Australian Water Management Review Vol 2 2013 | Page 47

Wsaa’s 2012 asset ManageMent perforManCe iMproveMent projeCt
Peter Gee, Manager, Productivity and Performance Improvement
The project WSAA initiated the 2012 Asset Management Performance Improvement Project as part of its ongoing benchmarking program in the water sector. This rolling program commenced in 2000 with the intention to demonstrate to stakeholders that WSAA members are seeking to achieve international leading practice in the delivery of services to their customers. The program has since encompassed benchmarking of Civil Maintenance, MechanicalElectrical Maintenance, Customer Services, Shared Services and Asset Management. The 2012 project was co-sponsored by the International Water Association (IWA), and delivered through a consultant consortium led by GHD Pty Ltd and including Marchment Hill Consulting and CH2MHill. The project purpose was to raise the level of asset management practice in the global water industry through identifying process improvements and leading practices that can be shared across the industry. Aquamark Asset Management Framework The project used WSAA’s Aquamark asset management benchmarking framework and is based around seven core functions. The functions cover the asset lifecycle from its conception (planning) to ultimate replacement. This is fitted within an organisational context of corporate goals/policy and business support systems, as depicted in Figure 1. The core functions are further subdivided into processes, sub-processes and measures to enable detailed assessment. (see Figure 1) High Level Benchmarking Results The results gathered in 2012 were compared with those from 2008. The results show a trend to improving productivity by making assets more efficient, leading to more affordable services for customers. The results show a trend away from building assets to making the most of existing assets with a focus on making services affordable for customers.

One of the Water Services Association of Australia’s (WSAA) most successful and well patronised projects drew to a close at the end of last year. The largest of its kind, the 2012 Asset Management Performance Improvement Project is a collaborative international project involving the participation of 37 water sector utilities in Australia (27), Canada (1), New Zealand (2), the Philippines (1) and the United States (6). The project provided a unique opportunity for international asset management process comparison and learning.

Figure 1 - The Aquamark Asset Management Framework
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