As ISO/FDIS 55001—“Asset management—Management systems—Requirements” (now in the final draft international standard stage) moves toward its formal publication around the end of this year, organizations that use and depend on a wide range of assets would benefit from spending some time reviewing how a management system-based approach could help them manage and ensure that they are delivering against their responsibilities.

The need for an organization to effectively manage the wide range of assets on which it depends is as important as ever, irrespective of whether the need is driven by:
• Maintaining compliance with licenses or regulations
• Providing and operating services safely for users
• Providing critical infrastructure and services

ISO 55001, from the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), is one of the new breed of management system standards based on Annex SL (previously ISO Guide 83), which is the guidance for common structure and text for developing management system standards that was formally adopted by ISO in 2012.

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