Optimising Asset Management for Champlain Bridge with AMX
Background
As a busy and critical hub of connectivity in the city of Montreal, The Champlain Bridge had to use its industry experience to carefully select the right software to support their operations. Given the complex nature of managing the vast and varied amount of assets in their care, the team needed to ensure that the system selected would be user-friendly, configurable and capable of doing the job well to support their teams on the ground carrying out inspections.
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Champlain Bridge is one of the busiest infrastructure projects, linking large areas of Montreal and providing a key commuting route for motorists in the city. The team at Champlain faced the task of implementing an effective and configurable Asset Information Management System (AIMS) to steer the inspection, maintenance, and rehabilitation of the expansive structure. This quest began with a recommendation from seasoned technical consultant Eric De Fleuriot, who had experience and success working with AMX for other similar industry-related projects in Dubai. While promising, the initial AIMS system that the project had been using lacked the configurability and usability Champlain Bridge needed to support their operations taking account of the extensive nature and scope of the project. The need for a more flexible and user-friendly solution led them to explore alternatives that exceeded minimal project requirements and enhanced the experience for on-site teams.
Challenges
One of the key challenges was the need to support different inspection requirements and inspection ratings for the different assets being managed within the single project. The selected asset management system needed to be highly configurable and this was one of the main reasons why Champlain Bridge decided to select AMX; the ability to tailor the system meeting one of their key goals.
Implementation & Use
The implementation of AMX focused initially on system setup and infrastructure development. Working closely, the teams at Champlain and AMX leveraged the system's flexibility to effectively support the breakdown of complex assets into managed components, accommodating different inspection frequencies and varied rating systems for structures and highways.
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Conclusion
​Working collaboratively, the teams at Champlain Bridge and AMX Solutions were able to take advantage of the capabilities within AMX to manage the varying requirements of the different assets including linking them where needed to support reporting. The ability to inspect and rate assets according to appropriate standards and requirements was now a streamlined process. Considering the financial implications of asset management, Champlain Bridge sees potential in integrating AMX with other systems, exploring possibilities such as API integration or collaboration with the maintenance crews' day-to-day tools. The focus remains on optimising asset prioritisation and enhancing overall management efficiency.
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"The transition from traditional pen-and-paper methods to AMX was seamless, with positive feedback from ground inspectors highlighting the system's user-friendly nature. Inspections, data input, and subsequent uploads were efficiently managed through AMX mobile and web versions, catering to diverse preferences within the inspection teams."
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"The specificity of the project agreement, coupled with the unique requirements of Champlain Bridge, necessitated a highly configurable asset management system. AMX emerged as the preferred choice due to its exceptional customisability, extensive industry experience within the AMX team, and ongoing support and feedback mechanisms."
​Harry Ching, Asset Management Engineer, Ingénieur Gestion D’Actifs
