Traditional EAM (Enterprise Asset Management) systems enlisted by large Transit agencies are typically focused around the largest and most complex assets that the agency must track such as buildings and rolling stock. These systems do well at linking costs, maximizing reliability, tracking labor, and documenting compliance. The systems seem to fall short when there is a unique asset type that must be managed in a very specific way for the agency to meet specific regulatory guidelines; fixed and liner assets are examples of unique asset sets that are overlooked.
Before we go into further details, let’s first outline asset types in the context of railroads: example of a linear asset is the Track itself. It is a continuous asset that needs to be tracked and managed for State of Good Repair (SGR) by designating and implementing some measurement form that is agreed by the railroad or Transit agency. Example of a fixed asset could be a wayside device that sits alongside the rail, such as a rail switch or signal. The fixed assets also need to be tracked and managed for SGR in a specific way.
Many companies approach linear asset management just like other enterprise assets which simply does not support the process that the Railroad or Agency needs to manage its SGR. This post enlists a few telltale signs to know if a company needs a new approach to asset management and state of good repair and how to find the right technology solutions that support Linear Asset Management for railroads.
You might have an asset management issue if:
- Multiple departments in your company have silos of data that are seldom exchanged.
- The data is recorded manually by inspection team and then converted to digital form, leading to time and effort wastage.
- Performance reports and other useful metrics are difficult to access and hard to consolidate.
The solution to these challenges could be as simple as rethinking your approach to Asset Management and adopting a customized Linear Asset Management technology. A good Linear Asset Management solution might be different for each company, depending upon their unique requirements. However, following are the three most important features of a good Linear Asset Management solution.
- Ease of Use: Technicians and inspectors should be able to enter the data directly in the Linear Asset Management System as they perform inspection or maintenance activities instead of manually recording and then digitizing the data.
- Efficiency and Accuracy: The users should have the option of Geo-referencing and using map-based data to track a non-discrete asset quickly and accurately.
- Mobility and Availability: The database should be inter-linked for seamless data availability to various departments and teams whenever and wherever they need it.
To get more tips or consultancy about finding the best Linear Asset Management solution for your company, start a conversation with us. We’d love to know about your experience with Linear Asset Management and share our in-depth insights.
