Avanti West Coast (AWC) Asset Management System Development

The Challenge:

AWC aimed to enhance its asset management capabilities and achieve ISO55001 certification. The existing systems, processes and data management needed enhancement to meet the certification requirements. Aligning these improvements with long-term strategic goals and ensuring engagement across the organisation posed significant challenges, especially under the constraints imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Solution:

WRc employed their tried and tested '7 Stages to Asset Management Excellence' approach. This involved:

• Gap Analysis (Stage 1): Conducting an in-depth review to establish the baseline and identify areas for improvement.

• Road Mapping (Stage 2): Developing a comprehensive roadmap outlining bespoke transformation initiatives to strengthen asset management and asset management system maturity.. These initiatives covered key drivers such as policy, strategy, leadership, and planning, as well as enablers like systems, processes, people, and data.

• Design Change (Stage 3): Over 8-10 months, solutions were designed and implemented for each identified improvement initiative in partnership with AWC. This ensured fit for purpose and .

• Adaptation (Stage 4): Overlapping with Stage 3 and lasting 3-5 months, this stage focused on embedding the asset management system into business operations through procedural delivery, assurance activity, training and awareness. This ensured processes and procedures were followed and one full cycle of plan/do/check/act was completed. Key to this was effective change management which included culture change.

• Certification (Stage 5): WRc supported the external certification process through Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits by the British Standards Institute (BSI), ensuring readiness and compliance with ISO55001 requirements.
• Continual Improvement (Stage 6 and &): WRc continue to work with AWC to identify and help implement improvements to the AWC asset management system and wider asset management activities including long-term asset management planning and training.

The Outcome:

Through this structured approach, AWC achieved ISO55001 certification in December 2022. This significant achievement has since resulted in improvements to asset performance, reduced downtime, cost savings and direct alignment between services and the assets that enable that service. Enhanced cross-functional and cross-industry collaboration has allowed for better forecasting and planning, extending beyond the typical five-year planning horizon. The built-in systemic approach to continual improvement has ensured that the system remains dynamic and suitably responsive to change in internal/external drivers, helping to optimise the use of assets and deliver value to the organisation, interested parties and customers.