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Utilities, private investors and other organizations can spend billions building new critical infrastructure assets, such as power generation, water treatment or desalination facilities. The focus during development is often placed on meeting schedule and budget with little attention given to long-term asset operations and maintenance (O&M) until after commercial operation is achieved.

Lack of meaningful and actionable asset information results in operators bringing new assets online based on experience, rather than being guided by well-defined procedures and instructions. O&M cannot be optimized, reducing the return on investment of the asset and potentially shortening its overall lifespan.

Asset criticality, optimized preventative maintenance and special procedures, such as lock out/tag out and confined space instructions, are examples of context-specific asset information that is not readily available at hand over.

Data vs. Information

The issue with new build assets is not a lack of data or functioning enterprise asset management (EAM) system. Every nuance of a new asset is documented and reviewed multiple times throughout the design and construction process. Design documents, maintenance plans, safety precautions and parts lists, among other data, are handed over to the asset owner at the time of installation.

The challenge is that data is handed over as flat, isolated files, and although it may be easy to import, it rarely represents the full requirements to maintain the asset. A complex relationship exists between equipment data and maintenance procedures that keep an asset running safely, optimally and reliably. For example, a standard preventative maintenance task requires a definition of the piece of equipment, the labor skills required to perform the task, asset location and the frequency maintenance should be performed. These relationships are not easily discerned from flat file data.

Unless information is delivered through an EAM that presents information to asset owners and operators in a manner that enables effective work and asset management, the data will not be used effectively.

Transforming flat file data into a format required by the EAM to inform asset O&M is a complex task that requires significant expertise beyond data migration skills. It requires expertise in EAM application technology, asset management, maintenance, and reliability. The complexity of the undertaking co...