Work Management Part 4: Maintaining Asset Inventory Data and Drawings

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

Garbage in, garbage out. One of the biggest challenges organizations faces is maintaining accurate asset data and up-to-date drawings. These two foundational elements—what we own and how it’s documented—are important to the success of any asset management system. More importantly, they can easily be addressed as part of work management.

It’s Obvious Why It Matters

Smarter Planning and Better Decisions

Knowing what assets you have and their condition makes it easier to plan budgets, schedule maintenance, and respond to emergencies.

• Accurate asset data provides valuable insights into useful life, obsolescence, maintenance strategies, and the time required for ordering critical spare parts.

• Accurate drawings also help field staff understand layouts, components, and interconnections, reducing guesswork.

Improved Safety and Efficiency

Up-to-date working drawings and safety instructions help field crews work more efficiently and safely. For example, having electrical one-line diagrams readily available minimizes downtime and risk.

Compliance and Accountability

Regulatory agencies often require documented proof of system layouts and emergency provisions. A well-managed inventory and set of drawings ensure your organization stays in compliance and defends operations when needed.

Three Common Challenges

I have worked with hundreds of facilities and infrastructure organizations over the past 30 years. When I reflect on the most recent five or six organizations, the fundamental challenges for maintaining asset data and drawings remain the same.

1. Disconnected Systems

Many organizations store asset data and drawings in separate computer systems (databases). While we see fewer legacy spreadsheets these days and more centralized databases, the problem persists that maintaining links and data across platforms remains a significant challenge.

2. Unclear Ownership and Roles

Who decides what's considered a part versus an asset? Who updates the drawings after small system changes? These questions often go unanswered, resulting in stale data and outdated documents.

Everyone shouldn't hesitate when you ask the simple question, "Who owns the data?"

3. Resource Constraints

As more capital work is conducted through operations and maintenance (O&M), the people on the ground often lack the time and support to update drawings or maintain detailed asset inventory lists. These long-term issues get pushed to the back burner. From an information systems perspective, we’re much better at installing new systems than maintaining existing ones.

Three Practical Fixes

The fixes are not sexy when it comes to maintaining asset data and drawings. To use a football analogy, its blocking and tackling. To borrow a quote from a song by David Byrnes and the Talking Heads, "Same as it ever was."

A. Embed in Daily Workflows

Don't treat asset data and drawings as a separate task. Instead, make them part of routine inspections and PMs. Include checklists that confirm the presence of critical spares, safety instructions, and current drawings.

B. Clarify Roles and Policies

Establish who owns the responsibility for maintaining different types of data—tools, parts, assets, and drawings. Define what gets updated, when, and by whom. This clarity reduces confusion and helps spread the workload effectively.

C. Phase in with the CMMS Strategy

Maintaining asset data and drawings is a heavy lift, so don't try to do it all at once. Start small—maybe with one system or one facility—and phase it in. Add links to drawings and parts lists in your CMMS during later implementation stages, when your team is ready to do so.

Effectively Maintaining Asset Data and Drawings

Maintaining asset data and drawings may not seem urgent until something breaks or an inspector arrives. However, waiting until there's a crisis means missing opportunities, incurring increased costs, and taking on unnecessary risks. Treating inventory and drawing management as a key part of work management, and you’ll lay the groundwork for a safer, more efficient, and future-ready operation.

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 Inc. provides practical solutions for program development, asset management, and facilitation at the nexus of facilities, infrastructure, and the environment. Visit our Asset Management page for more information related reliability, risk management, resilience, and other asset management services.