Why Most Asset Data Communication Fails (And How to Make Yours Succeed)

Demonstrate deficiencies in asset data quality through valued applications like Renewal & Replacement Forecasts and Capital Plan Development.

Most asset managers claim their Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) or Enterprise Asset Management System (EAMS) data is 90-95% accurate. In practice, audits and lifecycle modeling show far lower reliability. The challenge is communicating deficiencies without alienating stakeholders, while still driving improvement.

Why Pointing Out Asset Data Quality Fails

Large organizations manage tens of thousands of assets, each with multiple attributes. Resources and processes are rarely sufficient to maintain accuracy across this scale. Acknowledging the gap is difficult, but ignoring it undermines planning and risk management.

1 No One Wants to Admit It

Staff avoid admitting deficiencies to protect professional credibility. Frontline teams focus on operations and assume data changes slowly. Executives emphasize data quality but often rely on assumptions rather than verification. There is usually great pride in the number of years and the investments that have gone into creating the asset data.

2 Our Biases Trick Us

Cognitive biases reinforce overconfidence in asset data. Frontline staff fall into optimism bias, believing their efforts are sufficient. Senior leaders exhibit confirmation bias, assuming long-standing initiatives guarantee quality.

3 No Easy Solution

Data sets span decades and hundreds of thousands of records. Internal staff lack time for cleansing, while consultants lack familiarity with the equipment. Emerging practices—such as AI validation, reliability-centered maintenance, and industry standards like ISO 55000—offer partial solutions but remain resource-intensive.

How to Communicate Asset Data Quality

Apply asset data in practical planning tools. Deficiencies become visible through forecasting and prioritization exercises. This approach shifts the focus from abstract data cleanup to actionable improvement.

Develop an Asset Renewal and Replacement Forecast

Renewal and replacement (R&R) forecasts estimate reinvestment needs based on age, condition, and lifecycle. One byproduct is that R&R forecasts expose gaps in asset attributes when models fail due to inaccurate data or fail to align with observed performance. Forecasting also strengthens capital planning by linking data quality to funding decisions.

Validate Data with R&R Forecasts

Use Asset Data in Capital Plan Development

Capital improvement plans rely on accurate inventories for prioritization and cost estimation. Incomplete or inaccurate data surfaces quickly when aligning projects with funding and strategic goals. Capital plans, therefore, validate asset data while guiding long-term investment.

Validate Data with Capital Plans

Effective Communication of Asset Data Quality

Demonstrate deficiencies through valued applications like Renewal & Replacement Forecasts and Capital Plan Development. Stakeholders draw their own conclusions when results fail to meet data quality expectations. The gaps in asset data quality create a tangible improvement goal rather than an abstract data-cleansing goal.

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Need help getting started? JD Solomon Inc. specializes in strategic asset and work management support—bringing clarity to what you own, its condition, and its value.

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JD Solomon writes and speaks on decision-making, reliability, risk, and communication for leaders and technical professionals. His work connects technical disciplines with human understanding to help people make better decisions and build stronger systems. Learn more at www.jdsolomonsolutions.com and www.communicatingwithfinesse.com.

How to Frame Using the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram

The FINESSE Fishbone Diagram® reminds us that framing is the first step in effective communication.

Framing is the first step in communicating with FINESSE. Without a clear frame, even the most sophisticated models, visuals, or facilitation techniques will fall short. The “F” in the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram® stands for Frame, and it is the foundation for effective communication with senior management when problems are complex and uncertain.

Why Framing Matters

A problem well-framed is a problem half solved. Decision makers often struggle not because solutions are unavailable, but because the problem itself is misunderstood. Framing provides clarity by defining the issue, setting boundaries, and establishing shared meaning. In the FINESSE approach, framing is not optional—it is the anchor for strategic communication.

Three Components of the Frame

The Frame includes three essential elements:

Definitions

Shared understanding of key terms such as risk, reliability, resilience, or failure. Misaligned definitions are one of the fastest ways communication can break down. For example, confusing an “intended course of action” with a “decision” can derail an entire project.

Problem Statement

A concise articulation of the issue at hand. This statement evolves as definitions and documentation are clarified.

Documentation

Written records of the Frame—including definitions, problem statement, and supporting visuals—ensure continuity, minimize miscommunication, and protect against political shifts or leadership changes.

Together, these components create a frame that is both rigorous and practical.

Three Techniques for Framing

These are three of my favorite techniques for framing the problem.

Using “The Greatest Fear” Technique

One effective way to verify and improve the Frame is by focusing on the greatest fear. Resistance from stakeholders is not always obstruction—it can be a signal that the Frame needs refinement. By carefully listening to concerns, facilitators can uncover hidden assumptions and adjust the Frame to better reflect reality. This technique transforms fear into a constructive tool for communication.

Your Greatest Fear Will Help You "Communicate with FINESSE"

Influence Diagrams and Spreadsheet Models

Complex problems often require models. While influence diagrams may cause some eyes to glaze over, they remain powerful tools for framing. Influence diagrams show relationships between inputs and outputs, helping decision makers visualize how different factors interact. Spreadsheet models serve a similar purpose, grounding abstract discussions in tangible numbers. Whether simple or complex, models reinforce the Frame by making assumptions explicit.

FINESSE: Frame Strategic Communication with an Influence Diagram

Physical and Operational Boundaries Frame All Problems

Establishing geospatial and operational boundaries is a viable technique for problem framing and strategic communication framing. It is sometimes tricky for the general audience because systems and boundaries are not common concepts. Most technical professionals understand the concept. For me, establishing boundaries is a natural way to frame.

FINESSE: Use Physical and Operational Boundaries to Frame Strategic Communication

A Word of Warning: Keep the Frame in Writing

Framing is not a one-time exercise. Politics shift, priorities change, and decision makers may attempt to redefine the problem to suit their interests. That is why documentation is essential. A written frame—complete with definitions, problem statement, and visuals—keeps all parties focused on the issue rather than each other. It also provides continuity when leadership changes or new stakeholders join the conversation.

Framing Video (3 minutes)

Facilitating with FINESSE

Framing begins in the pre-session exchange and continues through project charters, bylaws, and milestone reviews. The facilitator bears responsibility for reminding and refreshing participants of the Frame at key intervals. Communicating the Frame early and often ensures alignment and minimizes misunderstandings. In this way, framing is not just a technical step, but it is a leadership function.

Communicating with FINESSE

The FINESSE Fishbone Diagram® reminds us that framing is the first step in effective communication. Without a well-developed and well-documented frame, the chances of success diminish significantly. With it, technical professionals and decision makers can navigate complexity and uncertainty with confidence.

Do you have an approach for communicating big issues with high complexity and uncertainty? Are you Communicating with FINESSE®?

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JD Solomon Inc. provides solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Facilitation page for more information related to all types of facilitation.

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JD Solomon writes and speaks on decision-making, reliability, risk, and communication for leaders and technical professionals. His work connects technical disciplines with human understanding to help people make better decisions and build stronger systems. Learn more at www.jdsolomonsolutions.com and www.communicatingwithfinesse.com

How to Save Your Project: Essential Communication Tips Every Manager Needs

Five key themes stand out in how professionals can strengthen their communication effectiveness.

After a full year of Communication Tips from Communicating with FINESSE (CWF), a few things became clear. Effective communication is not just about speaking clearly; it’s about connecting thoughtfully. Across dozens of short, practical posts, certain patterns emerged that reflect the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram®: Frame, Illustrate, Noise Reduction, Empathy, Structure, Synergy, and Ethics.

From boardrooms to public meetings, five key themes stand out on how professionals can strengthen their communication effectiveness.

1. Empathy Is the Foundation of Understanding

The most frequent theme throughout the year was empathy. Tips like “Replace You with We,” “How to Present Data to the Board,” and “Talk to Every Board Member the Same Way” emphasized that communication begins with putting yourself in the listener’s place.

Empathy in communication isn’t about being nice; it’s about being understood. We reduce barriers to comprehension when we adjust our words, tone, and visuals to the audience’s perspective. Communication insights like “Genuinely Focus on the Audience” remind us that effective professionals don’t just deliver information; they shape it to meet others where they are.

Empathy creates bridges. It’s what transforms technical expertise into shared understanding.

2. Structure Provides Confidence

A second strong theme was structure. CWF tips often returned to the idea that people trust information they can follow. Posts such as “The Three Act Structure,” “A Rightly Timed Pause,” and “Ask Simple Questions” all illustrated that well-framed communication feels intentional and reassuring.

Structure doesn’t have to be rigid. It can be as simple as opening with purpose, guiding listeners through logic, and closing with clarity. The tip “Three Indicators of a Rare Event” showed how even uncertainty can be communicated confidently when the story has a solid framework.

Clarity of structure makes complexity manageable for both the speaker and the audience.

Three Barriers to Effective Communication

3. Illustration Enhances Understanding

The Illustrate element of the FINESSE Fishbone Diagram® appeared frequently in visual and conceptual examples. Posts like “Guiding Graphic” and “PowerPoint Ready for Colorblind” explored how visual communication can make or break a message.

Illustration, in this sense, goes beyond charts and slides. It means making ideas tangible by turning the abstract into something audiences can see and feel. The posts encouraged communicators to think visually but also inclusively, ensuring that visuals remain accessible to everyone.

The best technical communicators use illustrations to provide information, not decoration. If your visuals exclude people with visual or hearing impairments, they confuse rather than clarify.

4. Synergy Strengthens Collaboration

Several tips explored how communication connects people rather than isolates them. Tips like “Communicate to the Boss’s Inner Circle” and "Let the Decision Maker Make Own Conclusion" showed that collaboration doesn’t mean saying everything. Effective collaboration means saying the right things at the right time.

Synergy happens when people feel part of a shared process. The communicator invites discovery rather than accepting pre-made solutions. This was especially true in tips encouraging professionals to ask more questions or let others find solutions.

Communication that builds synergy multiplies effectiveness. After all, all big decisions are made with multiple gatekeepers and advisors.

5. Ethics and Credibility Anchor Everything

Finally, ethics surfaced repeatedly in messages like “The Ethics of Framing Uncertainty.” This theme went beyond goes beyond honesty. It includes responsibility, preparation, and respect for accuracy. Credibility is the quiet power behind every successful interaction, especially when the stakes are high.

The tips tied ethics to professionalism. Senior leaders can sense when communicators have done their homework. Whether it’s presenting data, managing uncertainty, or representing others, ethical communication earns trust that shortcuts never will.

Communication without ethics might persuade for a moment, but it will never sustain trust over time. And big decisions are made over extended periods.

Project Manager Communication Tips

If there was one lesson from a year of CWF tips, it’s that communication is both a skill and a discipline. It can be learned, practiced, and refined, but only if we approach it with the same care and intention we hope our decision makers will give in return.

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JD Solomon writes and speaks on decision-making, reliability, and communication for leaders and technical professionals. His work connects technical disciplines with human understanding to help people make better decisions and build stronger systems. Learn more at www.jdsolomonsolutions.com and www.communicatingwithfinesse.com