Covering your assets: Are formal programs a load of crap?

摘要

Few, if any, residents realize they own thousands, if not tens of thousands of infrastructure assets - signs, poles, lights, drains, pipes, pumps, buildings, etc. - and would be shocked at the replacement cost (see bottom-right chart on next page). Until fairly recently, knowing where all these things are and what condition they're in was a hit-or-miss affair that required years of manual labor. It still is and still does, say those of you who responded to a recent survey by Public Works magazine. As part of our annual analysis of coming year operations and capital budgets, we asked readers in late 2014 if formalizing asset management beyond pen, paper, and maybe an Excel spreadsheet is a wise investment of the taxpayer's dollar.