Blog Hero Railway - Copperleaf Decision Analytics

May 17, 2023

Written by: Charles Hull

On the Right Track: Highlights from the SAP Rail Asset Management Conference  

The Copperleaf® team recently attended and presented at the SAP Rail Asset Management Conference. The two-day event, hosted at the Brussels Business Center, brought together more than 100 thought leaders from over 30 organisations across the rail sector. Delegates had the opportunity to learn more about SAP’s asset management solution portfolio, share industry success stories, and network with peers from leading rail companies, SAP and partner experts.  

There was a lot of discussion during networking sessions about asset investment planning (AIP) vs asset performance management (APM). Both systems are important components of robust asset management practices, however they differ significantly in focus and purpose.  While APM centres on maximising the performance of assets over their lifespan, AIP is geared towards making strategic investment decisions to meet organisational objectives. APM typically involves monitoring asset health, and identifying and prioritising asset maintenance activities to improve asset performance. On the other hand, the AIP process involves analysing the costs and benefits of different investment options, and optimising these investment options based on their contributions to the organisation’s strategic goals, to develop a long-term investment plan.     

Where does Copperleaf’s AIP solution fit in the SAP landscape?  

SAP recognises that the asset management lifecycle starts with asset investment planning (AIP) and recently signed an Endorsed Apps Agreement with Copperleaf. Our solution will fill a critical role in the SAP enterprise software ecosystem, bringing best practice AIP to clients to help them manage risk and maximise the value of their assets.

Together, Copperleaf and SAP ensure that asset investment portfolio value delivery is optimised through strategic planning. Copperleaf’s robust value framework and optimisation functionality help planners decide what to do and when, while SAP’s Enterprise Portfolio and Project Management (EPPM) solution offers in-depth project execution and portfolio planning functionality to ensure planned work is carried out successfully. 

This integration enables agile decision making and continuous investment planning. Key benefits to organisations include:  

  • Increased value due to end-to-end process integration of best-in-class AIP and enterprise asset management/enterprise resource planning 
  • Optimised investment decisions in Copperleaf which are then seamlessly sent to SAP’s EPPM for execution and management 
  • Increased business agility to quickly pivot as emergent work, resource availability, and actuals change 
  • Value generated from existing data by leveraging asset data for strategic planning in Copperleaf 

If you missed us at the SAP Rail Asset Management Conference, or you would like to learn more about Copperleaf’s work in the asset investment planning space, get in touch or connect with us at one of our next events.