Purpose: The aim is to develop a conceptual model that improves the effectiveness of asset management for an airport corporation with high pace development, with reference to critical factors such as government demands, ISO 5500X standards and key performance indicators.  Background: During the past 20 years, airports have gone from a public sector operation to being privatized or a combination of the two. This often implies that airport corporations have to finance their own expansions, which is one reason why their real estate and infrastructure assets must be seen and managed as valuable assets and not only as support for the business. However, such management is unfortunately not established in many of the large corporations today.   Methodology/approach: The thesis utilizes a case study with a qualitative approach to analyse primary data in terms of results from interviews conducted with employees working in the corporation subject to the case study. The case study examines the current structure of a complex airport corporation in order to find areas that could potentially benefit from higher effectiveness. Secondary data in form of existing literature, including reports as well as scientific articles has also been used.   Findings: The study argues that complex organizations and corporations could potentially benefit from implementing an asset management model. By successfully incorporating a strategic approach with tactical actions, challenges such as defining roles and responsibilities could be overcome and synergy effects captured, resulting in an overall higher performance and more effective asset management.     Practical implications: The thesis clearly argues for the need of corporations in the public sector to adopt a private sector governance approach regarding asset management to satisfy government demands and ensure the interests of shareholders. The thesis provides another perspective on how companies in the public sector can make their asset management more effective by a wider utilization of management-tools, frequently used in the private sector to generate higher profitability.   Suggestions for further research: It would be interesting to conduct a quantitative investigation after implementation of suggested changes in order to highlight the outcomes. This is a descriptive and conceptual thesis, why future empirical research should be conducted in order to validate the propositions made in this thesis further. / Syfte: Syftet med uppsatsen är att skapa en modell som kan bidra till att öka effektiviteten i tillgångsförvaltningen på ett flygplatsbolag med hög utvecklingstakt, med hänsyn till kritiska faktorer som myndighetskrav, ISO5500X-standarder och nyckeltal.   Problembakgrund: Under de senaste 20 åren har det blivit allt vanligare att flygplatsverksamhet privatiserats till följd av bolagiseringen av statliga verk och myndigheter. Därmed ställs det högre krav på bolagen att finansiera sin egen expansion, vilket i sin tur betyder att tillgångarna måste betraktas och hanteras som värdefulla tillgångar och inte enbart som stöd för verksamheten. I många fall saknas idag en sådan förvaltning.  Metod/tillvägagångssätt: Uppsatsen utgår ifrån en kvalitativ fallstudie som analyserar primär data i form av resultatet från intervjuer med anställda som arbetar på företaget som valts ut för fallstudien. Sekundär data i form av litteratur, inklusive tidigare rapporter och vetenskapliga artiklar, har använts som stöd för empirin.   Slutsatser: Studien argumenterar för att organisationer och företag som hanterar komplexa tillgångar kan komma att dra nytta av att implementera en modell för tillgångsförvaltning. Genom att på ett framgångsrikt sätt förena en strategisk angreppssätt med taktiska aktiviteter kan utmaningar i form av ansvars- och rollfördelning överkommas och synergieffekter erhållas, som överlag resulterar i högre prestation och mer effektiv tillgångsförvaltning.     Praktiska följder: Examenarbetet argumenterar tydligt för behovet för statligt ägda bolag att tillämpa ett mer privatiserat tillvägagångssätt gällande tillgångsförvaltning för att tillfredsställa statliga krav och se till aktieägarnas intressen. Uppsatsen ger ett alternativt perspektiv på hur statligt ägda företag kan göra sin tillgångsförvaltning mer effektiv genom en bredare användning av förvaltningsverktyg som används frekvent i den privata sektorn och som genererar högre lönsamhet. Förslag till vidare forskning: Det vore intressant att genomföra en kvantitativ undersökning efter att de föreslagna förändringarna implementerats för att se vilka utfall dessa resulterat i. Examensarbetet är av berättande och konceptuell natur, varför framtida empirisk forskning bör utföras i syfte att validera påståenden som framförs i uppsatsen ytterligare.

Due to the challenges posed by climate change, the notion of sustainability is gaining traction in the real estate industry. This study highlights property asset managers' conceptual understanding of sustainability, and explores whether the level of implementation of sustainability is actually achieving sustainability objectives through the management of commercial real estate. A qualitative approach was used in order to gain an understanding of property asset managers’ perceptions of sustainability, the most important aspect of sustainability and the implementation of sustainability in real estate portfolios. Data was collected through surveys and semi-structured interviews. The surveys had a response rate of 44%, accentuating the robustness of the study. The data was analysed using categorical analysis, rankings in order of importance and comparison between sizes of organisations. The survey was complemented with 4 interviews to further understand how and why property asset managers implement sustainability in their portfolios and the data collected from the interviews were analysed using thematic analysis to determine the reason for implementing sustainability. The findings reveal that property asset managers found sustainability to be a critical issue for the real estate industry, and most respondents agreed on sustainability not being a fad. The property asset managers’ perception on sustainability seemed to differ between company sizes and findings identified reduction of energy consumption followed by production of renewable energy as the two most important sustainability aspects. The reasons for property asset managers to implement sustainability were varied, with increasing costs, brand image, competitive external and internal normative pressure being identified as strong reasons. Our recommendation to property asset managers is to encourage sharing knowledge and investing in pushing the status quo on sustainability in the industry since the frontrunners are proving it to be economically beneficial, not to mention the benefits for greater society. The study indicates that the industry wants to change, but craves more initiative takers to lead by example to catalyse the change enough for mimetic pressure from the industry to drive the sustainable development further. / På grund av de utmaningar som klimatförändringarna medför har konceptet om hållbarhet fått allt större genomslag i fastighetsbranschen. Denna studie belyser fastighetsförvaltares konceptuella förståelse av hållbarhet och undersöker om nivån på implementation av hållbarhet faktiskt uppnår alla aspekter av hållbarhet genom förvaltningen av kommersiella fastigheter. Ett kvalitativt tillvägagångssätt användes för att få en förståelse för fastighetsförvaltares uppfattning om hållbarhet, de viktigaste hållbarhetsaspekterna och implementeringen av hållbarhet i fastighetsportföljer. Data samlades in genom enkäter och semistrukturerade intervjuer. Enkäterna hade en svarsfrekvens på 44 %, vilket påvisade studiens robusthet. Den insamlade datan analyserades med hjälp av kategorisk analys, rangordningar i signifikans och jämförelse mellan organisationers storlek. Studien kompletterades med 4 intervjuer för att ytterligare förstå hur och varför fastighetsförvaltare implementerar hållbarhet i sina portföljer och datan som samlats in från intervjuerna analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys för att fastställa anledningarna till att implementera hållbarhet. Resultaten visade att fastighetsförvaltare fann hållbarhet att vara en kritisk fråga för fastighetsbranschen, och de flesta respondenterna var överens om att hållbarhet inte är en modefluga. Fastighetsförvaltarnas uppfattning om hållbarhet verkade skilja sig åt mellan företagsstorlekar och resultaten identifierade minskning av energiförbrukning följt av produktion av förnybar energi som de två viktigaste hållbarhetsaspekterna. Skälen för fastighetsförvaltare att implementera hållbarhet var varierande, med ökande kostnader, varumärkesimage, extern konkurrens och internt normativt tryck som identifierade starka skäl. Vår rekommendation till fastighetsförvaltare är att uppmuntra till att dela kunskap och investera i att driva på status quo för hållbarhet i branschen. Detta då de ledande företagen inom hållbarhetsfrågor visar att det är ekonomiskt fördelaktigt, för att inte tala om fördelarna för samhället i helhet. Studien indikerar att branschen vill förändras, men behöver fler initiativtagare att föregå med praktiska exempel för att katalysera utvecklingen.

Digitalization and adaptation of technology are the current and future areas for organizations to gain efficiency within. Nevertheless, in a context where digitalization is an uprising trend, this research is needed now more than ever due to the COVID 19 Pandemic in the world. Many companies are having a hard time with the complexity of the digital age, facing challenges, and searching for support. This research will aim to solve these obstacles by collaborating with company X, who currently are in a similar situation. In order to understand the reasons of managerial resistance to adapt to new digital technology, the investigation also looked at the impact of managers and how it affects the digital technology adoption in the organization. This is done by considering the specific context of asset management (AM) since AM systems substitute to part of the control that is used by managers to support operations and maintenance processes. The research was explorative in the research approach in order to delimit the study after analysing the findings. The research is conducted through a literature review and empirical data that was conducted through a pre-study and interviews with company X. Many theories from the literature and findings from the analysis of the interviews shed some light on the contingency factors influencing the adoption of digitalization in the context of AM. The empirical and theoretical findings also supported the impact that managers have towards an organization's ability to go towards a more digitalized organization. The conclusion from this research found that the factors that affect the adoption of technologies are organizational capabilities and the underlying factors of task complexity and internal capability. The second factor is the organizational culture with the underlying factors of decision-making and management by fear. And lastly, the organization's business model with the underlying factor of customer orientation. All these factors are overlapping each other, and are essential to focus on in a changing environment in order to manage a digital transformation. The conclusion that was drawn for managers' implications that are Managerial behavior and Managerial communication, and therefore stated that they have an impact. This research recommends steps for a company to leverage the identified factors that affect the ability to adapt to digitalization. These were first to go toward a digital transformation, by revising work methods. Then to construct a global IT strategy in order to strategize the internal strategies. Then in order to align the strategy and bridge the gap between business and IT, it is through a balanced scorecard. Another critical step is to involve middle managers in decision making by implementing a change management plan. Benefit management will help to engage the entire organization towards change. Lastly, all steps need to be supported with digital solutions by taking into consideration the established actions as analysing risks, creating a digital roadmap, identifying a clear process owner, following up on digital interventions, and working with customers and politicians towards an integrated AM solution. / Digitalisering och anpassning av teknik är de nuvarande och framtida områdena för organisationer att effektivisera sig med. Men i ett sammanhang där digitalisering är en uppåtgående trend behövs denna forskning nu mer än någonsin på grund av COVID 19- pandemin i världen. Många företag har det svårt med den digitala tidens komplexitet, står inför utmaningar och söker support. Denna forskning representerar det exemplet genom att samarbeta med företaget X som befinner sig i den aktuella situationen. För att förstå orsakerna till ledarens motstånd att anpassa sig till ny digital teknik såg utredningen också på effekterna av chefer och hur det påverkar antagandet av digital teknik i organisationen. Detta görs genom att beakta det specifika sammanhanget för kapitalförvaltning (AM), eftersom AM-system ersätter en del av kontrollen som används av chefer för att stödja drift och underhållsprocesser. Forskningen var förklarande i forskningsmetoden för att avgränsa studien efter att ha rat resultaten. Forskningen utförs genom en litteraturöversikt och en empirisk data som genomfördes genom en förstudie och intervjuer med företaget X. Många teorier från litteraturen och fynd från n av intressena, kastar lite ljus på beredskapsfaktorer som påverkar antagandet av digitalisering i samband med AM. De empiriska och teoretiska fynden stödde också effekterna som chefer har för en organisations förmåga att gå mot en mer digitaliserad organisation. Slutsatsen från denna forskning av de faktorer som påverkar han antagande av teknik är organisatoriska förmågor, med de underliggande faktorerna av uppgift komplexitet och intern kapacitet. Den andra faktorn är organisationskulturen med de underliggande faktorerna för beslut och förvaltning av rädsla. Och slutligen organisationens affärsmodell med den underliggande faktorn för kundorientering. Alla dessa faktorer överlappar varandra och är viktiga att fokusera på i en föränderlig miljö för att hantera en digital transformation. Slutsatsen som drogs för chefsimplikationer som är ledningsbeteende och ledningskommunikation, och bekräftade därför att de påverkar organisationen. Denna forskning rekommenderar åtgärder för ett företag för att utnyttja de identifierade faktorerna som påverkar förmågan att anpassa sig till digitaliseringen. Dessa var först för att gå mot en digital transformation genom att revidera arbetsmetoder. För att sedan konstruera en global IT-strategi för att strategisera de interna strategierna. För att anpassa strategin och överbrygga klyftan mellan affär och IT är det sedan genom ett balanserat resultatkort. Ett annat kritiskt steg är att involvera mellanledare i beslutsfattandet genom att implementera en plan för förändringshantering. Förmånshantering hjälper till att engagera hela organisationen mot förändring. Slutligen måste alla steg stöds med digitala lösningar genom att ta hänsyn till de etablerade åtgärderna som att ra risker, skapa en digital färdplan, identifiera en tydlig processägare, följa upp digitala interventioner och arbeta med kunder och politiker mot en integrerad AM-lösning.

The effective implementation of infrastructure asset management systems within organizations that own, operate, and manage infrastructure assets is critical to address the main challenges facing the infrastructure industry (e.g., infrastructure ageing and deterioration, maintenance backlogs, strict regulatory operating conditions, limited financial resources, and losing valuable experience through retirements). Infrastructure asset management systems contain connectivity between major operational components and such connectivity can lead to systemic risks (i.e., dependence-induced failures). This thesis analyzes the asset management system as a network of connected components (i.e., nodes and links) to identify critical components exposed to systemic risks induced by information asymmetry and information overload. This thesis applies descriptive and prescriptive analytics strategies to address information asymmetry and information overload and predictive analytics is employed to enhance the resilience. Specifically, descriptive analytics was employed to visualize the key performance indicators of infrastructure assets ensuring that all asset management stakeholders make decisions using consistent information sources and that they are not overwhelmed by having access to the entire database. Predictive analytics is employed to classify the resilience key performance indicator pertaining to the forced outage rapidity of power infrastructure components enabling power infrastructure owners to estimate the rapidity of an outage soon after its occurrence, and thus allocating the appropriate resources to return the infrastructure to operation. Using predictive analytics allows decision-makers to use consistent and clear information to inform their decision to respond to forced outage occurrences. Finally, prescriptive analytics is applied to optimize the asset management system network by increasing the connectivity of the network and in turn decreasing the exposure of the asset management system to systemic risk from information asymmetry and information overload. By analyzing an asset management system as a network and applying descriptive-, predictive-, and prescriptive analytics strategies, this dissertation illustrates how systemic risk exposure, due to information asymmetry and information overload could be mitigated and how power infrastructure resilience could be enhanced in response to forced outage occurrences. / Thesis / Doctor of Science (PhD) / Effective infrastructure asset management systems are critical for organizations that own, manage, and operate infrastructure assets. Infrastructure asset management systems contain main components (e.g., engineering, project management, resourcing strategy) that are dependent on information and data. Inherent within this system is the potential for failures to cascade throughout the entire system instigated by such dependence. Within asset management, such cascading failures, known as systemic risks, are typically caused by stakeholders not using the same information for decision making or being overwhelmed by too much information. This thesis employs analytics strategies including: i) descriptive analytics to present only relevant and meaningful information necessary for respective stakeholders, ii) predictive analytics to forecast the resilience key performance indicator, rapidity, enabling all stakeholders to make future decisions using consistent projections, and iii) prescriptive analytics to optimize the asset management system by introducing additional information connections between main components. Such analytics strategies are shown to mitigate the systemic risks within the asset management system and enhance the resilience of infrastructure in response to an unplanned disruption.

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Pavements in Canada that are built on top of frost susceptible soil experience loss of support in early spring as the frozen structure begins thawing. To minimize pavement damage, low- volume roads rely on Spring Load Restrictions (SLR), since building these roads to withstand spring thaw is usually not feasible. However, implementing SLR increases operational costs to commercial transporters and impacts local economies. The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) is routinely faced with requests from the truck industry to lift restrictions on certain roads, and questioning from municipalities that seek understanding on the needs for SLR in their roads. To help answer these questions, a comprehensive study was performed at 15 Seasonal Load Adjustment (SLA) stations across Ontario. The data collected included Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing, borehole investigation, climatic data, traffic volumes, and pavement rehabilitation data. A backcalculation using the FWD data estimated pavement structural capacity and remaining service life for each SLA for different dates throughout spring, followed by a life cycle analysis using the rehabilitation data. The SLAs were divided in three groups of similar pavement support conditions based on the service life analysis results. Results indicate that none of Group 1 SLAs need load restrictions, with the calculated remaining service life being greater than 25 years for all test dates. Within Group 2, pavement recovery throughout spring suggests that SLR could extend service life, although generally not necessary for the intended life cycle. Results indicate most SLAs in Group 2 achieving a full life cycle from the last rehabilitation activities for estimates based on early spring parameters, suggesting that these roads were likely designed with spring conditions accounted for. For Group 3, the lack of structural support and low service life values indicate the need for strict load restrictions to avoid excessive damage and maintain serviceability. Pavements with high-quality subgrades, granular structures and non-frost susceptible materials, thick asphalt layers and major rehabilitation activities were found to generally perform well for spring conditions. However, with several site-specific conditions, an overall recommendation for implementation of SLR cannot be generalized based on the pavement structure and subgrade soil type alone. The structural condition and thawing behaviour of individual sites must be thoroughly understood before a decision is made, as investigation might indicate that some roads can withstand full traffic year-round and would not need SLR, while others might need more rigorous restrictions. In addition to the service life analysis, approximately 600 lane km of deflection data was collected using a Multi-Speed Deflectometer in Southern Ontario. Recommendations were made for potential applications of the equipment as a network screening device, able to identify weak road sections in a time and cost-effective manner prior to a detailed investigation using FWD; and for regular monitoring of road conditions at a network level, including the monitoring of seasonal variations. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Human inspection is a pivotal component of infrastructure asset management within a systems thinking approach to civil engineering. Skilled inspectors are tasked with the evaluation of various civil infrastructure components, conducting assessments of their conditions, identifying maintenance needs, and determining necessary repairs. Despite the growing interest in advanced technologies and automated inspections, the use of human-in-the-loop procedures is still widely practiced. Humans are susceptible to cognitive bias, variability, or uncertainty when inspecting infrastructure, and finding solutions to reduce these factors is paramount. This study presents a comprehensive exploration of inspection variability within infrastructure asset management, drawing insights from datasets of the BUILDER Sustainment Management System (SMS) program. The research delves into infrastructure inventory, inspector data, and inspection data components of an asset management database, shedding light on variability in human inspection. Variations in inspection ratings revealed significant concerns, particularly in Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems, with notable disparities between inspection ratings and condition ratings. Inspector variability analysis, through Coefficient of Variation calculations, indicated substantial disparities within and among inspectors. Further analysis, including Tukey's HSD test, pinpointed significant variability in heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) and Fire Protection system inspections. Moreover, this study addresses the specific challenge of reducing inspection uncertainty in HVAC systems. HVAC systems play a critical role in facility energy consumption, and their maintenance is vital to energy efficiency and occupant comfort. However, HVAC-specific inspections primarily require human involvement, making them time-consuming and prone to error. Addressing the challenges surrounding human inspection of HVAC systems, this research presents a multifaceted approach to reduce variability. Drawing from a review of existing literature on HVAC inspection uncertainty, this study extends its focus to the development of predictive models. These models considered parameters including inspection ratings, age-based obsolescence, section condition indices, component characteristics, and unique inspectors . Utilizing Linear Regression, Random Forest, and Gradient Boosting Regression, this model accurately predicted Variability Ratings, signifying the potential for implementation as a decision support tool. Importantly, the findings highlight the need to not only understand the factors affecting HVAC inspection variability but to actively implement technological solutions that can reduce human error and variability in inspections. / Master of Science / Infrastructure inspection is crucial for maintaining buildings and facilities, but it often comes with human errors and uncertainties. This study looks at the inspection process, focusing on case studies and data from the BUILDER Sustainment Management System (SMS) program. It reveals that inspectors sometimes evaluate the condition of parts of a building differently, leading to inconsistencies and poor overall management. One significant area of concern is heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. These systems play a critical role in facility energy use and can be challenging to inspect accurately. Previous research has shown that work experience, training, education, and other factors tend to contribute to variability in how inspectors assess HVAC systems. This research not only highlights these issues but also develops predictive models to reduce the variability of HVAC inspections. By doing so infrastructure can be managed correctly and ultimately lead to improved building lifecycles.