“Working digitally” isn't just marking up a PDF on a screen instead of working with paper.
The asset management industry’s demand for mobile, integration and analytics all rely on one component that’s often overlooked: interactive digital documentation.
Digital asset management documentation encompasses digital work instructions, procedures, checklists, and forms. It refers to the materials used to instruct on processes and digitally capture the execution of maintenance work.
To really gain the benefits of digital, it requires the content builders to think differently about how to prepare and present the content to end users.
Examples Digital Asset Management Documentation:
| Process | Instructs | Captures | Analyse | Digital Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Structural Inspections | Inspection procedires are communicated with step-by-step guides and interactve diagrams or 3D models. | Crack measurements, images and feedback on procedures | Review check reports across sites, models, equipment | Visually track the lifecycle of cracks using a digital twin of the asset or component. Alert users if steps are missed or a reading is out of specification. Track structural integrity across fleets of equipment to identify common failure patterns. |
| Inspection Checklists | Equipment inspections and servicing steps, safety, and risk assessments | Measurements, photographs, audio, video, condition data, time-stamps, geo-location data | Equipment condition, technician performance, statutory compliance, job completion | Optimise inspection routines based on analytics Alerts is a step is missed or reading is out of specification Allow technicians to see different workflows based upon context, (i.e., is the job being performed in the workshop or field?) Review and approve markups or procedures |
| Procedures and work instructions | Step-by-step guides for complex tasks i.e., component remove and install | Measurements, photographs, audio, video, condition data, time-stamps, geo-location data | Installation verification, technician performance, statutory compliance, job completion | Optimal install routines based on technicians' feedback. Field-based photographs of job for training purposes. Non-linear workflow, decision logic based on technician feedback |
| Inspection Checklists | Structured and automated data collection to replace paper-based forms. Workflows for approvals and compliance | Technician responses, photographs, audio, video, condition data, time-stamps, geo-location data | Compliance, time to complete | Eliminate duplicate entry Digital approval workflows No Paper! Digital storage and retrieval |
“True” digital asset management documentation is interactive, context-aware, asset-centric, and integrated. More advanced digitisation can drive higher quality standards, greater efficiencies and capturing actionable feedback and data that's optimised for analytics.
It may sound complex to implement, but like all programs the process of digitising asset management documentation is quicker and easier when road-mapped effectively. It's also important to select the right tools for the job, such as a no-code builder with the ability to import or convert existing content automatically.
Why is Digital Documentation in Asset Management so Important?
The goal of digital asset management documentation is like that of maintenance process management. It improves performance and operational agility by optimising connectivity between maintenance groups, communication and feedback captured at the asset.
The major benefits to digital asset management documents include:
1. The single source of truth
Building a single, integrated and trusted source of asset management documentation improves performance on multiple fronts:
It saves time searching for the most relevant or up to date information.
The risk of duplication of work generating new forms/checklists/instructions that aren’t necessary is reduced.
It removes silos that generate issues with consistency in planning time, resources and the standard of results. This all contributes to greater safety, uptime and planning accuracy.
2. Documentation is critical for quality and process control
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PMs and inspection processes must be standardised if they're to be effective in preventing failures. Higher quality equipment inspections, checklists, and work instructions have a direct and measurable positive impact on higher quality maintenance, safer workspaces, and asset performance and reliability.
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Many mining, energy and oil and gas companies employ contractors for components of asset management work. High quality procedures ensure the contractor who may not be familiar with the specific model of equipment has all the relevant information to perform the job well.
3. Drive continuous improvement
by capturing feedback and engaging the workforce in process improvement
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Documenting processes during execution enables employees to learn by doing, gleaning insight from either mistakes or successes to refine processes.
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Digitally recording work empowers analytics that accurately informs maintenance routines and process to benefit of asset stability, planning and resourcing.
Conclusion
COSOL's OnPlan digitises asset management content end-to-end. This includes the process of building and converting maintenance forms and checklists, work packs and structural inspections to interactive digital formats. OnPlan also empowers the execution of work to be captured seamlessly and digitally, integrated with enterprise systems, and optimised for analytics.
Built with experts in complex asset management and maintenance requirements, book a demo of OnPlan today to see how exciting asset management documentation can actually be.
About COSOL
COSOL is built on one belief: in asset-centric industries, reliability is everything. We’re a trusted, data-led asset management partner for organisations around the world who can’t afford to fail. And known for our deep expertise, dependable delivery, and ability to keep critical assets performing at their best.
The company recently celebrated 25 years in business, are Australian owned and operated, and recognised as reliable partners by their clients across the globe.