When I published ‘The Story of Asset Management’, my publisher sent me a book, ‘How to sell your first 10,000 copies’, full of useful information. I was embarrassed. I wanted it read. Of course I did. I had written it to give current Asset Managers knowledge of the history of their craft and a sense of pride in what had been achieved. Yet the idea of being a salesperson disturbed me. I think it disturbs many.
Read more
Abstract: The value of a performance-based building contract - and why narrative rules! The client needed a new head office. They had the site and had analysed their space needs against task-related requirements. Certain floor layouts (for example, the placement of pillars) restrict the placement of furniture and fittings, so that what is actually available is less than the nationally…
Abstract: To be a good chess player, it pays to look many steps ahead. The same is true for an AM strategist. When this editorial was written, the South Australian Treasury's focus was on measuring and ‘increasing’ the level of utilisation of the State’s Infrastructure, believing that would reduce costs. Lately, I have been reading Taoism - admittedly, the easy…
Abstract: More money is not always a blessing. If spent unwisely, it can lead to major problems in the future. In 2000, the Federal Government announced a 4-year programme of road grants to local government totalling $1.2 billion. The grants were designed to address the backlog of maintenance work, particularly in rural areas. Jeff Roorda gathered data on the costs…
Abstract: We speak about ‘aligning AM activities with corporate goals and intentions’ - but how? Try a ‘Corporate Advocate’? New Capital Expenditure Projects are typically initiated within a small section of your organisation. This section will see the benefits for itself and its work, but the wider client or organisational benefits may not be so clear, nor may the wider…
Abstract: By 1991, AM was taking off in the UK, illustrated by the British Rail Network South East’s success. 1. Any asset not sponsored by a business must be scrapped! Every single asset should be pinned down to a single business owner, then to a single owner within the business. Common assets "held centrally" are a recipe for waste. Application…
Abstract: When AM was new, and practitioners were curious, I introduced the ‘back page case study’ challenge in AMQ. This was the first one. “George Netherby, the Chief Engineer at Clena Waterways, was delighted. The new cathodic protection results were excellent. For only $100m, the bulk of the agency’s pipelines, which were about 40 years old, could be extended out…