2011 - Seven Deadly Sins of Pavement Management Systems

Presented at the 2011 Conference on Pavement Management Systems.

Computer based pavement management systems (PMS) have been implemented by many road agencies to assist with developing long term works programmes and predicting future network conditions. The success of such systems in achieving their stated aim has varied: reports after initial implementation are often positive, but the long term success is less well reported and often varied and mixed. Typically, in the long term, a gap develops between the expectations of ‘practitioners’ and senior managers in road agencies, and the objectives and work of the technical specialists responsible for managing the PMS.

The paper identifies key issues which affect the long term success of PMS implementation. The reflections are based on the authors’ experience in both the developed and developing world and draw on real examples and case studies. The paper concludes with recommendations as to how road agencies should manage PMS use and suggests approaches which maximise the potential for successful PMS uptake. A number of areas are explored including: issues around understanding outputs from PMS systems; the level of effort, resource and investment required for the use of a PMS; the relevance of PMS decisions to the overall budgeting outcome; the level of effort into data collection for PMS analyses; and the overall business context. The main principle that is established is that managers of PMS initiatives need to strive constantly to ensure that focus remains on the broad context and culture of the road administration, and that all work must be directed to this broader focus.

The accompanying presentation is available for download here.