Cost Effective Asset Maintenance Requires GIS & Work Management System Integration
Greg Ramon
City of Phoenix Water Services Dept.
6202 North 24th Street,
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Alicia D. Crumpton
EMA, Inc.,
1501 West Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 480,
Phoenix, AZ 85285
Jon B. Crumpton
EMA, Inc.,
1501 West Fountainhead Parkway, Suite 480,
Phoenix, AZ 85285
Abstract
GASB Statement 34 is a fundamental business driver for local governments and
municipalities to inventory and value of their assets, and includes provisions for factoring
annual maintenance costs into their asset valuations. Additionally, EPA regulations for
CMOM compound the significance of asset inventory and maintenance, because they require
that maintenance for all parts of municipal sanitary sewer systems is formally managed.
Asset identification and maintenance management is difficult for assets in a localized
environment, and becomes increasingly difficult for assets that are geographically
distributed. However, success in managing the maintenance for these assets can be enhanced
by leveraging data contained in typical GIS and work management systems. This paper will
examine various ways that GIS data can be used to enhance multiple aspects of maintenance
management and interfacing processes. Furthermore, it will demonstrate how data contained
in a typical GIS is crucial to supporting effective work management, and that integration of
the GIS and work management systems is essential.
Introduction
Asset identification and maintenance management is difficult for assets in a physically
localized environment, and becomes increasingly difficult for assets that are geographically
distributed. Examples of distributed assets include infrastructures such as water and gas
distribution, electric distribution and transmission, and wastewater collection. However,
leveraging an integrated GIS and Work Management System (WMS) will enhance success in
managing maintenance of distributed assets.
Many organizations with distributed assets have a vision to be best-of-class in their work
practices and use of technology. To support this, industry best practice requires an integrated
GIS/WMS to effectively manage all work on these distributed assets. Goals of an integrated
system include:
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All work activities are documented
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To perform historical analysis
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To perform operational analysis
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To meet regulatory challenges
Goal 1: All Work Activities Are Documented
The first order of business here is to establish a business rule that all work activities are
documented. Processes should be automated where appropriate. Automation reduces
reliance on hardcopy tracking logs and forms. This goal directly supports achieving the
other goals, particularly meeting the regulatory challenges.
Goal 2: To Perform Historical Analysis
Fully documented work activities provide the basis to perform trending and analysis of:
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Performance of a specific asset, geographic area or system over time including
failure history
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Frequently Visited Areas? - e.g., high number of inspection, maintenance or
repair activities per asset, geographic area or system
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Cost (Labor, materials, equipment) of work per asset, geographic area, or system
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Any other criteria you can think of
