Asset Operations Management | Implementation Best Practices

Once you’ve decided to implement Asset Operations Management (AOM), it’s time to start looking for some guidance. This blog will help you through the steps you need to ensure the smoothest, most successful implementation possible.

Since AOM consolidates existing technologies, initiatives, and processes, implementation may simply involve reorganizing the systems you’ve already installed. While this may streamline the process, it also makes it easy for team members to slide back into old habits. 

Implementation is never easy, but giving certain areas the attention they require can certainly speed the process. As you begin the process of implementing AOM, keep the following components in mind. 

Ongoing Training

Technology struggles are often a barrier during any implementation process as staff members usually find software systems difficult to use. This results in solutions being used incorrectly, which in turn decreases effectiveness and frustrates team members. Staff may retaliate by turning back to old systems and refusing to work as a team to understand and implement AOM. 

Your team is an integral aspect of the implementation process, and it’s important to give them the resources they deserve. AOM is a user-friendly solution, but it’s not immune to technology difficulties; it minimizes but doesn’t eliminate the need for training. New or struggling employees should have plenty of opportunities to learn more about the system, even after implementation is well underway. Additionally, staff should have the freedom to ask questions and learn more about the system on an ongoing basis. 

It’s understandable that, with all the expenses of implementation, businesses need to look for ways to save. However, skimping on training only compromises AOM’s success. 

Infrastructure Upgrades

Before AOM can be implemented, your IT network might need an upgrade. AOM cannot flourish without the IT infrastructure to support it. For example, AOM requires a reliable internet connection in order to operate dependably. Additionally, an intranet should be stable as well for top performance. 

Poor IT infrastructure has far-reaching disadvantages. If the system functions slowly, team members may lose faith in AOM before giving it a fair chance and may even use it as an excuse to revert back to old systems. Like poor training, inadequate technology puts AOM’s success in jeopardy. It makes no sense to spend resources on AOM only to have it fail, so invest in your infrastructure technology – it’s worth it.  

Change Management

As mentioned above, the first step for successful change management is to remove obstacles such as limited training and inadequate technology. However, though sufficient training and infrastructure will definitely help your team make great strides within the implementation process, it may not change staff behavior overnight. People tend to resist change, even for the better, once they’ve settled into a routine. As a result, it’s important to formulate a plan to overcome the challenges of change before they happen.

An integral part of change management is transparency. Operations, maintenance, and reliability teams need to know how new processes will work and what will be expected of them. 

All teams will react to AOM differently and no one knows your team better than you. It’s important to tailor your management plan to your particular situation by communicating with team leaders and predicting difficulties. 

Planning

AOM has potential for any company, but it won’t miraculously reach that potential as soon as implementation is completed. Oftentimes careful planning is overlooked or forgotten in the chaos of implementation. A successful AOM implementation requires an action plan that includes data tracking, functionality, budget, and stakeholder approvals. 

Here are some of the questions you should ask when designing an implementation plan.

• Are team members and leaders able to communicate on the same page?

• Do we have an operational blueprint designed and scheduled?

• Has the software been tested?

• How will data be migrated and centralized from previous systems?

Data Quality

Managing data quality is an overlooked but important area. You’ll get out of AOM just what you put into it. As a result, maintenance, reliability, and operations teams need to learn how to input quality data so that you’ll get more accurate data out. For some companies, hands-on training sessions are a great way to manage data quality. For others, you may need ongoing incentives and communication about the importance of data quality and how it affects the performance of every team and individual.

More on Asset Operations Management

Want to learn more about Asset Operations Management? Check out some of other blogs:

• Everything Measured Can Be Improved With Asset Operations Management

• What Asset Operations Management Means for Reliability Teams

• Getting Started With Asset Operations Management: Create an Implementation Team

• Getting Started With Asset Operations Management: Achieve Buy-In at All Levels

• 4 Reasons Asset Operations Management Is Essential for Teams

• Getting Started With Asset Operations Management: Establish Clear Objectives

• How to Jump-Start the Next Generation of Maintenance, Reliability, and Operations

• Measure Teams Based on Why They Do Something Rather Than What They Do

• Why Data Must Flow Into a Single Repository

• Why Teams Must Operate Together and Align on a Common Goal

• What Asset Operations Management Means for Operations Teams

• What Asset Operations Management Means for Maintenance Teams