The ability to accumulate data has increased over recent years due to advances in digital technology, improved monitoring capability and ever-expanding fields within Asset Management systems and data bases.

Often data is collected from multiple sources and varying management systems. Some is automated production and process information; some is entered manually and other information is updated based on activity. While all of the information retrieved can be justified, often much of it is never referred to.

The challenge is to ensure that the important information is readily available to the right people and this will vary across the different layers and functions within any business. Technical subject matter experts will be interested in details of operation while senior managers are interested in high level information, the procurement people are interested in stock movements, asset technicians are interested in failure rates and operators’ day to day production performance and accounts are obviously interested in financial performance.