Implementation Phase Activities
This document covers the following topics:
Needs Analysis/Strategy Plans
The organization which is implementing an Advanced Asset Management Plan needs to carry out a "Needs Analysis/Strategy Plan" study.
The two key elements of the plan are:
- Confirm the organization's commitment to "best appropriate practice" in asset management
- Adopt or vary the recommended program and decide on/confirm the:
- Specific Budget allocation and asset management planning time frame
- Information system strategy
- Level of sophistication desired
- Priority for the various asset types.
Once these decisions have been made or confirmed, a detailed implementation program can then be developed.
The sophistication of the asset management program will depend on the size of the organization and complexity of the tasks.
The program should be developed on project management software to control the:
- Large number of tasks
- Complex resource requirements
- Interconnectivity/dependencies
- Critical path/timelines
- Outputs (milestones).
Options for Data Capture Resources
Data capture will depend on whether or not the organization has:
- Chosen the software and hardware to be used or whether an evaluation and purchase/ bidding program needs to be undertaken
- Decided how the data collection will be resourced.
The various options include:
- In-house staff
- Contracted data collectors
- Project managed by either in-house staff, or an external consultant
- Fully contracted data collection.
The second decision is best made after a detailed list of implementation tasks are completed. The list should identify:
- Typical skills/experience levels required for each task
- Estimated time inputs required
- Date at which they will be required in the program.
Issues of Data Accuracy
It is relatively easy for the organization to identify missing data, however, it is much harder to identify data that is presently available, but of inadequate quality.
Example One
Young students from a local school were employed during a vacation to collect data on infrastructure assets.
They were given minimal training in what was required and were left to their own devices.
The group soon became aware that no quality assurance was in place and that no verification would be undertaken.
Based on the fact they were being paid on completion, they rushed through the work in a short time, using estimates and often without visiting or siting the asset.
A small verification sample identified that over 85% of the asset information was false and a decision was easily made to abandon this and organize for new data to be collected.
Example Two
A municipal authority had data loaded into their asset management system using a contracted data collector.
This contractor had taken meticulous care in the collection of attribute data, which had been properly audited and had proven to be very high quality.
However, the collection of condition data was not subjected to the same rigorous review or audit and the standard of data capture fell in the later stages of the work.
In this case, the organization concluded that they would revise their next condition assessment program to set the dubious data area as the initial program. They were able to quickly overcome this condition data deficiency as part of their normal cyclic condition assessment process.
Pilot AMP Implementation Program
This stage involves the development of a detailed asset management plan pilot implementation program to evaluate asset management on a small scale before the organization begins to implement a system-wide asset management system. The pilot stage covers:
- Identify and determine pilot program sites and specific assets involved
- Confirm data capture requirements and commence data assemblage
- Determine asset:
- Identification units (MMI)
- Classifications/codes
- Attribute details to be collected for pilot program (confirm priority levels)
- Develop detailed task program for the pilot programs including:
- Tasks/activities required
- Experience skills/required
- Estimated time needed
- Connectivity of tasks
- Key timeframe and milestone outputs expected.
- Assess the available resources' ability to complete tasks
- Decide on most appropriate resource allocations and method of management for pilot program including:
- Overall project management
- Asset management co-ordination
- Data collection, inputting and transfers
- Quality assurance
- Product testing and handover
- Training
- Set up most appropriate management structure
- Develop necessary asset management works programs and contract documents.
If Data Collection is Contracted Out
- Complete detailed specification for data collection including:
- Assemble examples of all available data sources
- Outline the scope of work
- List detailed outputs required with a detailed example
- Determine delivery schedule for draft partial submittal
- Determine delivery schedule for final submittal
- Develop contract schedules
- Complete standard terms and conditions.
- Get approval of contract documentation and proposed timetable
- Call potential bidders
- Evaluate bidders, complete bid evaluation report and recommendations
- Gain approval
- Accept completed contract
- Monitor and review data collection works throughout contract
- Meet with contractor to review agency comments on draft data submittal
- Complete final product evaluation and handover/commissioning procedures
- Train staff in the use of the completed system.
Project Management Activities
- Complete resource allocation plan for detailed task lists
- Complete work instructions/contracts to complete the necessary tasks
- Complete detailed QA processes for monitoring individual outputs
- Set up project review/reporting program/milestones, etc
- Complete project review program:
- Monitor progress
- Report on progress, issues, etc.
- Complete project acceptance tests and evaluation
- Complete handover activities.
Pilot Program Review
Whether the project is being completed by in-house staff or by contractors, review of the pilot program is desirable.
By reviewing the program at a 10% to 15% complete stage we have the opportunity to:
- Assess the key decisions made in the needs analysis/strategy plan development stage, including:
- The hierarchical levels (sophistication level) adopted
- The priority level set on attribute
s data fields (and the opportunities for collecting data on lower priority items)
- The outputs achieved meet the objectives of the organization
- The computer systems chosen meet the intended use
- Assess the capabilites of in-house staff to clearly understand the:
- Data Gathering Processes involved
- Effort or inputs required
- Workings of the software systems and their idiosyncrasies
- Allow staff to maintain clear ownership of the AM program
- Assess the most appropriate way to complete the project based on review of the Pilot Program
- Check contract documents and provide good information to bidders so that the remaining work is completed with a high degree of confidence, with fixed price/no claims allowed contracts
- Revise the total program, based on the review and decide on the asset managment program policies to be adopted for the balance of the program.
Complete the Pilot Program
Before the pilot program can be finalized, there should be one additional review of the draft final asset management pilot study. Once the pilot scheme reviews have been concluded, there should be a post-pilot study brainstorming meeting to dicusss any lessons learned, and whether the pilot study participants would accomplish the same study any differently based on knowledge gained . After considering any revisions or alterations which need to be made to the program, the organization then needs to complete the balance of the asset management work.
In some cases organizations have used in-house staff to complete the pilot schemes and have then contracted out the balance of the asset management work, knowing that existing staff members:
- Have gained a full understanding of the program
- Can supervise it more effectively
- Will be better able to take "ownership" of the finished product.
In this case the contracting out phase will occur after the pilot scheme.
Program Control and Approval Process
The improvement tasks that are approved in the AM Needs Analysis Strategy Plan, and verified or modified somewhat in the AM Pilot Program, are assembled and clearly defined, including all resource requirements for contractors, consultants and the organization staff.