Asset Management - where innovation will pay off
Asset Management for Councils is a huge issue and will continue to be as assets (infrastructure) ages and funds for asset improvement are reduced.
The assets that councils look after are worth 100s of millions of dollars. Significant funds are required (annually) just to keep these assets in a good, workable state.
Councils need to do more with less.
Perhaps innovation can help.
Read what the Queensland government says about assets and asset accounting and you will realise that a new approach is required. Queensland Report on Asset Management
Check out the very comprehensive Local Government Asset Management site. Local Government & Municipal Knowledge Base
Good Asset Management Practice
Councils across Australia have a significant number of key (and expensive) assets that provide the "lifestyle" and affect the living conditions of their respective communities.
Councils nationwide are realising the importance of maintaining and renewing their assets in an efficient and timely fashion.
This requires a focus on Asset Management.
Because of the significant value associated with assets and their diversity, asset management is a "non trivial" exercise that requires discipline and set processes and procedures to ensure that "best value is delivered to the community" from these assets.
Documenting Practices & Procedures for GAMP
The following procedures related to Asset Management are listed here;
Asset Management System Procedures
An Asset Management System ('AMS") is generally used for keeping data and information on assets.
This System usually has extensive "HELP" for all users. This is an important starting point. This HELP needs to be so comprehensive that it does not need to be documented separately. Users (and others) just need to be aware that it is available on line and should use this documentation as the primary source of AMS information.
However there are other special procedures that need to be separately and specificallty designed for the chosen AM System. These include;
Asset Management System Usage
A specific approach will need to be defined and documented for all key aspects of the Asset Management System, including;
1. Action Requests Processing & Reporting (draft discussion)'''
2. Action Handling and Works Order Processing''
3. Condition Monitoring & Defect Handling''
4. Valuation Processing and Reporting''
Details will be included on the Discussion page associated with this article.
Good Asset Management Practices
Implementng Good Asset Management Practice ('GAMP') is paramount to ensure that Asset Management is carried out efficiently and effectively within a Council.
GAMP will cover all aspects of Asset Management, including;
1. Selection & Implementation of an Asset Management System ('AMS')'
2. Documentation of all key processes and procedures for using the AMS
3. Defining and documenting key Asset Management processes; including;
3.1 Condition Monitoring & Defect Handling
3.2 "Fair Value" Valuations & Reporting for Infrastructure Assets
3.3 Action Definitions and Use along with Works Order Generation & Management
3.4 Rollout of key applications to the field staff
3.5 Field staff use of systems and procedures''
3.6 Integration AMS to Finacial System (e.g. Techone) and to GIS (e.g. MapInfo, ESRi)
3.7 Extensive use of electronic Data Entry (in the field)
3.8 Remote devices in the field (PDAs, "Tough Books" etc) with maps, electronic data entry and works order completion
The specific documentation of agreed procedures for each of these areas could be covered in the Discussion pages attached to this article.