ELEMENT A – Project summary
In partnership with the Australian Government, Downer Defence’s Base and Estate
Management team initiated a multi-faceted improvement program to uplift asset information
management capability across the Defence Estate.
Our successful delivery of the project was underpinned by Downer’s Asset Management
Framework and four organisational strategic pillars: safety, delivery, relationships and thought
leadership.
ELEMENT B – Project description
Downer provides a fully integrated base management service to the Australian Government,
managing over 1.5 million assets, 380 properties and more than 2.7 million hectares of land
across the Defence Estate in Queensland, ACT and southern NSW. To assure and improve
asset information management across the Defence Estate, we designed and delivered an Asset
Information Improvement Program through Downer-led, cross functional working groups. These
teams consisted of Defence representatives, Downer’s internal asset system analysts, and
asset planning, master data and trade technical teams to share knowledge and ensure our
alignment with Defence objectives.
The program involved using the Defence Estate information model, contractual service
requirements and Downer’s planned task library to connect Downer and Defence systems
together to deliver industry best practice. Desktop data modelling preceded the use of asset
data verification software on select sites, with Downer’s contribution evidenced by the
improvement in the information model to ensure complete and comprehensive capture of
compliant asset data with all stakeholders across the Defence Estate.
The program significantly enhanced frontline staff’s understanding of and connection to
customer information by improving data accessibility and availability. This level of transparency
aids the completion of statutory and planned maintenance tasks, ensuring that the right work is
completed on the right assets, at the right time, while verifying the existence of assets.
Demonstrating integrated, systematic and risk-based asset management principles, our solution
was built upon an information model, contractor-to-customer system interaction, and asset
verification software unique to the sector. Program and project management were executed with
excellence, given the use of cross-functional working groups and customer centricity in
alignment with Downer’s asset management objective: ensuring we manage customer levels of
service and stakeholder requirements across the Defence business.
The value of the project to our Defence customer was significant. The uplift in information
maturity enabled Defence, Downer and other stakeholders to improve decisions for adjusting
performance-based maintenance, lowering the cost of ownership in a risk-managed Defence
Estate.
ELEMENT C – Opinion as to the specific contribution
made by the nominated individual/team
The Downer Defence Base and Estate Management team demonstrated an outstanding
contribution to improving Defence Estate asset information, showing initiative, innovation, and
commitment to best practice asset management principles.
Our team’s dedication to delivering excellence and partnership with the Australian Government
on the project resulted in a significant uplift of the Defence Estate asset information
management capability, enhancing Downer’s capability to deliver fully integrated base
management services to Defence.
The team’s cross-functional approach to the program and project management demonstrated a
high degree of collaboration, communication, and coordination, which contributed significantly to
its overall success. The team’s passion for delivering an excellent customer outcome was
evident throughout the project, ensuring that the solution provided a significant benefit to the
Defence customer.
ELEMENT D – General comments
The Asset Information Improvement Program demonstrates our ability to connect complex
systems and data models to achieve a unified view of asset information – a significant challenge
for many organisations.
The successful execution of the program and project management, underpinned by Downer’s
four pillars and Asset Management Framework, demonstrates Downer’s capability in providing
an integrated base management service to the Commonwealth of Australia. The project’s
contribution to a low cost of ownership in a risk-managed Defence Estate highlights the
importance of effective asset information management and the value of partnering with capable
industry expertise.
Downer Defence – Uplifting Defence Estate Asset Information Management Capability in Partnership with the Australian Government
