In preparedness for an integrated infrastructure asset management system for the City of Johannesburg
Date
2016
Authors
Doyle, James Oliver
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Abstract
The research presented in this report set out to determine the extent to which cross-enterprise integration between three Municipal Owned Entities (MOEs) in Johannesburg, i.e. City Power, Johannesburg Water and Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), could be beneficial to the Council and users of the Council’s assets.
The research included a comprehensive review of available literature to find the needs of / gaps in infrastructure asset management and examples of cross-enterprise integration. Interviews with MOEs’ personnel were conducted to determine current levels of infrastructure asset management. A library of the costs of potential hazards arising from damages caused by MOEs to other MOEs’ assets during maintenance tasks was compiled.
A simulation exercise was conducted. The exercise involved the development and application of a computer program using Visual Basic for Applications programming tool. The program created a series of job cards for maintenance works by all MOEs using available asset data for a section of the city. Conflict areas were identified where work on one asset might compromise the integrity of other assets. Costs of the damage to the assets in terms of direct costs of repairs and users’ costs, due to lower levels of service, were quantified for each conflict point. The simulation exercise was run over a thirty year period. The average annual costs were costed using cost to benefit analysis. Expenses associated with the creation of new organisational structures and new cross-enterprise software systems were studied using available data in literature. The expenses and savings formed the basis of the cost to benefit analysis.
The study shows that the introduction of a cross-enterprise integrated system can significantly reduce costs to the Council and users. There are several other benefits originating from cross-enterprise integration including more efficient use of skilled personnel, efficiency in issuing of way leaves, and improved integrity of asset data.
The installation of such a system need not only service the three MOEs included in the study. It is possible that all owners of assets on Council property, including external organisations such as Telkom, Neotel, and Dark Fibre Africa, will benefit from cross-enterprise integration.
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering.
School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Johannesburg, September 2015
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Citation
Doyle, James Oliver (2016) In preparedness for an integrated infrastructure asset management system for the City of Johannesburg, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, <http://wiredspace.wits.ac.za/handle/10539/20587>