CHAPTER 4

Managing Asset Information

Asset Information

Asset information is the information you as an airport want or need to know about constructed assets to properly operate and maintain these assets, and ultimately your airport. Information is what provides value to your airport’s stakeholders. In general, it is important to know what you own, operate, and maintain, but it is also important to know what information about which assets is most valuable to your organization. Francis Bacon said, “Knowledge is power.” Identifying the information or data that is important to your stakeholders to properly operate and maintain the airport’s constructed assets makes this data valuable knowledge.

Airports own (or lease) all types of constructed assets. These can be terminal spaces and cargo facilities; airfield pavements; perimeter fencing; and landside assets such as parking, roadways, and even landscaped areas. These constructed assets are essential to an airport’s everyday business—some being more critical to airport operation than others. Additionally, there are fleet vehicles—those vehicles operated by staff to move baggage between aircraft and the terminal building, emergency vehicles, and cars or trucks provided to employees for business use. These types of assets must be operational throughout their life cycle, which is why defining an asset information handover process is of significance. Asset information handover also represents a puzzle piece in an overarching asset management program.

Collecting and managing asset information requires defined terminology, policy, processes, and procedures. This framework organizes and makes available for airport stakeholders critical pieces of information about the airport’s assets including installation dates or dates of acquisition, costs, design life, location, size, and much more.

Internal Standard Operating Procedures and Processes

The effectiveness of a set of standards, regardless of the subject, may be measured in terms of the standard’s purpose. An airport organization needs to know why it wants to create standardized operating procedures (SOPs). Are these procedures to improve accuracy and consistency or effectiveness and efficiencies?

When you set about drafting internal SOPs, there are a few things to keep in mind—not the least of which are the goals and objectives for the process or procedure and whether implementing the process or procedure will help your airport to operate more effectively. When it comes to asset information handover, the possibilities for policy, process, or procedure development are numerous. They can range from an “official” asset management program policy outlining the requirements at the “corporate” level for knowing what an airport owns and operates in the way of the built environment (and therefore what asset information handover as an internal

Developing processes and procedures that effectively communicate to responsible individuals or groups the asset information requirements for each phase of this project life cycle will aid in communication of the airport’s goals and objectives not only for asset management but for the project in its entirety. There are some best practices, but there is not a guaranteed single approach for asset information handover success. Airport stakeholders throughout each phase of the project need to understand what is expected of them in developing designs, outlining the requirements for products and materials selection, and defining which documents, files, and related materials should be provided to the airport at project closeout.

Individuals or groups with responsibility for projects could also use processes that address

• Operational or specific business processes related to departments (e.g., a planning or engineering group). One example might be for how a project is evaluated to be classified as a project, and how, if, or when it might make it to the capital improvement project list.
• Support or procurement. These processes would detail how a project gets contracted or when the design and constructor teams are engaged.

Suggested Outline for a Standard Operating Procedure

SOPs detail a series of steps or a sequence that individuals should follow to meet an objective. As previously stated, in this guide to asset information handover, the terms “procedure” and “process” have been used interchangeably. When developing any procedure for your airport, consider making use of images, flowcharts, or other graphics that will help your audience understand the intent. Using anything visual will help explain the SOP and improve communications. Such graphics might be all that is reviewed by your users.

The overarching goal of an asset information handover SOP should be to help the airport achieve improved projects, with longer life cycles and reduced maintenance and repair costs over the asset life that with time will help improve the financial bottom line.

Remember that your SOPs should serve as a communications tool across multiple groups or departments so that everyone knows who is responsible for what and when. If your airport develops a standard outline for all similar SOP documents, your readers will know precisely where to find whatever information they are looking for. Most SOPs will include some of the following elements:

• Basic identifying information. Each page should include (in a header or a footer) a short document title, current/revision date, and page number.
• Title page. This page should expand on the title of the SOP if it is important to explain the topic further and also contain the same basic information as the header/footer. Consider inserting text regarding the sponsoring department or group.
• Table of contents. Consider including a table of contents, especially if the SOP is lengthy. Appendices containing applicable and related documents can also be made accessible with hyperlinks in the table of contents.
• Purpose. This is an explanation of the goal or objective of the SOP and possibly could be combined with scope, depending on the level of detail desired.
• Scope. This is a brief paragraph indicating roles and responsibilities by department or staff position. Including a scope paragraph for lengthier SOPs will prove useful to readers.
• Glossary. Include a list of terms used within the SOP that might not be universally understood by readers. This section at the beginning of the document will prove useful and should also address acronyms, abbreviations, definitions of the terms, and so forth.
• Procedures. These step-by-step instructions of what tasks are to be performed, when, and by whom are the primary content of the SOP. Each SOP will have different steps, but regardless

• of the topic should have sufficient specific information so that the responsible parties can execute the SOP successfully.
• Related documents. Related documents could be existing airport policies, other already-developed SOPs, or similar materials. If possible, embed hyperlinks to related documents in the text (assuming the other documents are readily accessible), so that the reader can click and review the related document. Include titles, numbers, or other distinguishing information about each applicable reference.
• Appendices. This section might include an MS Visio flow chart to graphically illustrate the process being discussed within the SOP. Appendices should include any additional information that supports the SOP but might not “fit” into the sections previously addressed.

Specification (or Design Guide) Development

Drawings make up half of the construction documents (also referred to as contract documents) for a project. Documents that are referred to as “specifications” make up the other half. Specifications describe in words what CAD or BIM files graphically illustrate. Specifications are the documents that require a contractor to build a certain thing, as well as define all the supporting activities from the initial procurement requirements to project mobilization to project closeout. Some larger organizations prefer to develop a standard set of specifications to provide to their design teams. Specifications sections have information related to the performance of a product or material that is required by the airport organization. Typically, the intent of such “internal” specifications documents is that the design team will use them for a project. However, when providing such documents to design teams, there is a risk the design team might incorporate the specifications as provided without customizing the documents for the project. Airport staff should be aware that this might occur and ensure the specifications represent the project at hand.

Do not get confused by a specification that serves to require features of a material or product that then becomes a part of a project manual which is also part of the construction contract. These specifications cite the technical requirements for the project—in words—whereas the drawings (e.g., CAD or BIM) do the same but graphically. What should also be noted is that specification sections might refer to standards (e.g., ASTM C981), but in this context, a standard is a document issued by a standards-developing organization.

Conversely, design guidelines indicate for the design team the airport’s preference for a given product or material, but these guidelines do not become part of a construction contract. The design guidelines must be understood by the design team and then incorporated into the project specification sections. Design guidelines tend to be broad and will define the airport staff’s preference for certain products, materials, or even methods of construction. These documents do not necessarily provide the technical guidance or requirements outlined in a specification section.

Individuals involved with the development of design guidelines or specifications on behalf of an airport should be aware of the materials and products that airport stakeholders have expressed a preference for using or not using; in other words, the developers of design guidelines or specifications need to know if there are requirements that should be captured in these documents, either because of airport experiences or to comply with regulations. Regardless of which department is tasked with developing an SOP document, the information contained within must state who (what group or department) wrote the design guideline or specification sections, address when and how each is updated or maintained as current, and provide information on how other stakeholders can provide suggestions. These roles and responsibilities should be established in the SOP discussing design guidelines and specifications development.

There are multiple standardized specification systems available. Although some architectural/engineering firms make use of these services, some will also develop their own internal set of specifications. Airports will typically rely upon their design firms to supply such specifications, but some airports have created either a specification section for a critical asset type or have developed design standards that the airport then provides to its architectural/engineering design firms.

In the United States, specifications typically align with the standards developed by CSI, an organization that addresses the practice of developing specifications and construction documents (see Chapter 1 for more information on CSI).

Additional Literature to Review

Several standards documents have already been published outlining asset information handover as a process. The issues addressed within several of these standards are consistent. Developing your own business processes and procedure documents is a part of owning airport assets. Stakeholder groups should become a part of this development process to ensure efficient and accurate project closeout and asset management are part of the airport culture. In other words, define what is needed for each airport stakeholder and ensure these requirements are outlined and documented within the contract documents for projects. After defining the asset information required at handover are those activities involved with enforcing delivery of these requirements.

There are many federal and private standards and guidelines that can be utilized for purposes of design and construction of an airport’s assets. For instance, for CAD standards, the United States National CAD Standard (NCS) could be consulted. For BIM, the National BIM Standard-United States (NBIMS-US) is often referred to (https://www.nibs.org/projects/national-bim-standard-united-states). The intent of this standard is to help ensure the models are accurate and consistently developed.

When creating data standards for software tools, developers should aim to reduce the amount of time spent searching for the data in the future; reduce duplicate or redundant documents; and promote search capability through uniform data entry and reporting efforts based on presentation and retrieval of the data. Some simple suggestions include not storing symbols (e.g., $, %, #) in a data field; entering all data using mixed case (or all capitals); and instances in which to use (or not use) punctuation if it is important, such as in a location identifying a street name (do not abbreviate).

Organizations that have published related documents that might be of use to the reader include

• ASTM International (founded as the American Society for Testing and Materials)
• CSI
• The following federal agencies: Department of Defense, Department of Interior, Department of State, FAA and FHWA
• The Institute of Asset Management (IAM)
• International Facility Management Association (IFMA)
• International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
• Transportation Research Board (TRB)

Asset Registers

The asset registers that should be considered for asset information handover processes and procedures should not be confused with those typically associated with accounting practices. An asset register is a record that assists airport stakeholders with quickly and easily identifying