Just a reflection on our own institutions.

I have been involved with the IAM on and off for almost 25 years. I attended Asset Management Council meetings and conferences (under different names) when I lived and worked in Australia in the 2000s. I have been impressed by the IPWEA since someone brought back a copy of the IIMM to the UK around 2001. My boss was instrumental in setting up the GFMAM.

These are just the most obvious AM institutions. (But shout out to Canadian AM networking here, too.)

They have not always been particularly friendly to each other, but at roughly 30 years old at their oldest, we seem to have developed some institutional maturity.

I was heartened to realise that, for all its limits – well delineated by Richard Edwards and others at the recent IAM UK conference – the revisions and new ISO 55000 documents involved hugely more people this time around.

The IAM itself has grown and now functions in more European and Asian countries, as well as succeeding in the USA; it has a truly excellent CEO in Ursula Bryan. I love the IPWEA ‘Ask Your Mates’, the kind of practical support we need from out networking.

But perhaps the best sign of all was a workshop last month on ‘Peak Infrastructure?’. A room full of Asset Managers asking what infrastructure we really need. And how there is work still to be done to make a lasting difference. Changing national government policies not to incentivise (or give in to developers and construction companies) building new when we can maintain what we have.

All physical assets come at a cost, often a very steep one in impact on the environment and communities. We have to take the lead to make sure we understand costs versus benefits.

That’s the real question when we get together as Asset Managers.

*IAM: Institute of Asset Management, HQ in UK. IPWEA: Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia. GFMAM: Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management, established by the IAM, Asset Management Council and others. Asset Management Council in Australia. Canadian Network of Asset Managers, plus Provincial AM networks such as AMBC and AMOntario.