In a world consumed with complexity, Albert Einstein’s dictum ‘make everything as simple as possible but not simpler’ is a good challenge for infrastructure asset managers. Understanding that simple well - conceived solutions are sustainable solutions, the paper will unpack infrastructure asset management knowledge and measure it against the test of being ‘as simple as possible’ The major infrastructure asset management components of levels of service, demand forecasting, risk management, lifecycle management, financial forecasting, systems and processes, improvement programs and asset information systems will be examined for being ‘as simple as possible.’ The paper will provide insights and value to practitioners from small, rural and remote communities and those from rapidly developing countries.

1. Ross Waugh
Director
Waugh Infrastructure Management
IAM – Making Everything as Simple as Possible

2. Question?
Are we making infrastructure asset management too complicated?
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

3. Many different resources available now
IAM has moved from an ‘art’ to a ‘science’ in the past decade
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

4. Engineer’s like complexity – why?
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

5. By adding layer upon layer of complexity, we run the risk of turning infrastructure asset
management into a ‘scientific religion’.
“Trust me I know what I am doing” is not accepted by society, especially when accompanied by
requests for billions of dollars of public funds
Peter Cook
The Very Impressive Clergyman
The Princess Bride
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

6. Albert Einstein:
“Keep everything as simple as possible, but not simpler”
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

7. Steve Jobs: “Simple can be harder than complex”
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

8. To simplify, you must have a full understanding and mastery of
the subject or topic
Albert Einstein and Steve Jobs recognised this and made their
challenges
Simplifying is much more of a professional challenge that just
adding complexity
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

9. Simple IAM Diagram
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible
LEVELS OF SERVICE
FUTURE DEMAND
RISK
LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT
- Operational
- Maintenance
- Renewals
- New Capital
- Disposal
OPTIMISATION
FINANCIALS
Expenditure
- Operations & Maintenance
- Renewals
- Capital
[Depreciation]
Revenue
- Fees, Charges, Tariffs
- Loans
- Grants/Funding
- Bonds

10. Simple IAM Diagram
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible
LEVELS OF SERVICE
FUTURE DEMAND
RISK
LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT
- Operational
- Maintenance
- Renewals
- New Capital
- Disposal
OPTIMISATION
FINANCIALS
Expenditure
- Operations & Maintenance
- Renewals
- Capital
[Depreciation]
Revenue
- Fees, Charges, Tariffs
- Loans
- Grants/Funding
- Bonds
GAP
GAP
GAP

11. Simple IAM Diagram
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible
LEVELS OF SERVICE
FUTURE DEMAND
RISK
LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT
- Operational
- Maintenance
- Renewals
- New Capital
- Disposal
OPTIMISATION
FINANCIALS
Expenditure
- Operations & Maintenance
- Renewals
- Capital
[Depreciation]
Revenue
- Fees, Charges, Tariffs
- Loans
- Grants/Funding
- Bonds

12. Practice & Maturity Diagram
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible
ADVANCED
IAMPRACTICELEVEL
INTERMEDIATECOREMINIMUM
MATURE
ORGANISATIONAL AM MATURITY
INTERMEDIATECORE

13. Practice & Maturity Diagram
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible
ADVANCED
IAMPRACTICELEVEL
INTERMEDIATECOREMINIMUM
MATURE
ORGANISATIONAL AM MATURITY
INTERMEDIATECORE

14. Practice & Maturity Diagram
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible
ADVANCED
IAMPRACTICELEVEL
INTERMEDIATECOREMINIMUM
MATURE
ORGANISATIONAL AM MATURITY
INTERMEDIATECORE

15. Saw Tooth Diagram
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible
ORGANISATIONPRACTICE/MATURITY
ADVANCEDINTERMEDIATE
TIME (YRS)
CORE

16. Kevin Brady, NZ Auditor General:
‘Make sure you have the ‘right debate’, June 2007
Statutory requirement to provide clear information to the public about important issues,
choices and the implications of those choices – the ‘right debate’ (Section 93(6) NZ Local
Govt. Act 2002)
Communication of infrastructure asset management issues, choices and costs still key:
- communication to Communities, Governance, Management
8 years after this challenge by the Auditor General – we are
doing better, and communicating issues with greater clarity.
There is still a lot of room for improvement
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

17. Challenges from this paper:
• Make it simple
• Get your thinking clean
• Apply this to your work, and
• Communicate clearly
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible

18. Questions?
IAM - Making Everything as Simple as Possible