Best Practice for Data Quality Enables Asset Management for Rail

摘要

International standards are now available for organisations that are wishing to implement a systematic approach to asset management. These standards include ISO 55001 ("Asset management - Management systems - Requirements") and ISO 55002 ("Asset management - Management systems - Guidelines for the application of ISO 55001"). One section of ISO 55001 identifies the important role of information requirements in supporting asset management. In addition, ISO 55002 includes guidance on the scope of the necessary activities to determine those requirements. Neither standard, however, provides a detailed explanation of the technicalities of achieving data quality when addressing information requirements. Owners of physical assets must take a series of decisions to achieve effective and efficient management of those assets. Each decision is fully robust only when information is available to provide objective evidence about all relevant aspects of the asset and the asset management system. This information will be fit for the purpose of the right person taking the right decision at the right time if the underpinning data has characteristics that conform to all applicable requirements. This conformance to requirements is the formal definition of quality as per ISO 9000 ("Quality management systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary").