ISO 55000 – What is it, and do you need it?
IDCON just trained 7 consultants to become Certified Asset Management Assessors (CAMA) for ISO 55000. The questions we wanted to be answered were “what is it?” and “do our clients need it”?
So, what is it? It is three standards that specify “an overview and terminology (ISO 55000) the requirements (ISO 55001) and application (ISO 55002) for the establishment, implementation, maintenance, and improvement of a management system for asset management.”
If that sentence doesn’t confuse you, I’m not sure what will. Let me try to rewrite it for you... “ISO 55000 provides a systematic “plan-do-check-act” approach to establish your asset management system.”
Some key observations the IDCON team had:
Becoming ISO 55000 certified does not ensure good maintenance or better reliability, however, it will most likely help structure the implementation approach.
ISO 55000 really pushes the partnership between organizational departments and the visible leadership around asset management from top management. Examples:
- ISO 55000 is absolutely relentless on making sure that any asset needs to be managed (plan-do-check-act) in order to create value for the company. The value can’t be realized through maintenance alone, it has to be realized together with operations and engineering, and top management has to define what is valuable to the company. Therefore, ISO 55000 pushes top management leadership and promotes communication between silos in the organization.
- Decisions systems around asset management systems need to be risk-based according to ISO 55000. To evaluate risk around asset management, ISO 55000 specifically points out that top management needs to drive a risk-based system and that all stakeholders need to be involved. Again, the standard push top management involvement and cross-functional teamwork around asset management.
Do you (Plants/ mines) need it? Probably not, I can’t think of any organization that must have a certification for any specific reason. But, ISO 55000 could provide more involvement by top management in asset management, help establish asset management objectives that are aligned with business goals and break down some silos between departments.
