or responsive layouts

These factors contribute to reduced efficiency and user satisfaction.

Proposed Behavior / Enhancement

Introduce a native, configurable condensed layout framework with the following capabilities:

1. Condensed Layout Mode

• Reduced vertical spacing between fields

• Compact (“density”) layout options

• Improved field grouping and alignment

2. Multi-Column Layout Support

• True multi-column configuration capability

• Responsive layout behavior based on screen size

• Drag-and-drop layout organization

3. Section Behavior Controls

• Default expand/collapse configuration

• Prioritization of critical fields above the fold

• Logical grouping to minimize navigation

4. Upgrade-Safe Configuration

• Preservation of layouts through system upgrades

• Separation of UI configuration from core application updates

5. Layout Portability

• Export/import of layout configurations

• Version-controlled layout templates

• Standardized deployment across environments

6. Role-Based Layouts

• Layout personalization by user role or persona

• Optimized experiences for buyers, planners, technicians, etc.

Use Case / Scenario

Users performing frequent transactions (e.g., creating purchase orders, reviewing work orders, managing inventory) must navigate large amounts of vertically spaced content.

A condensed, multi-column layout would:

• Allow critical fields to be visible without excessive scrolling

• Reduce time required to complete transactions

• Improve accuracy by minimizing missed fields

Business Impact

Operational Efficiency

• 20–40% reduction in scrolling and navigation effort

• Faster transaction completion

• Increased throughput for high-volume users

User Experience

• Modern, intuitive interface

• Reduced training time

• Improved user adoption and satisfaction

Data Quality

• Better visibility of required fields

• Reduced errors due to missed inputs

IT & Maintenance Efficiency

• Elimination of repeated UI reconfiguration after upgrades

• Reduced administrative overhead

Scope

In Scope

• Application Designer enhancements

• Page layout rendering and structure

• UI density and responsiveness

Out of Scope

• Changes to business logic

• Database or schema modifications

Priority

High

Benefit to IBM

• Enhances competitiveness of Maximo UI vs. modern SaaS platforms

• Aligns with enterprise UX modernization initiatives

• Reduces customer reliance on custom UI workarounds

• Improves customer satisfaction and retention

Benefit to Clients / Users

• Improved productivity across all industries using Maximo

• More efficient daily operations

• Better overall user experience

• Sustainable UI configurations through upgrades

Additional Comments

This enhancement represents a foundational usability improvement that would benefit all Maximo users globally. A modern, flexible, and upgrade-resilient layout framework is critical to supporting efficient enterprise operations at scale.