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Most organisations can tell you what their assets are. Many can tell you why those assets exist. But have they identified who  they exist for? That’s a problem. Because if you’re not clear about who your assets are supposed to deliver value to, you’re making decisions in a vacuum. And vacuums are expensive places to operate. It Starts With Purpose In the last newsletter, we explored how service levels are the hidden driver of asset investment decisions. But before you can def

Ask someone what value their assets provide, and you'll often get a blank stare. Or a vague wave towards "keeping things running." But here's the uncomfortable question: if you don't know exactly what value an asset is supposed to deliver, how would you ever know if it's actually delivering it? This is where service levels come in—and why they're far more important than most organisations realise. Assets Exist to Deliver Value ISO 55000 defines an asset as "an item, thing or

Ever wonder why some asset decisions just don't stick? Why the maintenance team's priorities don't quite match what leadership expects? The problem usually isn't at the workshop level—it's in the connection between strategy and execution. Asset management works when there's an unbroken line of sight from the boardroom to the workshop floor. Break that line, and you get misaligned priorities, wasted resources, and frustrated people at every level. It Starts with Organisational

Ask most people where asset management starts, and they'll point to when the asset arrives on site. Ask where it ends, and they'll say when it's removed. Both answers are wrong—and that misunderstanding is costing organisations real money. Asset management doesn't begin when you take delivery of equipment. It doesn't end when you send it to the scrapper. The reality is far broader—and understanding this changes how you think about the entire discipline. It Starts Before the A

Asset Management System: Principles You can build the processes. Document the procedures. Train the people. Implement the IT systems. But if you're missing any of the three core principles of asset management, your system won’t deliver. The experienced asset management community has recognised that any effective AM system must be built upon and fully embrace at least three fundamental principles: Value , Alignment , and Leadership . Miss any one of them, and effectiveness i

You want to understand Asset Management so someone hands you a reading list: ISO 55000, ISO 55001, the Asset Management Landscape, the AMBoK Framework, the IAM Asset Management Anatomy. "Start here," they say. But where exactly is "here"? In fact, the first thing to do is to understand why each of these documents exist.   Multiple Lenses, One Subject The asset management body of knowledge isn't a single document—it's a library. And before you can know where to start, you need

You’ve probably heard it said:   "We've got asset management covered—our maintenance team handles that." It's one of the most common misconceptions in our industry. And it's an expensive one. Because when organisations treat asset management as a synonym for maintenance, they're ignoring about 90% of what actually drives asset performance, cost, and risk. The Myth That Won't Die Here's why this myth persists: maintenance is visible. It's tangible. When something breaks, you f

Asset Management System Here's a question that makes asset managers squirm:  "Do you have an asset management system?" The answers I hear are fascinating. Some people point to their CMMS. Others mention their asset register, or that maintenance schedule they update every quarter. A few will proudly show me their shiny new EAM software. And here's the uncomfortable truth:   none of those things are an asset management system.   They're tools. They're data. They're useful. But

This blog is an overview of three online, self‑paced courses designed to build practical, standards‑aligned capability in asset...

Introduction to Professional Asset Management Training Options The Asset Management College provides comprehensive Certified Asset...

From complexity to understanding Asset management is a complex discipline that often presents challenges for professionals trying to navigate its many standards, frameworks, and organizations. Drawing from years of experience teaching and guiding individuals toward certification in asset management, this article aims to clarify the relationships between key asset management bodies and the essential documents that shape the field today. Whether you're new to asset management o

Have you ever found yourself in a conversation where you and your colleague are using the same words but then discovered you were talking about different things? In the world of Asset Management, this happens more often than you might think.