C.3 Other Data Integration Workflows


C.3 – Other Data Integration Workflows

Demand and Utilization

Traffic monitoring and traffic and demand modeling data help TAM practitioners understand the current and forecasted level of service required of existing or proposed roadway assets.  This information is highly valuable in asset management decision making, particularly to inform prioritization, selection, and scoping of projects and maintenance work. 

By establishing a means to integrate demand (measured or modeled) with your asset data, an organization can:

  • Better plan and optimize funding to coincide with current and forecasted levels of services required to meet user needs.
  • Improve design of new or reconstructed assets based on existing demand, reducing future TAM needs.
  • Improve maintenance treatment selection to account for known or modeled demand.
  • Prioritize decision-making to deliver maximum value for the public and other TAM stakeholders.

Environmental Modeling

Environmental systems contain data valuable in understanding asset deterioration, environmental impacts of assets and regulatory requirements applicable to individual projects and maintenance actions. 

Environmental data is often managed in GIS.  Geo-processing tools can efficiently combining GIS information with the associated assets based on their geolocation.

Financial Register vs Operational Register

A financial asset register is used to produce financial statements and support long term financial planning and budgeting.  In contrast the operational asset register, typically stored in the asset data model of an asset management system, supports the ability to associate and track work orders and maintenance. 

It is important to establish a tie between the financial asset register and the operational asset register to support accurate financial reporting and to leverage asset work order and maintenance history to support financial forecasting and planning. 

Important Terminology

The following terms are used within this Section.

Batch Processing/Transfer:

Mature data integration workflows are often supported by batch processing. Batch processing allows for certain data transformation tasks to be performed according to a routine, frequently without human intervention.

Data Transformation:

The process of converting data from one format to another, often required to support data integration workflows, particularly when different technologies are employed by different users or stakeholders over the asset life-cycle.

Non-Asset Data:

Non-asset data is data that is contextual to the asset but not directly about the asset. For example, the soil type in the area of a buried utility pipe is not data explicitly about the asset but is highly relevant to how the asset will perform.

Two-Way Data Exchange:

Bi-directional reading and/or writing of data between two databases.

Conceptual Examples
Two-Way Data Exchange
Exchange between Financial and Operational Asset Registries

A two-way data exchange between an operational asset registry and a financial asset registry may occur when a new asset is constructed.

In one direction, the asset value may need to be exchanged from the operational asset registry to the financial asset registry. 

In the other direction, the acquisition cost of an asset, stored in the financial asset registry, may need to be exchanged to the operational asset registry to support life-cycle cost analysis.

Other Data Integrations
Use of Demand Modeling Data in Asset Management

Traffic demand modeling provides roadway asset owners with forecasted traffic volumes.  Forecasted traffic volumes are used in prioritizing work programs and capital projects.  Database considerations to support linking demand models to asset inventory is the key to unlocking integration efficiencies (for example, by using common location referencing or roadway section identifiers).

Use of Environmental Data in Asset Management

Flooding risk is a key environmental factor considered in TAM.  With accurate spatial location referencing for asset data, analysis of the impact and risks posed by flooding events can be conducted.  Analysis results inform prioritization of maintenance procedures, treatment selection, asset designs decisions, and at times, influence new development decisions.