PILLAR
In the AIAI’s recent webinar: Performance-Based O&M, PILLAR joined forces with Claudio Andreetta from Johnson Controls and Alistar Sawers from ATHS Consult to discuss performance-based O&M. With over 90 attendees, this was a hot topic among industry professionals!
The Boy Scout Motto “Be Prepared” keeps popping up in my mind with the recent COVID-19 virus and corresponding fallout. Looking beyond the COVID-19 crises and towards your industry and business opportunities; leaders of today need to be prepared in a multitude of ways. From hiring new young talent to managing various demographics in the workspace to looking towards future business opportunities and growth – to being flexible enough to bend and shift with the influx of virtual reality, artificial intelligence, and machine learning – being prepared is synonymous with success.
One of the key podcasts I listen to is How I Built This by Guy Raz. At the end of every interview Guy asks the owners and entrepreneurs of the profiled business, “How much of your success is built on hard work and how much is built on luck?” It’s always interesting to hear the answers and almost everyone inevitably banks some of their success on luck. Whether that is being in the right place at the right time, catching a break via some generous offer, or getting a helping hand at a critical moment.
Reflecting on Pillar, I know a lot of people have worked hard to place us in our current position, with great generosity from individuals both inside and outside the firm. What about luck? I would argue it isn’t luck, but rather being prepared enough to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. Whether this preparation is financial, relationship, location, or confidence driven – being prepared to take hold of opportunities is what will define that opportunity as successful.
Looking back at our “failures” as well as our “successes”, both are defined by how prepared Pillar was to tackle the assignments. In fact, it is rather obvious when reflecting and analyzing the end results of either case. The challenge remains to be forward-thinking and positioned in such a way as to be prepared to seize on the correct opportunity and avoid the distractions.
To learn about how Pillar can help more efficiently manage your Operations and Maintenance projects contact Mark Boenke, President, at mboenke@pillaroma.com
PILLAR’s Dan Dennis, Vice President of Public-Private Partnerships was quoted on the positive trend of risk allocation in the P3 model.
Read the full article to see Dan’s comments on risk allocation.
John Meola, PILLAR’s Safety Director was recently published in Construction Business Owner Magazine providing insight on the fatal four dangers that plague your job sites & how to avoid them.
If you are performing an outsourced O&M project, it is very likely you have a fixed budget based on your contract price. Your cash flow is known upfront, the day you sign the contract. As the Maintenance Manager, your job is to meet the contract performance requirements as efficiently as possible while meeting your budget. How do you do this? Simple: Spend resources wisely and efficiently. Basic planning can help you do this.
A typical example could be: The roadway shoulder has accumulated dirt, weeds, etc. in the longitudinal joints on a narrow shoulder next to a barrier wall. Simple enough to clean up, right? But the work area is three feet wide and adjacent to the left (high speed) lane on a 75-mph urban interstate. MOT requirements called for a full lane closure – in both directions.
What does this all mean? Before any work starts, you have already spent $2,800 for the two lane-closures. To save money and be efficient, how many other tasks can be done in that lane closure?
These additional tasks will be required at some point. Why not do it all at once? The additional labor is minimal, and you likely have all the small tools; if not then rent them. By combining the activities, you have saved multiple lane closures and perhaps up to $10,000. This adds up.
This is basic preventive maintenance. And all it takes is – a little planning.
To learn more about how Pillar can help more efficiently manage your P3 project, contact Mark Boenke at mboenke@PillarOMA.com
There have been numerous developments in recent years in the field of Artificial Intelligence (AI) that are transforming our daily lives. Among the most commonly recognized are self-driving vehicles and voice recognition devices such as Amazon’s Alexa.
While perhaps not as flashy as having your virtual personal assistant, Pillar Operations & Maintenance Advisors is a leader in the important integration of AI into the world of transportation asset management.
Using AI, Pillar can collect and assess vastly larger datasets in less time with fewer resources than ever before. What once took months to identify, collect and assess transportation assets can now take as little as three days.*
Pillar can help clients make cost-effective, data-driven transportation maintenance decisions and plans based on actual priorities derived from clear and comprehensive data. This data results in safer, better-maintained roadways for the traveling public.
For example, we gathered guardrail length inventory by assessing its condition in accordance to the Maintenance Rating Program for a state Department of Transportation. This data enabled the state DOT to develop a maintenance plan, allocate the workforce and secure a budget for the project.
Here’s a more in-depth look at how AI is being used in Pillar’s proprietary CAPE® approach to transportation asset management:
Collection – We are using AI to help identify assets for gathering a database of inventory. To do this, we have trained algorithms that scan our imagery and point cloud data to locate assets. We also utilize a system that automatically extracts these features into a legible format. The two systems provide a level of redundancy and quality assurance that is integrated with your GIS. Together, these systems create a sophisticated level of detail that was previously unattainable.
Assessment – AI helps us assess the condition of transportation assets by using algorithms to identify items such as a leaning sign, clogged ditch, and much more.
Planning – AI is an extremely useful aid in conducting research. By combining “big data” with the inventory collection and assessment data, we developed algorithms to build predictive analytics that make proactive maintenance possible.
Execution – We use AI to monitor operations to ensure quality standards are met. Further, the data stays current as tasks and projects are completed.
*Timeliness will vary from project to project based on size and number of assets collected.
It’s as tough of a job as it is an important one – each year the National Safety Council tries to make a dent in the collective consciousness of America by celebrating “Safety Awareness Week.”
Because safety is often forgotten until we wish we remembered it, we should applaud this effort and practice a constant focus on safety in all aspects of daily living.
Consider the following top 10 list of ways you can help protect you, your family and others.
After a top 10 list of safety concerns, it may seem like life is too dangerous to enjoy safely. This is untrue, of course. All you have to do is pay attention to potential risks, starting from the moment your feet hit the floor beside the bed.
Have a great Safety Week as an introduction to a Safe Summer!
Outsourcing is simply using contractors to do things traditionally done by in-house staff.
In the P3 space, virtually the entire project is outsourced, by definition. In a traditional, publicly owned and operated roadway, the Owner (DOT/Ministry, etc.) provides operations and maintenance for the roadway with in-house staff, trucks, equipment and materials. Similarly, a facility such as a hospital, manufacturing facility, port or other large fixed asset will have maintenance staff and operational support.
In a word, “Efficiency.” But how? For one, you get more efficient use of your people resources.
Good workers generally want to do a good job – finish it properly and move to the next task. Contractors and mechanics know this. If they have a lump-sum price to replace your HVAC system, they will get it done quickly and efficiently and move on to the next job. If you pay all of your subs a T&M rate, you won’t get this benefit. If all your maintenance personnel are hourly in-house staff, you are essentially paying them a T&M rate. They are not motivated to get the job done faster.
With today’s technology and ever advancing and inter-related systems, it is much more difficult to hire, train and keep a “jack-of-all-trades” maintenance staff on hand. It is more efficient, safer, faster and cheaper to utilize a team of highly trained, on-call specialists. With new technologies on the horizon, you may not even need to “fly in” the technician.
Finally, we mention profit. The profit motive drives efficiency and productivity. Although it can be a dirty word sometimes, the profit motive – coupled with performance standards – will undeniably drive innovation and ultimately result in lower costs.
About PILLAR, Inc.
PILLAR is a multi-discipline firm focused on collecting, analyzing, and turning data into efficient and effective strategies for operating and maintaining roadways, bridges, tunnels, and other forms of infrastructure. We are a trusted partner that DOTs, municipalities, and P3 stakeholders rely on for expertise in safely managing roadway infrastructure in a fiscally sound and responsible manner.”
North Star Infrastructure Team to build and maintain Northwest Territories Tłı̨chǫ All Season Road
WYTHEVILLE, Va. (February 27, 2019) – PILLAR Operations and Maintenance Advisors worked with its client, North Star Infrastructure, on a project to design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the Northwest Territories Tłı̨chǫ All Season Road in Canada. Working closely with North Star staff as the technical advisor, Pillar contributed to the success of the winning bid by developing operations and maintenance (O&M) budgets for the 25-year concession.
Construction on the public private partnership (P3) project starts in the fall of 2019 and includes construction of a new 2-lane, 97-kilometer (60.27-mile) gravel, all-season road. The project will create an essential year-round connection from the community of Whatì to Highway 3, southwest of Behchokǫ, Canada. The project team will also handle routine maintenance as well as lifecycle and handback provisions.
About PILLAR, Inc.
PILLAR is a multi-discipline firm focused on collecting, analyzing, and turning data into efficient and effective strategies for operating and maintaining roadways, bridges, tunnels, and other forms of infrastructure. We are a trusted partner that DOTs, municipalities, and P3 stakeholders rely on for expertise in safely managing roadway infrastructure in a fiscally sound and responsible manner.
Why is pavement management important?
The nation’s road system represents an asset valued at more than $2.4 trillion. Nearly 90% of passenger-miles traveled and 60% of the nations’ total freight is transported via the nation’s highway system. There is no doubt, it is an asset worthy of substantial investment for the sake of our economy and the safety of our citizens.
Two constant elements unrelentingly diminish pavement’s value and cost the nation billions of dollars every year: traffic loads and environmental conditions.
The budgets allocated for the construction, repair and ongoing maintenance of pavement grow increasingly tighter. As a result, it has become obvious that relying solely on traditional experience-based maintenance and repair (M&R) techniques is not sufficient. We have the tools and knowledge to proactively manage the maintenance of our nation’s highways, taking into consideration a number of factors such as life cycle cost analysis, timing of projects, prioritization and optimization, as well as the prediction of pavement performance. This modern approach to the pavement management process takes all these factors into consideration to develop a proactive, cost-efficient approach to protecting and preserving the valuable asset our national highway systems represents.
In his wonderfully informative and helpful book, “Pavement Management for Airports, Roads, and Parking Lots,” M.Y. Shahin describes pavement management as “systematic, consistent method for selecting M & R needs and determining priorities and the optimal time of repair by predicting future pavement condition.”
The importance of maintenance timing is illustrated nicely in the following figure from the book:
The figure clearly shows that conducting M &R before the sharp deterioration of the asset results in significant savings on repair costs. These financial savings are in addition to avoiding long roadway closures, detours and traffic delays.
The pavement management process consists of the following steps (each of which will be discussed further in another Pillar Talk column):
Every dollar spent on thoroughfares is an investment in the economy and public good. Indeed, pavement management is a valuable tool in ensuring taxpayers that their investment (tax dollars) are providing them with a safe, accessible, sustainable, and long-lasting network of roadways.