Integration of municipal infrastructure asset management processes: challenges and solutions

Municipal infrastructure management decision-making is inherently an integrated process that requires the assimilation of a multitude of data, processes, and software systems. Current work practices have resulted in significant process and data fragmentation, which have subsequently created much inefficiency that impede the implementation of effective management strategies. There is a broad consensus in the industry that adopting integrated multi-disciplinary approaches is a key requirement for implementing efficient, sustainable, and proactive asset management programs. This paper discusses the main challenges for implementing integrated municipal infrastructure management environments (MIMEs), and proposes specific solutions to address these challenges. The proposed solutions address the systematization and coordination of work processes, the development of centralized shared data repositories based on non-proprietary integrated data models, and the organization and integration of distributed software tools into a modular and extensible enterprise-wide software environment. The implementation of a prototype sewer management environment based on the proposed solutions is also presented.Le processus d\ue9cisionnel en mati\ue8re de gestion de l'infrastructure municipale est dans son essence un processus int\ue9gr\ue9 qui demande l'assimilation d'une foule de donn\ue9es, de proc\ue9d\ue9s et de syst\ue8mes logiciels. Les pratiques de travail actuelles ont donn\ue9 lieu \ue0 une fragmentation consid\ue9rable des proc\ue9d\ue9s et des donn\ue9es, et ainsi, ult\ue9rieurement, \ue0 beaucoup d'inefficience qui nuit \ue0 la mise en ?uvre de strat\ue9gies de gestion productives. Selon l'opinion g\ue9n\ue9rale \ue0 l'\ue9chelle de l'industrie, l'adoption de m\ue9thodes multidisciplinaires int\ue9gr\ue9es demeure une condition pr\ue9alable cl\ue9 pour la mise en ?uvre de programmes de gestion des biens qui soient \ue0 la fois efficients, durables et proactifs. Dans ce document, on traite des principaux d\ue9fis que repr\ue9sente la mise en ?uvre d'environnements de gestion int\ue9gr\ue9e de l'infrastructure municipale (EGIIM), et l'on propose des solutions pr\ue9cises qui permettront de relever ces d\ue9fis. Ces solutions visent la syst\ue9matisation et la coordination des m\ue9thodes de travail, la cr\ue9ation d'entrep\uf4ts centralis\ue9s de donn\ue9es partag\ue9es \ue0 partir de mod\ue8les de donn\ue9es int\ue9gr\ue9es non exclusives, ainsi que l'organisation et l'int\ue9gration d'outils logiciels r\ue9partis en un environnement modulaire et extensible \ue0 l'\ue9chelle de l'entreprise. On y expose en outre l'application d'un prototype d'environnement de gestion des \ue9gouts, bas\ue9 sur lesdites solutions propos\ue9es.Peer reviewed: YesNRC publication: Ye