Within a few short weeks, CitiTech Systems will release the latest version of its enterprise asset & maintenance management software solution.

Asset management is a field that is constantly evolving. In the past 18 months alone, we have seen a broad array of new mandates that affect maintenance organizations, including PASB-3150 in Canada, MAP-21, sweeping changes to the approved MUTCD sign management methods, and constantly evolving FEMA reporting requirements.

In 2013, we will see the publication of a new ISO standard: ISO 55000. This standard is the evolution of PAS-55, which is an international specification for the optimization of physical assets. The specification provides an objective definition of what is required to demonstrate competence, establish improvement priorities and make better, clearer connections between strategic organizational plans and the actual day-to-day work and asset management realities. Once PAS-55 moves from a specification to a recognized standard, its impact will be widely felt by public maintenance organizations.

As government mandates and management methodologies evolve, CitiTech evolves with it. Version 8.5 is loaded with a whole host of new functionality, including integration to Google and Bing Maps (and other online mapping applications), expanded FEMA reporting functions that dramatically reduce cost reporting time, Expanded CIP planning capability, A new management dashboard, and much, much more.

MAP-21 and ISO 55000 provide a clear roadmap to the minimum requirements of a modern risk and performance-based asset management approach. While these standards are currently pointed primarily at federal highway programs, the clarity and accountability that these standards provide are already impacting the availability of federal dollars at the county and municipal government levels. CitiTech’s active involvement with leading asset management organizations such as the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials and the Institute of Asset Management allow us to identify future mandates before they go into effect, and maintain our leadership in the asset management field.