The process of embedding ISO 55001 into the business is a significant commitment and investment in time, resources and in change to the business. But don’t let that scare you off; we’ve already detailed the massive benefits the framework brings to business in a previous blog, so here we present a few factors critical for success and considerations that will improve your chances of success when implementing ISO 55001 into your asset management (AM) operation.
Embedding ISO55001 into the Organisation – Where to Start?!
ISO 55001 (Clause 8.1 of ISO 550001) stipulates that a successful implementation requires the organisation to plan, implement and control all asset management processes. It fails however, to detail which specific processes to start with.
In order to break this down, we can take a look at the Institute of Asset Management’s (IAM’s) Conceptual Asset Management Model. This diagram represents logical process groups that can make your implementation manageable.
Naturally, the details of these processes differ according to the nature of your organisation, yet this remains is a very comprehensive illustration of general asset management systems, people and processes that apply to all organisations. We’ll detail the implementation within each of the 6 groups in subsequent blogs:
- Organisational Strategic Plan
- Asset Management Strategy & Planning
- Asset Management Decision Making
- Asset Knowledge Enablers
- Organisation & People Enablers
- Lifecycle Delivery
- Risk and Review
How To Prioritise the Focus of our ISO 55001 Implementation?
To break it down further into specifics, the Asset Management Landscape (published by the IAM in ‘Asset Management – An Anatomy’) and subjects to break down the process of implementation even further.
In light of these subject areas, you will want to review strategic goals, and the results of your AM audit. If you see glaringly obvious performance issues in one subject area like strategic planning, it is logical to prioritise this process for your ISO 55001 implementation activities.
In addition to this, I would suggest initial focus for improvement on two activities in the following areas:
- ‘Life Cycle Delivery’ refers to the maintenance execution-based processes (planning, scheduling and work execution processes);
- ‘Work Management and Asset Strategies/ Tactics Management’ refers to the platform that defines and justifies budgets, long term planning, resource/personnel requirements and helps to facilitate operational priorities.
This is because it is extremely difficult to have an asset management system flow without one or the other. Without appropriate strategies and tactics, and without robust work management rituals and routines, planning and execution falls into the short-term reactive state, and work management tactics built for your asset will be not likely be executed as defined.
Front-end loading and strategic planning is critical to the success of optimising these areas. It is often difficult to manage and complete. But focus on the objectives and develop a roadmap of activities to execute and embed so that you’ve broken the implementation down by group to smaller subject areas. This way, you will see some runs on the board and gain interest in the project outcomes by the larger.
Ensure you consider the following:
- Resources dedicated to the project – full time/ part time.
- Consider if a part time is going to enable appropriate focus to the project.
- Special skills required to be included in the team – internal and external.
- It’s well worth positioning your team with any external consulting resources throughout the project so you are left with an internal expert.
- Understand interdepartmental collaboration requirements, i.e. Ensuring your IT department is aware of potential upcoming software or systems development requirements.
- Do this early!
- Establish the timeline and budget requirements.
- It may be valid to stand-up a steering committee.
- Also consider a standardised project summary which is mailed out the stakeholders on a regular basis.
- Understand the potential change management effort required to achieve a successful transition.
Change Management Considerations when implementing ISO 55001
The implementation of ISO 55001 implies change – this can be more difficult than the technical implementation of optimised process and systems! There are no silver bullets!!
This is often the step that is missed and a major failure point. From my experience, my change management tips include:
- Discuss strategies that will support change more effectively among staff and management to gain their buy-in to the proposed change.
- Senior leadership must be committed to the principles of ISO 55001 and to providing time and resources to it.
- Provide open communication among all team members involved in the implementation project. Key items to address include:
- Improve understanding of the process of implementation by explaining how and why decisions are made – for instance, how subject areas or processes are prioritised.
- Gain confidence by providing regular updates or achievements and failures, and progress to established goals.
Please contact APS anytime to further discuss in depth any of the elements reviewed in this blog.
In the next blog we will discuss the how to best manage change and how to achieve ongoing improvements after the implementation project by:
- Structuring Work Management business processes using an Enterprise Architecture tool such as Qualiware
- Installing a reporting or KPI framework via analytics