RIMS Forum - 20 March 2013 Ken Mitchell - Opus

1. RIMS Conference 2013
Road Asset Management
Information Systems (RAMIS)
Good Practice Guideline
Project Update
Opus International Consultants
Presenter:
Ken Mitchell
RIMS Conference March 2013

2. The Project: You asked for it!
 The Start: the 2011 RIMS meeting where several key
tasks were formulated in the workshops and RIMS
objectives prioritised.
 RIMS Group 2012 RFP for a Road Asset Information
Systems “Good Practice” Guideline was competitively
bid and awarded to the Opus team of
 Gregg Morrow
 Royce Greaves
 Tim Cross
 Ken Mitchell
RIMS Conference March 2013

3. What Does Good Practice Mean?
 Good appropriate practice considers
 the organisation’s needs
 tailors an approach that is ‘fit for purpose’;
 accordingly the AM Practice itself is optimised.
 The IIMM represents a toolbox of good practice,
 the extent of use should be determined by an organisation to ensure
its approach is suitably robust without ‘overshooting’ and investing in
AM practices that provide little benefit. (Source: Waugh & Holland 2012; Road Maintenance Task
Force Better Asset Management, Planning and Delivery)
RIMS Conference March 2013

4. What did RIMS want in the Guideline?
 A focus on developing and implementing Road Asset
Management Information Systems (RAMIS) that meet
organisational business requirements.
 Purposely “good practice” guidelines to emphasise practical,
rational and affordable decisions on a RAMIS
 A need to reflect the business realities and operational nature
of different organisations, not a technically perfect and
probably unaffordable system implementation
 Support quality, changes in technology and systems.
 Bring together current practice
− A-Spec, Austroads, Spatial, International development
RIMS Conference March 2013

5. What is included in the Guidelines
 What it is: taking the reader through the process of identifying
the outcomes they require, and the data and processes required
to achieve those outcomes using an RAMIS.
 What it isn’t: Guidance on the particular software tools available.
 Who is it for: The guidelines are for road asset and operations
managers. Functions and processes are described in end-user
terms rather than formal IT processes.
Some thing for everyone!
RIMS Conference March 2013

6. Guideline Structure
 Water Asset Management Information Systems Guideline as a
template.
− Introduction
− Specifying Functional Requirements
− Selecting, Reviewing, Implementing a RAMIS
 For each AM Area
− Specifying user requirements
− Defining appropriate practice
− Outputs and data requirements
− Other issues to consider
RIMS Conference March 2013

7. Typical Structure- Example
 The Asset Register
 Specifying user requirements
 Defining “Appropriate” practice
 Outputs and data requirements
 Other things to consider
− Hierarchy and Data Aggregation
− Data Collection
− Locating assets in the field
− Data standards
− Location referencing management systems (LRMS)
RIMS Conference March 2013

8. Typical Structure- Example 2
 Condition Monitoring
 Specifying user requirements
 Defining appropriate practice
 Outputs and data requirements
 Other issues to consider
− The condition grading approach
− Condition information captured during maintenance work
− Importance of consistency and accuracy regarding condition data
− Representative sampling
− Survey frequency: dynamic vs. inert assets
RIMS Conference March 2013

9. Practical RAMIS Guidance
 Ability to determine what are the most appropriate functional
requirements for an organisation.
 Clear definition of specific user requirements in terms of how
outputs are delivered
 Detailing of data inputs required to achieve those outputs
utilising the AT-Database Operations Manual work
 What essential outputs can/should be expected from a RAMIS
(e.g. accurate asset value, asset condition reports, optimal time to renew an asset, KPI
reports, etc.)
 Risk Management
 Implementation of change
RIMS Conference March 2013

10. Practical Guidance 2
 the processes that need to be in place to capture that data to the
required level of accuracy.
 the people and skills sets required to implement and maintain an
effective RAMIS
 The organisational commitment and ownership
RIMS Conference March 2013

11. How do we know where we are in the Process?
BC Asset Management Building
Blocks: Roadmap
http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/Library/Asset_
Management/AM_Roadmap/Guide_for_u
sing_the_Roadmap%20--AMBC--
Sept_23_2011.pdf
RIMS Conference March 2013

12. Advanced
Levels of AM Practice: Core
Good
Core
 Core Practice:
 This is the level that all road controlling authorities should
expect to achieve (and are likely to be currently at as a
minimum)
 The minimum data and processes that are likely to be able to
deliver legislative compliance.
 Core practice requires a reliable asset register with sufficient
data to enable revaluations in accordance with Financial
Reporting Standards.
 Some basic condition and performance monitoring is expected
to be in place for some assets.
RIMS Conference March 2013

13. Advanced
Levels of AM Practice: Good
Good
Core
 Good Practice:
 This is the level that most authorities should see as the
minimum threshold and the level that smaller organisations
may strive for as an appropriate goal.
 Capturing reliable asset information during maintenance
activities,
 Ability to report performance against reliability and response
KPIs,
 Critical assets recorded and renewal forecasts based on
condition and performance history.
RIMS Conference March 2013

14. Advanced
Levels of AM Practice: Advanced
Good
Core
 Advanced Practice:
 All Core and Good functions
 This is the level that complex authorities with higher value or
high risk assets should be striving for,
 For less complex authorities that have particular needs.
 Advanced practices include applications that facilitate
optimized decisions on maintenance and renewal for all asset
types.
RIMS Conference March 2013

15. The “System” Myth “Funding is to Improve Road Infrastructure
Not to Make Decisions “
 The range of cost, quality, complexity and utility of “systems” is
very wide.
 “Systems” are often seen as the panacea of all problems
 The reality is that the core components of an effective RAMIS
are:
− clearly understand and well defined business, asset and operational
processes,
− skilled staff
− corporate ownership
 Systems need to be effective for their business setting
RIMS Conference March 2013

16. The essential components
RIMS Conference March 2013

17. Already have a system?
 Is it still fit for purpose?
 Does it support your business need?
− ROMAN 1 to 2: User Experience
 The guideline can help
 The guideline covers essential implementation processes
 Systems Requirements Definition
 IT Governance
− IT Governance focusses on driving business value from IT investment by
applying policy, process and philosophy for the good of organisations.
This should not be mistaken for IT Management.
RIMS Conference March 2013

18. Planning a RAMIS
 Essential Analysis:
If we are considering RAMIS investment:
 Strategically, How can we make sure that we will do the right things?
 Architecturally, How can we make sure that we are doing the right things,
in the right way?
 Delivery, How can we make sure that we are getting things done well?
 Value, How can we make sure that we get the benefits?
RIMS Conference March 2013

19. IT investment drivers:
 Business Strategy-Organisational technology goals and direction
 Business Architecture-
 The quality and type of interfacing equipment
 Any overarching service provision agreements and related business rules
 Business Delivery-Long term technical skill requirements.
Training/certification needs for staff.
 Business Value-Customer Satisfaction, Productivity KPIs, Financials
RIMS Conference March 2013

20. Looking at Systems
 Getting Started – Roles and Responsibilities
− Who is running the project?
− Contractor/Vendor/In house
 Information Systems Structures
− Shared Services- Case Study NZ Shared Service Example: BOPLASS GIS (Bay of Plenty Local
Authority Shared Services)
 Integration Approaches
− RAMIS interfaced with key corporate systems
− ERP Systems/Data Warehouse Approach/Cloud Services
− Spreadsheets and Databases

RIMS Conference March 2013

21. Timeline:
 Current State: Review Draft with RIMS for Review
 Final Feedback: SOON
 Final Version: May 2013 Target
 Publication: Late 2013??
RIMS Conference March 2013

22. The 7 Deadly Sins of Pavement Management
Sin Salvation
1: People Forget The Purpose Of The Clearly define system objectives and then continue to test
on-going development needs against these original
Bennett & Parkman 2011 : System objectives.
THE SEVEN DEADLY SINS OF
PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT Only use complex optimisation routines if all other factors
2: Nobody Understands How You
such as model calibration, input data and assumptions are
Conclusions This paper has Reached Your Conclusions accurate. Outside of these conditions (very unusual), it is
shared some objectionable better to produce outputs which are understandable to
the engineer and able to be overlain with their own
vices that have arisen in the experience and judgment in making decisions for the
RMS community. These network.
sins—and the accompanying 3: Nobody Understands What You Are Implementers and managers of systems should spend
path to salvation—are more time developing a language and set of terminology
summarized below. Let’s keep
Talking About which is widely understood by non-engineering
managers.
them in mind as we move
4: Too Much Effort for a Conceptually Systems should not require significant setup and runtime
forward with developing,
for each analysis - they need to be able to respond quickly
implementing and refining Straightforward Business Decision to questions from management. Simpler systems which
RMS’. It will help our overall may be less theoretically robust but which allow
effectiveness and ensure that numerous scenarios to be tested in a short timeframe are
we are seen as important preferable.
contributors to the decision 5: Has Little Impact on the Overall Keep things in perspective by not inflating the overall
importance of the RMS in the planning process, and
making process in road Business investing large amounts in issues like data collection and
agencies. the analysis process. It is likely that 80% or more of the
http://www.lpcb.org/index.php/compone budget may not influenced by the RMS.
nt/docman/doc_download/25015-2011-
6: Drowning in a Sea of Data Collect the least amount of data needed to feed the RMS.
seven-deadly-sins-of-pavement-
management-systems?Itemid= Don’t get seduced by the latest and greatest
technologies!
7: Funding is to Improve Road Never, ever forget that the RMS is there so serve the
decision making process. As such, you need to establish
Infrastructure Not to Make Decisions cost effective data collection and RMS operations.
RIMS Conference March 2013

23. Thank You
And Now ….
RIMS Conference March 2013