Phoenix, AZ – In March 2016, Uberlytics was contracted by Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) to facilitate two criticality analyses that will identify system/asset structure and provide a criticality ranking for equipment in two facilities. These first studies will establish an approach to complete criticality analyses in all MCES facilities in the future in order to balance performance, risk and cost through a system of shared accountability.

The first phase was completed under budget and ahead of schedule in Q4 2016 and addressed the main plant fluidized bed solids incineration facility. More than 4000 assets were assessed in less than six weeks. Phase two will cover the main plant liquid train and is scheduled to begin in spring 2017.

The Metropolitan Council is the regional agency of government for the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The metro area is home to 2.9 million people (2012) in 7 counties and 188 cities and townships, encompassing nearly 3,000 square miles.

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) oversees wastewater treatment, water supply and water quality for the region and is facing increased capital investment pressure due to aging assets, rising debt service costs, knowledge loss due to staff retirements, and increasing regulatory requirements.

The MCES Strategic Plan established asset management as a priority to address these challenges so that MCES can successfully meet customer expectations while controlling rates for the future. To support the current wastewater treatment system (which includes the conveyance system), valued at over $6 billion, strategic asset management plans and programs designed to sustain and preserve existing and new assets will be vital.

MCES identified criticality analysis as one of the first steps in establishing their Asset Management program and setting it up for sustainable success.

A criticality analysis is the most useful tool for connecting strategic asset management planning to executing asset strategies and expenditures. Understanding criticality and accurately identifying risk aligns maintenance and reliability activities with the goals and priorities of a strategic asset management plan, under the constraints of limited budgets and resources. These are important elements of an ISO 55000 compliant asset management program.

The results of the first criticality analysis with MCES have already led to risk reduction in key operational systems, in capital budget review and rationalization in areas of risk, and to setting the basis for PM optimizations.

Historically, water and wastewater utilities that have implemented a criticality analysis have realized a 5% reduction in both their capital and maintenance budgets within the first 12 months. MCES estimates that this current criticality analysis initiative will realize significantly higher savings in their capital and M&R budgets.

Craig Edlund, Director of Asset Management for MCES and Tacoma Zach, CEO of Uberlytics, will be presenting at the Asset Management Ecosystem conference in Las Vegas, March 27 – 30, 2017. The session titled “Starting Right: Laying the Foundation for Successful Long-Term Asset Management Plans” will share how MCES is establishing a solid framework for risk-based decision-making early in its program and how to create a roadmap for successful asset management.

About Uberlytics

Uberlytics helps organizations build better risk-based asset management programs. Through asset management coaching supported by our best-in-class criticality analysis software and facilitation Uberlytics helps asset intensive organizations connect their asset management aims to reliability and maintenance execution priorities. We are experts and innovators in risk and criticality analysis for complex facilities and systems.

The Uberlytics Criticality Analyzer™ is a sophisticated, highly configurable and powerful software tool for efficient and rapid facility-wide criticality analysis, designed to discover unidentified risk, and support ISO 55000 standards. Uberlytics services include criticality analysis facilitation, criticality and risk consulting, asset register and hierarchy consulting and asset management coaching.

Photo Credit: By Bobak Ha’Eri – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4380418