The International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) published the international asset management systems standard, ISO 55001, in 2014. ISO 55001 is the reference standard for a value-added approach to asset management. It enables the effective integration of all aspects of the asset lifecycle, from the first design phase to acquisition, construction, commissioning, utilisation or operation, maintenance, renewal, modification and/or ultimate disposal.

Benefits of an ISO 55001 compliant asset management system Asset management is a strategic, long-term approach which provides a foundation for improved operational performance and a sustainable business model. The value of applying ISO 55001 can be achieved by any type and size of business; regardless of the criticality and complexity of the asset systems.

The key benefits of complying with ISO 55001 include the following:

D Manage an asset throughout its lifetime and improve performance

D Consider risks associated with costs and performance in all decisions

D Help to improve organisational performance and achieve sustainable business objectives

D Create a common language between operational and financial departments

D Achieve tangible profits over time with optimised return on investment and/or growth

D Foster the sharing of asset management best practices between departments and sites

D Be able to demonstrate to stakeholders, sensible utilisation of assets and associated risks & costs

D Improve corporate reputation and credibility.

D Embed the asset management system in the culture of the organisation.

Deciding whether to be certified or just compliant?A certification audit is defined as “audit carried out by an auditing organisation independent of the client and the parties that rely on certification, for the purpose of certifying the client’s management system.”

Third party independent certification audits not only assess an organisation’s compliance in accordance to the requirements of the ISO 55001 asset management system standard, but also identify best practice for continuous improvement. Unquestionably, organisations gain substantial value from Certification Bodies when the audit team encompasses the expertise and competence covering their scope and their industry sector so that they can provide industry insights and opportunities for improvement.

This value-added process is defined throughout the rigorous accreditation processes that accreditation bodies, such as JAS-ANZ, have in place to ensure that Certification Bodies have the competence, consistency and impartiality to conduct ISO 55001 certification audits.

JAS-ANZ Accredited ISO 55001 Certification

www.bureauveritas.com.au

bvaus@au.bureauveritas.comAustralia: + 61 (0) 3 9922 0700

New Zealand: + 64 (09) 526 4546

Contact Us

Value-added approach from JAS-ANZ accredited Certification Bodies (specifically for ISO 55001)Accreditation Bodies, such as UKAS (United Kingdom Accreditation Service), JAS-ANZ (Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand) and many more, assess the technical competence of Certification Bodies in line with a number of guidelines for each certification scheme. This, therefore requires each Certification Body (CB) to ensure that their approach, procedures and systems align and comply with the scheme requirements, such as ISO 9001:2004, ISO 9001:2015, ISO 55001:2014 and ISO 45001:2018.

As members of the International Accreditation Forum, Accreditation Bodies, to a certain extent, often have similarities within their core assessment criteria and accreditation frameworks for each management system standard. However, with ISO 55001:2014, there are several fundamental differences with the approach to certification audits performed by a CB accredited by JAS-ANZ verses that of a CB accredited by another Accreditation Body.

The JAS-ANZ Accreditation places additional audit requirements around the following Sections of ISO 17021:

Section 7.0 – Resource requirements: Additional Competency requirements

Section 8.0 – Information requirements: Additional Normative requirements 55000 & 55002

Section 9.0 - Process requirements: Audit plan preparation / Audit duration / Audit report

Annexes A- D Supporting information on Section requirement

One of the main differences lies with the strength of the audit team competence guidelines associated with the JAS-ANZ accredited ISO 55001 certification scheme. The JAS-ANZ approach to ISO 55001 certification requires the CB to ensure that the audit team can demonstrate a high level of asset management system knowledge, understanding and working experience. This is in line with the Competency Specifications (2014) set by the Global Forum on Maintenance and Asset Management (GFMAM) – background prerequisites include qualifications with in-depth knowledge across disciplines of asset management plus general business experience of at least 5 years. Asset management knowledge, as identified in the GFMAM specification, should be tested by examination such as the Certified Asset Management Assessor (CAMA) qualification or equivalent. Moreover, this level (specific to JAS-ANZ accreditation requirements) exceeds the requirements of ISO/IEC 17021-5 to provide value add for the organisation seeking certification.

In addition, the JAS-ANZ Asset Management Scheme also prescribes additional normative requirements for report contents aiming at providing the maximum value out of the audit report issued by the Certification Body.

SummaryThe JAS-ANZ Asset Management Systems Scheme sets down stringent requirements for Certification Bodies conducting audits and certification of asset management systems in compliance with ISO 55001:2014. This Scheme was developed by the JAS-ANZ Asset Management Systems Technical Committee comprising of a broad and balanced representation of relevant experts and other significantly interested parties.

The intent of the scheme is to ensure that the ISO 55001 Certification process provides an engaging and continuously improvement focused audit that benefits the organisation.

Bureau Veritas gained JAS-ANZ accreditation to certify organisations against the ISO 55001:2014 standard and issue JAS-ANZ accredited certificates in May 2017. Since then Bureau Veritas has worked with multiple organisations as part of their compliance journey.