WO2020075061A1

WO2020075061A1 - Asset management

Info

Publication number: WO2020075061A1
Application number: PCT/IB2019/058551
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael James KIRK
Original assignee: Asset Pool (Pty) Ltd
Priority date: 2018-10-09
Filing date: 2019-10-08
Publication date: 2020-04-16

Abstract

The invention relates to an asset management system and method. The method is conducted by at least one computer processor which is communicatively coupled to a database which stores asset data for each of a plurality of assets. The method includes obtaining at least some of the asset data from the database, the asset data for each asset being stored in the database in association with a unique identifier; processing, using the computer processor, the obtained asset data to obtain risk data, the risk data relating at least partially to a condition or state of one or more of the assets; and causing, using the computer processor, a visual representation of the risk data to be presented to a user via a graphical user interface in real-time. The method therefore provides the user with an indication of risk associated with one or more of the assets.

Description

ASSET MANAGEMENT

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates, generally, to asset management and risk management. More specifically, the invention relates to real-time capturing of assets into an asset management database, an asset management system and to a computer- implemented asset management method. The invention also relates to a computer program product for asset management.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Asset management refers to a systematic approach to the governance and realization of value from things or assets that a group or entity is responsible for, over its whole life cycle. Asset management, in a broad sense, may apply both to tangible assets i.e. physical objects such as buildings or equipment and to intangible assets such as human capital, and/or financial assets. Asset management is a systematic process of developing, operating, maintaining, upgrading, and disposing of assets in the most cost-effective manner whilst taking into consideration factors such as costs, risks and performance attributes.

Many properties, e.g. large commercial or industrial buildings, include systems or installations for fire protection. Although the scope of the invention described herein is not limited to fire protection systems and can extend to other industries such as plant and equipment hire, mining, food and the public transport sector, management of fire protection systems has been referred to herein as an example. Risk management is an important aspect of fire protection efforts. In this regard, to minimise the risk of a fire or excessive damage as a result of asset failure, it is important to conduct regular tests, inspections and maintenance on assets and to repair or replace assets when necessary (these tasks are hereinafter jointly and severally referred to as "maintenance"). Maintenance may be required not only to ensure the integrity of the individual assets, but also for certification purposes, e.g. to maintain fire certification for a building in which assets are installed.

A building may include a large number of fire protection assets and it may be necessary to identify each asset and keep a record of its maintenance, so that it can be verified that all assets are being maintained. One owner, tenant or manager may be responsible for many assets, in some cases located at various sites, which may make the monitoring and management of these assets a relatively difficult task.

The Applicant believes that existing asset management systems have the following drawbacks. Conventional asset management systems rely on asset data, including location and condition data, being captured at a data capture location remote from the asset location which compromises the integrity of the asset data. In conjunction, existing systems rely on asset identifiers being generated from a database that is captured remotely from site and on a user revisiting site to place the correct identifier on the correct asset. This too compromises the accuracy and integrity of the asset data. Particularly, the Applicant has found that existing asset management systems that rely on remote data capturing and retroactive identification and marking of assets may not allow a user effectively and proactively to manage and reduce the risks associated with asset failure, for example.

The Applicant believes there is a need to improve identification of assets and/or the way in which a condition of an asset is captured during asset audits or maintenance. The present invention aims to address the issues identified above, at least to some extent.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an asset management system including: a database which is configured to store asset data for each of a plurality of assets, wherein the asset data for each asset is stored in association with a unique identifier of the asset; at least one computer processor; and at least one computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by the at least one computer processor to direct operation of the at least one computer processor, wherein the at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, comprises: an obtaining module configured to obtain at least some of the asset data from the database; a risk analysis module configured to process the obtained asset data to obtain risk data, wherein the risk data relates at least partially to a condition or state of one or more of the assets; and a rendering module configured to cause a visual representation of the risk data to be presented to a user via a graphical user interface in real-time, thereby operatively providing the user with an indication of risk associated with one or more of the assets.

In the context of this specification, the term "fire protection" should be interpreted broadly and includes systems, devices and methods for detecting, preventing and/or extinguishing fires and/or for minimising damage caused by fires. Examples of devices that may be used in fire protection include detection components, such as smoke detectors or fusible links, fire extinguishing components, such as sprinklers, hydrants or fire extinguishers, alarm systems, and various other components such as fans, ventilators, generators, compressors, pumps, valves, actuators, control panels, communication systems and wiring. For ease of reference, devices used for fire protection, and components thereof, are hereinafter referred to as "fire protection assets" or simply "assets".

In some embodiments, the assets may be fire protection assets as described above. The assets may be associated with a building or site or with a plurality of buildings or sites.

In another embodiment, the assets may be fixed or movable commercial plant, equipment or machinery. The assets may be associated with a building, site, mining operation, or industrial process or with a plurality of buildings, sites, mining operations or industrial processes.

Obtaining at least some of the asset data may include obtaining the asset data relating to a particular machine, industrial process, site or building, or relating to a particular asset type, such that risk data in respect of a particular category can be presented to the user. For instance, the risk data may be a risk level or asset failure level of a particular site, building or complete organisation.

The at least one computer processor may be in communication with a user device, e.g. via the Internet. The graphical user interface may thus be provided to the user by means of a website, mobile software application, or the like. The at least one computer processor may form part of a remotely accessible server. The system may further include a web server on which the website is hosted, the website being programmed to provide the graphical user interface as described above. The web server and the remotely accessible server may be the same or different servers.

The visual representation may be in the form of a risk dashboard which is configured to provide an indication of asset failure(s) and/or asset failure risks, the indication of asset failure(s) and/or asset failure risks being provided graphically.

The risk dashboard may be configured to provide a risk level or risk grade in respect of one or more of the assets.

As mentioned above, the risk data relates to a condition or state of at least one of the assets. The risk data may relate to one or more assets that have failed or are likely to fail.

The visual representation may be in the form of a risk dashboard. The risk dashboard may provide an indication of asset failure(s) or asset failure risks which may pose the risk, for example, of damage as a result of a fire or of an asset failing. The indication of asset failure(s) and/or asset failure risk may be provided graphically, i.e. by one or more graphs. The risk dashboard may provide a risk level or risk grade in respect of one or more of the assets.

The assets may be physically tagged with the appropriate unique identifier. For instance, each asset may be tagged by way of a unique graphical code, such as a matrix barcode / Quick Response (QR) code, encoding the unique identifier of the asset. Each asset may be physically tagged with a unique Quick Response (QR) code, encoding the unique identifier of the asset.

The unique graphical code is bound, at the asset location itself, with the asset itself. Once the asset has been tagged with the unique graphical code, a predefined checklist associated with the asset in question is immediately called up for execution during an inspection.

The at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, may further comprise a generating module for generating the unique identifiers, a recording module for recording the asset data in the database and/or a modifying module for updating or modifying the asset data in the database.

The system may further include, or be communicatively coupled to, at least one inspection or monitoring device. The inspection or monitoring device may be configured to obtain asset data from an asset and to transmit the asset data, along with the unique identifier of the asset, to the database.

The inspection or monitoring device may be a handheld device such as a mobile phone. Alternatively, or additionally, the inspection or monitoring device may be an Internet of Things (loT) enabled device which is capable of feeding asset data to the database substantially in real-time.

The asset management system may include at least one inspection device which is configured to obtain asset data from an asset and to transmit the asset data, along with the unique identifier of the asset, to the database. The inspection or monitoring device may be a handheld device which is capable of feeding asset data to the database in real-time. The asset data may include location data associated with the assets.

The inspection device may be configured to conduct an inspection on an asset and/or record a result of the inspection or check. The result of the inspection may form part of the asset data for the particular asset. The inspection may be based on a predefined checklist for an asset type associated with the asset.

The asset data obtained by the inspection device may include a status grade associated with the asset, a date, time, location, description, photo, and/or video/audio recording.

The at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, may further comprise a notification module which is configured to transmit notifications to the user. The notifications may include the risk data, the visual representation of the risk data, asset maintenance notifications, asset replacement notifications or schedules.

The at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, may further comprise an alert module configured to generate an alert in response to determining that a predefined alert condition has been met.

The asset data recorded in the database for a particular asset may be indicative of the condition or state of the asset. The asset data recorded in the database may include asset maintenance data, e.g. the database may be populated with information on completed jobs carried out on the assets. The maintenance data may be data relating to tests, inspections, maintenance, repairs, removals and/or replacement of assets. The asset data may include location data associated with the assets. The inspection or monitoring device may be configured to conduct an inspection or check on an asset and/or or to record a result of the inspection or check. The result of the inspection or check may form part of the asset data for the particular asset. The inspection or check may be based on a predefined checklist or predefined passing or failing conditions for an asset type associated with the asset.

The asset data obtained by the inspection or monitoring device may include a status grade associated with the asset, e.g. pass or fail. If a "fail grade" is recorded, asset data in the form of failure data may be stored in the database. The failure data may include a date, time, location, failure description, photo or video evidence and/or audio recording.

The at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, may further comprise a notification module for transmitting notifications to the user and/or to at least one other predefined recipient. The notifications may include asset maintenance notifications, e.g. asset repair or replacement notifications or schedules. The notifications may include the risk data or the visual representation of the risk data. A notification may be transmitted via any suitable communication channel, e.g. e-mail, text message, push notification, via the graphical user interface, as a prompt on a software application or website, or the like.

The at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, may further comprise an alert module for generating an alert in response to determining that a predefined alert condition has been met. The alert condition may for instance, be an asset failure, a predefined degree of asset failure, a predefined risk grade or risk level. The notification module may transmit the alert in substantially the same manner as a notification. The user may be any suitable person or entity with an interest in managing and/or monitoring the assets, e.g. an asset or property owner, a tenant, a manager, an insurer, or the like.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer- implemented asset management method, wherein the method is conducted by at least one computer processor which is communicatively coupled to a database which stores asset data for each of a plurality of assets, the method including: obtaining, using the computer processor, at least some of the asset data from the database, wherein the asset data for each asset is stored in the database in association with a unique identifier of the asset; processing, using the computer processor, the obtained asset data to obtain risk data, wherein the risk data relates at least partially to a condition or state of one or more of the assets; and causing, using the computer processor, a visual representation of the risk data to be presented to a user via a graphical user interface in real-time, thereby providing the user with an indication of risk associated with one or more of the assets.

Obtaining at least some of the asset data may include obtaining the asset data relating to a particular machine, industrial process, site or building, or relating to a particular asset type, such that risk data in respect of a particular category can be presented to the user.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a computer program product for asset management. The product may include at least one computer- readable medium having stored thereon at least one computer program which, when executed by a computer or a computerised system, causes the computer or computerised system to perform an asset management method, substantially as described above. The computer-readable medium may be a non-transitory computer- readable medium.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will now be further described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of a network topology which includes an embodiment of an asset management system according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating steps which may be conducted in an example of an asset management method which employs the system of FIG. 1;

FIGs 3A to 3K show a plurality of exemplary screenshots of an asset management website which may be used in embodiments of the invention; and

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a computer within which a set of instructions, for causing the computer to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein, may be executed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION WITH REFERENCE TO THE DRAWINGS

The following description of the invention is provided as an enabling teaching of the invention. Those skilled in the relevant art will recognise that many changes can be made to the embodiments described, while still attaining the beneficial results of the present invention. It will also be apparent that some of the desired benefits of the present invention can be attained by selecting some of the features of the present invention without utilising other features. Accordingly, those skilled in the art will recognise that modifications and adaptations to the present invention are possible and can even be desirable in certain circumstances, and are a part of the present invention. Thus, the following description is provided as illustrative of the principles of the present invention and not a limitation thereof.

The topology 100 of FIG. 1 includes a remotely accessible server (hereinafter referred to as "the server 110"). The server 110 includes a number of functional components: an obtaining module 111, a risk analysis module 112, a rendering module 113, a recording module 114, a notification module 115 and an alert module 116.

The server 110 is communicatively coupled to a database 120. In this specific example, the server 110 communicates with the database 120 over an OAuth2 JWT Application Programming Interface (API), by making REST calls, as well as by way of WebSocket connections for push notifications.

The server 110 is configured to provide an asset management website 130. It will be understood that the server 110 may include/define a web server or may communicate with the website 130 via a separate, dedicated web server.

The topology 100 includes a user device 140 in the form of an Internet-enabled computer by which a user 142 can access the website ISO. Furthermore, an inspection device 150 in the form of a mobile phone can be used by a technician 152 to transmit asset data to the database 120 for storage. FIG. 1 also shows three sites: Site A 160, Site B 170 and Site C 180. In this example, the sites 160, 170, 180 are buildings which include fire protection systems that are monitored and managed by way of the asset management website 130. It is to be appreciated, however, that the scope of the invention is not limited to this specific application and the asset management system and method may find application in other industries such as the plant and equipment hire industry, mining industry, food industry and the public transport sector, amongst others. The user 142 may be any suitable person, e.g. a manager, responsible for monitoring the "health" of fire protection assets and taking appropriate action, if necessary. The sites 160, 170, 180 may, for instance, be shopping malls.

The fire protection system of each site 160, 170, 180 includes a plurality of fire protection assets 162, 164, 166, 168, 172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188. The fire protection assets may include any suitable device used in fire protection, e.g. smoke detectors, fusible links, sprinklers, hydrants, fire extinguishers, alarm systems, fans, ventilators, generators, compressors, pumps, valves, actuators, control panels, communication systems and wiring.

Each of the assets 162, 164, 166, 168, 172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188 is uniquely identified. In this example, each asset is tagged with a unique, individually relevant, QR code (not shown) which encodes the asset's unique identifier. The technician 152 is responsible for inspecting, testing and conducting suitable maintenance on these assets and submitting job reports to the database 120 upon completion of a required action. These reports include a real-time "pass" or "fail" grade given to an inspected asset. The database 120 stores asset data for each of the assets 162, 164, 166, 168, 172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188 in association with its unique identifier.

It will be appreciated that, in other embodiments, live/automatic monitoring of assets may be conducted. This may be done as an alternative to, or in addition to, manual monitoring by the technician 152. For instance, loT systems may be used to monitor assets which require power or pressure to operate. Information on the condition or status of such assets may then be fed, substantially in real-time, to the database 120.

The asset management website 130 may incorporate a number of features. Particularly, in this embodiment, the website 130 is configured, among other things, to provide a risk dashboard which gives the user 142 an indication of the "health" or "risk" associated with each of the sites 160, 170, 180 in relation to possible fires or fire damage. These aspects are described in greater detail below.

The flow diagram 200 of FIG. 2 illustrates exemplary steps that may be conducted in an asset management method, using the asset management system described with reference to FIG. 1.

Each asset 162, 164, 166, 168, 172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188 is tagged (stage 202) with a unique QR code to ensure that it can be uniquely identified. The server 110 may include a generating module (not shown) for generating the required unique identifiers. The recording module 114 may be used to cause identifiers and other asset data to be stored in the database 120. The user 142 may also manually update data in the database 120, e.g. via the website 130 and the recording module 114. Each identifier may be linked to an "asset type" in the database 120.

The assets 162, 164, 166, 168, 172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188 are then periodically checked (stage 204) by the technician 152 and the necessary asset data is captured in real-time using the inspection device 150.

It will be appreciated that various types of asset data may be obtained and transmitted (at stage 204) to the database 120, depending on the implementation and end user requirements. Typically, the asset data may relate to tests, inspections, maintenance, repairs and/or replacement of assets. The asset data is thus indicative of the condition or state of each of the assets 162, 164, 166, 168, 172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188.

For instance, the device 150 may have a software application (e.g. Android™ or iOS™) installed thereon, which may provide a checklist that must be completed during a check/inspection. Once the checklist is completed by the technician 152, the completed checklist's data is sent to the database 120 along with the relevant unique identifier of the asset checked. In such a case, the asset data includes an indication of whether or not the asset in question passed the check/inspection. A grading may be provided, e.g. "pass" or "fail". A risk level may also be provided, e.g. "critical", "high", "medium", "low" or "none". The database 120 may receive and store failure data when a failure is recorded, e.g. a date, time, location, failure description and/or photo or video/audio evidence of the failure of the asset in question.

At a next stage 206, the database 120 is updated to reflect the data captured by the technician 152 in real-time. In order to provide the user 142 with useful website information, the obtaining module 111 of the server 110 requests certain asset data from the database 120 (stage 208). The requested asset data is obtained and processed by the risk analysis module 112 in order to obtain risk data. In other words, the server 110 analyses the asset data in the database 120 to ascertain which of the assets 162, 164, 166, 168, 172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188 are in a good/acceptable condition and which are in a poor/critical condition. The rendering module 113 then (stage 210) causes the risk data to be converted into a graphical format such that it can be displayed to the user 142 on the website 130.

This provides the user 142 with an indication of fire hazard risk factors at the sites 160, 170, 180, e.g. the risk of asset failures, the risk of fires or the risk that a fire will not be extinguished due to faulty assets. An example of a risk dashboard is provided in FIG. 3A, which is described below.

The website 130 may provide various other features, in addition to the risk dashboard. For instance, the website 130 may provide a list of all of the assets 162, 164, 166, 168,

172, 174, 176, 178, 182, 184, 186, 188 of all of the sites 160, 170, 180 being monitored and of jobs performed or scheduled to be performed. These aspects, as well as the risk dashboard, may be continuously updated as the database 120 receives new asset data (stage 212), as indicated by the arrow 214 in FIG. 2.

The notification module 115 may be configured to transmit notifications to the user 142, e.g. e-mails or push notifications. The alert module 116 may be configured to determine that a predefined alert condition has been met and to transmit an alert to the user 142 in response thereto. For instance, if failure of an asset or a predetermined percentage of assets has been recorded in the database 120, the user

142 may automatically be notified accordingly. In this way, the server 110 may provide an automated communication system which can push notifications to the user 142 to alert the user 142 of certain events, allowing the user 142 proactively to manage fire protection assets.

FIGs 3A to 3K show a plurality of exemplary screenshots 305, 310, 315, 320, 325, 330, 335, 340, 345, 350, 355 of web pages of an asset management website which may be used in embodiments of the invention.

The screenshot 305 shows a "Dashboard" web page of the website. This page essentially provides a risk dashboard as described above. Risk data regarding a total of 39 fire protection assets for 4 different clients, across 4 different sites, is shown. The assets are serviced by 3 technicians. In this example, the "Dashboard" web page provides the user with two doughnut type charts 306, 307: one illustrating failing fire protection assets versus passing fire protection assets, and the other illustrating the risk grades ("critical", "high", "medium", "low", "none") associated with the assets.

The "Dashboard" web page also indicates a total fire protection area being monitored, an average area per site, a total "failing" area 308 (i.e. the area covered by failing or high-risk fire protection assets), and a percentage of failing sites 309. Furthermore, the risk dashboard identified which sites are "failing" and shows recent jobs, carried out by technicians, that resulted in "fail" grades being captured.

The above information, i.e. the risk data shown in the screenshot 305, is generated from asset data stored in a database linked to the website, as described above.

The screenshot 310 shows a "Jobs" web page of the website. This page shows the jobs, i.e. maintenance tasks, carried out on particular assets, with reference to the unique identifiers of the assets. The page also shows the site at which each asset is located, the technician responsible and the status of the job. Furthermore, this page can be used to add new jobs for technicians to carry out.

The screenshot 315 shows a "Sites" web page of the website. This page shows the sites being monitored, the client associated with each site, the zones and assets in each site, as well as the current risk 316 and risk status 317 associated with the fire protection systems/assets in each site. Furthermore, this page can be used to add new sites to the website and database.

The screenshot 320 shows a "Clients" web page of the website which lists all of the clients for which fire asset management is being carried out and the number of sites associated with each client. Furthermore, this page can be used to add new clients to the website and database.

The screenshot 325 shows a "Checklists" web page of the website. This page provides details of the checklists used to inspect assets and can be used to add new checklists.

The screenshot 330 shows a "Checks" web page of the website which provides details of various checks/tasks to be conducted by the technicians.

The screenshot 335 shows a "Users" web page of the website which provides details of the users having access to the website. New users can be added via this page.

The screenshot 340 shows a "Barcodes" web page of the website which provides details of the unique identifiers 341 generated by the system. The web page shows which of the identifiers have been assigned 342 to assets.

The screenshot 345 shows a "Job Types" web page which provides details of the various types of "maintenance" that may be carried out by the technicians, e.g. removal of equipment, inspection, repair and replacement. This page also shows how many jobs of each type have been allocated and can be used to add new job types.

The screenshot 350 shows an "Asset Types" web page which provides details of the various types of assets, e.g. fans, control panels and compressors, that may be used in fire protection at the sites. Each asset is linked to an asset type and this page shows how many assets of each type have been recorded. New asset types can also be added.

The screenshot 355 shows a "Zone Types" web page which provides details of the different types of fire protection zones in a site. In this example, only one type of zone, namely "Smoke Control", has been added. The page shows the number of zones and the risk level S56 associated with these zones, and can be used to add new zone types.

FIG. 4 shows a diagrammatic representation of a computer 400 within which a set of instructions, for causing the computer 400 to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein, may be executed. In a networked deployment, the computer 400 may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in server- client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The computer 400 may be a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any computer 400 capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that computer 400. Further, while only a single computer 400 is illustrated, the term "computer" shall also be taken to include any collection of computers that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The example computer 400 includes a processor 402 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU) or both), a main memory 404 and a static memory 406, which communicate with each other via a bus 408. The computer 400 may further include a video display unit or graphical user interface (GUI) 410 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD)). The computer 400 also includes an alphanumeric input device 412 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 414 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 416, a signal generation device 418 (e.g., a speaker) and a network interface device 420.

The disk drive unit 416 includes a computer-readable medium 422 on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., software 424) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The software 424 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 404 and/or within the processor 402 during execution thereof by the computer 400, the main memory 404 and the processor 402 also constituting computer-readable media.

The software 424 may further be transmitted or received over a network 426 via the network interface device 420 utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., HTTP, FTP).

While the computer-readable medium 422 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term "computer-readable medium" should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable medium" shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the computer 400 and that cause the computer 400 to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present embodiments, or that is capable of storing, encoding or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such a set of instructions. The term "computer-readable medium" shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories and optical and magnetic media.

The server 110, device 140 and/or device 150 as described herein may include at least some of the components of the computer 400.

The Applicant believes that the system and/or method of the present invention may provide numerous advantages. Embodiments of the present invention provide users with a real-time risk dashboard based on photographically verifiable asset data which may make it easier to manage assets, for example fire protection assets. The risk dashboard may ensure that preventative, instead of reactive, maintenance is carried out. As a result, the risk of asset failure, fires and/or excessive fire damage may be reduced.

Embodiments of the invention may also lead to cost savings, e.g. due to fires being avoided, and may reduce the risk of injuries or fatalities.

Embodiments of the invention may provide valuable information to entities such as insurance companies. For instance, should a building burn down or fatality or injury occur, the asset management system may be used to check the last status of each asset and provide accurate advice based thereon.

The Inventor also believes that embodiments of the invention provide an improved technique for unique, in-situ, real-time tagging and tracking/monitoring of, for example, fire protection assets.

It will be appreciated that while the present invention has been described with reference to fire protection systems, the principles and features of the invention may be employed in other applications, e.g. in the management of other detection systems such as intruder detection systems. The monitored assets may thus be unrelated to a fire protection system and may relate to any other suitable systems requiring monitoring and maintenance, for instance, the components of an intruder detection system.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. An asset management system including: a database which is configured to store asset data for each of a plurality of assets, wherein the asset data for each asset is stored in association with a unique identifier of the asset; at least one computer processor; and at least one computer readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions executable by the at least one computer processor to direct operation of the at least one computer processor, wherein the at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, comprises: an obtaining module configured to obtain at least some of the asset data from the database; a risk analysis module configured to process the obtained asset data to obtain risk data, wherein the risk data relates at least partially to a condition or state of one or more of the assets; and a rendering module configured to cause a visual representation of the risk data to be presented to a user via a graphical user interface in real-time, thereby operatively providing the user with an indication of risk associated with one or more of the assets.

2. The asset management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assets are fire protection assets and are associated with a building or site or with a plurality of buildings or sites.

3. The asset management system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the assets are fixed or movable commercial plant, equipment or machinery which are associated with a building, site, mining operation, or industrial process or with a plurality of buildings, sites, mining operations or industrial processes.

4. The asset management system as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein the risk data represents a risk level or asset failure level of a particular site, building or complete organisation.

5. The asset management system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one computer processor is in communication with a user device and wherein the graphical user interface is thus provided to the user by means of a website or mobile software application.

6. The asset management system as claimed in claim 5, which includes a web server on which the website is hosted, the website being programmed to provide the graphical user interface.

7. The asset management system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the visual representation is in the form of a risk dashboard which is configured to provide an indication of asset failure(s) and/or asset failure risks, the indication of asset failure(s) and/or asset failure risks being provided graphically.

8. The asset management system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the risk dashboard is configured to provide a risk level or risk grade in respect of one or more of the assets.

9. The asset management system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein each asset is physically tagged with a unique Quick Response (QR) code, encoding the unique identifier of the asset.

10. The asset management system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, further comprises a generating module for generating the unique identifiers, a recording module for recording the asset data in the database and/or a modifying module for updating or modifying the asset data in the database.

11. The asset management system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, which includes at least one inspection device which is configured to obtain asset data from an asset and to transmit the asset data, along with the unique identifier of the asset, to the database, the inspection or monitoring device being a handheld device which is capable of feeding asset data to the database in real-time, the asset data including location data associated with the assets.

12. The asset management system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the inspection device is configured to conduct an inspection on an asset and/or record a result of the inspection or check, the result of the inspection forming part of the asset data for the particular asset and wherein the inspection is based on a predefined checklist for an asset type associated with the asset.

IB. The asset management system as claimed in claim 12, wherein the asset data obtained by the inspection device includes a status grade associated with the asset, a date, time, location, description, photo, and/or video/audio recording.

14. The asset management system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, further comprises a notification module which is configured to transmit notifications to the user, the notifications including the risk data, the visual representation of the risk data, asset maintenance notifications, asset replacement notifications or schedules.

15. The asset management system as claimed in claim 14, wherein the at least one computer processor, when executing the program instructions, further comprises an alert module configured to generate an alert in response to determining that a predefined alert condition has been met.

16. A computer-implemented asset management method, wherein the method is conducted by at least one computer processor which is communicatively coupled to a database which stores asset data for each of a plurality of assets, the method including: obtaining, using the computer processor, at least some of the asset data from the database, wherein the asset data for each asset is stored in the database in association with a unique identifier of the asset; processing, using the computer processor, the obtained asset data to obtain risk data, wherein the risk data relates at least partially to a condition or state of one or more of the assets; and causing, using the computer processor, a visual representation of the risk data to be presented to a user via a graphical user interface in real-time, thereby providing the user with an indication of risk associated with one or more of the assets.

17. The computer-implemented asset management method as claimed in claim 16, wherein obtaining at least some of the asset data includes obtaining the asset data relating to a particular machine, industrial process, site or building, or relating to a particular asset type, such that risk data in respect of a particular category can be presented to the user.

18. A computer program product for asset management, which computer program product includes at least one computer-readable medium having stored thereon at least one computer program which, when executed by a computer or a computerised system, causes the computer or computerised system to perform an asset management method as claimed in claims 16 or 17.