Asset Management Model and Systems Integration Approach

Transportation asset management is an integrated set of best practices and systems that achieve optimal and cost-effective investment and use of transportation assets throughout their service life cycle. Most infrastructure management programs and systems contain certain elements of asset management functions. However, they lack a strong capacity to accomplish the overall asset management goal. Presented is an asset management model together with an approach for systems integration. The asset management model illustrates basic asset management goals, strategies, principles, and analysis methods. An example of an integrated maintenance program incorporates the features of the model. Supporting the asset management model is a systems integration approach that demonstrates how component asset management systems can be integrated at different stages of their development life cycles. The integration process is needed to ensure that system interoperability truly supports an effective asset management program. The approach can be defined in five phases: (a) business integration, (b) system requirements integration, (c) logical design integration, (d) physical design and development integration, and (e) implementation integration. Each phase carries a particular integration objective and develops unique integration products. An operational scenario tool is introduced as an implementation strategy for asset management.