Lesson 1, Topic 1

In Progress

Overview of ISO 19650-3: Operational Phase

For a large asset owner, around 90% of the assets of a utility may be in the operational phase, whilst only around 10% are involved in the project phase

Furthermore its typically estimated that at least 75% of the costs of an asset reside within the Operational phase of the asset, with only around 25% during the design/construction phase.

This leaves a sizeable portion of assets outside of capital delivery, and a huge portion of information management occurring within the operational phase.

The adoption of information management approaches as defined in the ISO 19650 series significantly increases the quantity and quality of digital information about assets, known as digitization, and, if linked dynamically to the physical asset, can be referred to as a ‘digital twin’.

Information in the context of asset management requires the specification, production, exchanging, checking and approval of information. Information should be structured and consistent and, where possible, support predictable and repeatable outcomes. Information should be seen as a valuable asset in its own right, and with its own performance criteria.

The ISO 55000 series defines a management system for the management of assets and portfolios of assets over the life of those assets. In managing assets, a variety of activities take place where asset information is a critical enabler. ISO 55001 states “the organization shall specify, implement and maintain processes for managing its information” but the standard does not define the approaches to achieve this outcome.

Developing a Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) with its long-term intervention plan is an activity that is highly reliant on data since it will not be realistic to survey every asset each time the plan is being developed or revised. Information about assets will be required for at least as long as the life of an asset or facility. For example, design information developed prior to asset construction may be essential to the refurbishment or safe demolition of the asset many years in the future.

Therefore, information needs to be available, accessible and readable in the future. The ISO 8000 series of standards specifies a range of approaches to support the effective management of data quality by an organization.

ISO 19650-3 defines the information management process through a series of eight steps with loops and branches defined by questions and decisions.

The process as a whole reflects the concepts and principles from ISO 19650-1. This means that it includes the following features:

1. The information management process is to be applied in a way that is proportionate to the scale and complexity of the asset owner/operator, the asset(s) in question, the trigger events that occur in relation to the asset, the works required to respond to the trigger events, and the information required as a result of the work done.

2. Information deliverables are produced in response to information requirements which themselves are developed from a clear set of information purposes.

3. Information delivery has to be planned in advance, starting during the tender process (for external contracts) or internal works negotiation and then continuing into a mobilization period before the technical work itself is started.

4. The capacity and capability of delivery teams to comply with ISO 19650-3 are taken into account when making appointments.

5. Information deliverables are produced using an agreed asset information standard and in accordance with agreed methods and procedures. This includes producing information deliverables to an agreed amount of detail, as defined through the level of information need framework.

6. Information deliverables are collated into information models that are exchanged between delivery teams (asset/facility contractors) and the appointing party (asset owner/operator), and may then be passed on to other stakeholders such as a regulator.

7. Information production and review, including authorization and acceptance, uses the common data environment (CDE) workflow and whatever CDE solutions the various parties wish to apply.

8. Information models from various delivery teams are federated to generate the asset information model, which can then be used throughout the asset’s operational life for analysis, reporting or other uses that satisfy the information purposes.

The asset information model needs to be maintained during the operational life of the asset so that it continues to represent the state and condition of the asset.

Miro Group Activity.

ISO 19650-3 is structured around the management process for operational information and this is shown as a flowchart in the standard.

The process is split into three pathways to capture small variations in the approach taken depending on the reason for the development of information.

Importantly, the process is not simply an additional series of steps added on to the end of the delivery phase, instead the tasks are interwoven and the Operational Phase process diagram picks out the key tasks to be delivered/supported by the Appointing Party – the owner, operator or end-user.