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Author: Ing. Jan Stoker MSc. MEng. AMCP. CFAM.   Follow Jan Stoker

 

1. Introduction

Asset and Maintenance Management are increasingly framed by international and European standards. Many organisations recognise the importance of ISO 55000:2024 and the CEN/TC 319 maintenance standards, and have started to adopt elements of these frameworks. At the same time, practice shows that these standards are often applied in isolation, at different levels of the organisation and with limited connection between them.

This chapter introduces the problem that arises from such fragmented use of standards and explains why Value Chain Standardization and a clear Line of Sight are needed. It positions the article within the broader SSAMM body of work and clarifies the definitions, scope and audience for the concepts that follow.

1.1 Why Value Chain Standardization matters

Over the last decade, Asset Management and Maintenance have gained a stronger formal footing. The ISO 55000:2024 series provides clear principles and requirements for Asset Management Systems. The CEN/TC 319 standards define terminology, processes, functions and methodologies for maintenance. Many organisations have adopted at least parts of these frameworks.

Yet in practice, the application of these standards is often fragmented. ISO 55001 and an Asset Management Policy may exist at board or director level. Strategic Asset Management Plans (SAMPs), risk registers and investment programmes may be formally documented. At the same time, maintenance is frequently organised around local practices, legacy contracts, in-house templates and partially adopted standards such as EN 13306 or EN 17007.

The result is a gap. There is no explicit, shared line of sight that connects organisational objectives, public value, Asset Management decisions and maintenance reality. Different functions use different languages, models and data structures. Performance, cost and risk are optimised locally, but not consistently across the chain. This weakens assurance, makes learning difficult and limits the value that can be created from data, digitalisation and collaboration.

This article proposes Value Chain Standardization as a response to that challenge. Value Chain Standardization is the deliberate alignment and standardisation of language, processes, roles, methods, data and competence across the entire Asset & Maintenance Management value chain. It aims to turn a patchwork of standards and practices into one coherent, navigable architecture that supports both governance and day-to-day work.

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight is introduced as the central visual and conceptual device. It represents the value chain as a set of layers, from organisational management and public value at the top, through the Asset Management System and the Strategic Maintenance Policy, down to maintenance processes, methodologies and resources. Along this line of sight, decisions and information can be traced vertically from strategy to execution and back. This article explains and justifies that model.

1.2 From local optimisation to an integrated Line of Sight

Many improvement initiatives start within one function. Asset Management teams strengthen their SAMP and governance. Maintenance teams implement new methodologies such as risk-based inspection, condition-based maintenance or new KPI structures. Finance refines life-cycle costing models. Operations focuses on safety and resilience.

These initiatives add value, but they often remain locally optimised islands. The Asset Management team may not fully exploit the capabilities of maintenance methodologies. Maintenance may not be explicitly linked to SAMP objectives. Finance may not use the same risk concepts as maintenance engineers. Data models may not reflect the structures needed for ISO 55013 or for combining asset, condition and cost information.

The notion of Line of Sight addresses this issue. In the context of Asset and Maintenance Management, line of sight refers to the ability to:

• trace a decision, requirement or constraint from organisational objectives to specific activities and assets; and

• trace data, evidence and learning from operational events back to policies, risk assumptions and strategies.

Without such a line of sight, organisations cannot convincingly explain why specific maintenance decisions are made, how they relate to performance, cost and risk, or how they support public value and long-term affordability. Assurance becomes reactive and document-driven instead of evidence-based and systemic.

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight is proposed as a way to design and communicate this traceability. It is not an additional standard, but a structuring perspective on existing standards. It shows how the ISO 55000:2024 series and the CEN/TC 319 standards can be arranged along one value chain. It makes explicit how Asset Management and Maintenance are connected, and where key governance elements such as the Strategic Maintenance Policy and the P–C–R decision logic need to sit.

1.3 Relationship to other SSAMM articles

This article does not stand alone. It is part of a developing body of work on Asset & Maintenance Management within SSAMM. In particular, it builds on and integrates five existing publications:

• The P–C–R Trefoil Balance introduces the idea that performance (P), cost (C) and risk (R) should not be optimised in isolation, but treated as an intertwined system. The trefoil is used as a recurring decision compass: it represents the integrated logic that should be applied at portfolio, programme, policy, planning and operational levels. In this article, the P–C–R trefoil is positioned along the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight as the common decision logic at multiple layers.

• The Strategic Maintenance Policy (SMP) defines the SMP as the key governance instrument that translates Asset Management objectives from the SAMP into maintenance strategies, principles and priorities. The SMP sits at the intersection between ISO 55000 requirements and CEN/TC 319 maintenance practice. In the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight, the SMP is a central node that anchors maintenance within the Asset Management System.

• The A&MM Lemniscate Cornerstones describe Asset Management and Maintenance as two interdependent halves of a continuous loop. The lemniscate emphasises that value is created through an ongoing dynamic between strategy, planning, execution and feedback. The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight can be seen as the structural spine running through this lemniscate: it shows what needs to be connected, while the lemniscate shows how information and decisions flow over time.

• The Maintenance Framework organises the CEN/TC 319 standards into a coherent architecture of maintenance processes, functions, methodologies and resources. It interprets standards such as EN 13306, EN 17007, EN 17485, EN 17666 and EN 15628 as building blocks of a normative maintenance system. This framework forms the lower part of the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight.

• ISO550XX:2024 Insights & Overview provides an interpretation of the updated ISO 55000:2024 series. It clarifies the principles, the structure of requirements and the implications for governance, risk, assurance and value. These insights form the upper part of the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight, where organisational management and the AMS are located.

The present article can therefore be viewed as a hub that connects these earlier contributions. It uses the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight to integrate the P–C–R trefoil, the SMP, the A&MM Lemniscate, the Maintenance Framework and the ISO 55000:2024 architecture into one value chain perspective. Subsequent articles and case studies can then refer back to this hub as a reference model.

1.4 Definitions, scope and assumptions

To avoid ambiguity, several key terms are defined as they are used in this article. The focus is not on reproducing full standard definitions, but on clarifying working meanings in the context of Value Chain Standardization.

• Value chain refers to the end-to-end sequence of activities through which an organisation plans, creates, operates, maintains and retires assets in order to deliver value. In this article, the value chain is viewed from an Asset & Maintenance Management perspective, including strategy, planning, design, delivery, operation, maintenance, improvement and feedback.

• Standardization refers to the deliberate, agreed and documented alignment of language, processes, roles, methods, data structures and competence requirements. It does not mean rigid uniformity, but rather a stable framework within which justified variation can be applied.

• Value Chain Standardization (sometimes also referred to as “waardeketenstandaardisatie”) is the application of standardization principles to the entire Asset & Maintenance Management value chain. It includes the integrated use of ISO 55000:2024 and CEN/TC 319 standards, as well as internal policies and procedures that align with these norms.

• Line of Sight denotes the explicit ability to trace how organisational objectives, policies and risk criteria are translated into plans, programmes, processes and tasks, and how data and experience from execution flow back into decision-making and assurance.

• Asset Management System (AMS) is used in the sense of ISO 55001: the management system that coordinates Asset Management activities and controls risk, performance and value.

The scope of this article is primarily physical assets in infrastructure-intensive and industrial contexts, where maintenance plays a critical role in risk control, performance and cost. The article assumes a multi-actor environment in which asset owners, asset managers, service providers, contractors and regulators interact. The standards discussed are international and European; however, the arguments are also relevant for organisations operating with national or sectoral standards, provided that they adopt similar principles.

Several assumptions are made explicit:

• The reader is familiar with the basic structure of the ISO 55000 series and aware of the existence of CEN/TC 319 standards, though not necessarily with their detailed contents.

• The organisation operates assets whose failure can have significant safety, environmental, financial or reputational consequences.

• There is at least an intention to move towards a more systematic, standard-based approach to Asset and Maintenance Management.

These assumptions allow the article to focus on integration and architecture, rather than on introductory explanations of individual standards.

1.5 Audience and reading guide

The article is written for several overlapping audiences within the Asset & Maintenance Management community. These include:

• Asset Managers, who are responsible for translating organisational objectives into asset strategies, portfolios and programmes, and who must justify decisions on performance, cost and risk.

• Maintenance Managers, who must organise and steer maintenance in a way that is aligned with Asset Management objectives, budgets and risk appetite, while managing backlogs, resources and service providers.

• Maintenance Engineers and Reliability Engineers, who design and optimise maintenance concepts, inspection regimes, condition assessments, KPIs and risk models, and who need to ensure that their methods fit within a wider normative framework.

• Designers and maintainability specialists, who influence future maintenance effort and risk through design choices and early life-cycle decisions.

• Policy makers, regulators and auditors, who require a structured lens to assess whether standards are used coherently and whether line of sight is present.

• Educators and trainers, who aim to design curricula and learning paths that reflect the integrated nature of Asset & Maintenance Management.

The structure of the article supports different reading strategies. Chapter 2 introduces the conceptual foundations of value, the A&MM lemniscate and the value chain. Chapter 3 explains the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight model itself. Chapter 4 provides a normative mapping between ISO 55000:2024 and CEN/TC 319, and can be read as a reference section. Chapter 5 shows how the model integrates with the P–C–R trefoil, the SMP, the A&MM Lemniscate and the Maintenance Framework. Chapter 6 offers role-based perspectives and examples, while Chapter 7 discusses implementation and maturity. Chapter 8 concludes with implications and outlook.

Readers primarily interested in governance and strategy may focus on Chapters 1, 2, 3, 5 and 8. Those with a technical or engineering focus may find Chapters 3, 4, 5 and 6 most relevant. Practitioners working on implementation, training or change may wish to combine Chapters 3, 5, 6 and 7.

In all cases, the central idea remains the same: Value Chain Standardization, supported by a clear Line of Sight, is a prerequisite for turning standards into a living architecture that connects strategy, decisions and maintenance reality.

2. Foundations: value, line of sight and the two landscapes

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight is not a free-standing model. It rests on several conceptual foundations that have been developed in earlier SSAMM work and in the ISO and CEN/TC 319 standards. This chapter outlines those foundations: the notion of value in ISO 55000, the A&MM Lemniscate as system view, the Asset Management and Maintenance landscapes, the P–C–R Trefoil as integrated decision logic, and the distinction between horizontal and vertical line of sight across all layers of the value chain.

2.1 Value in the ISO 55000 sense

In ISO 55000, value is the central organising concept.
Assets are not valuable in themselves; they are valuable because they enable an organisation to achieve its objectives. The 2024 edition of ISO 55000 reinforces this perspective by sharpening the principles around value, alignment and leadership, and by stressing the link between asset-related decisions and broader organisational and societal outcomes.

This has two important implications for the present article.

• First, value is multi-dimensional. It is not limited to financial return, but includes safety, environmental performance, service levels, reliability, reputation and other forms of stakeholder value.
• Second, value is realised through a chain of activities over the asset life cycle.

Concept development, design, construction, operation, maintenance, renewal and disposal are not isolated stages; they are interdependent steps in a value chain that spans multiple functions and organisations.

The notion of Value Chain Standardization follows directly from this. If value is a chain outcome, then the standards that govern Asset Management and Maintenance must also be viewed as elements of a chain architecture, not as isolated documents. The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight therefore takes the ISO 55000 perspective on value as its starting point and asks: how do we design a standardised value chain that consistently delivers the intended value across time, assets and stakeholders?

2.2 The A&MM Lemniscate and the system view

The A&MM Lemniscate Cornerstones describe Asset Management and Maintenance as two halves of a continuous loop. On one side, Asset Management translates organisational objectives into SAMPs, policies, portfolios and programmes. On the other side, Maintenance translates those strategies into inspection regimes, interventions, resource plans and execution, and feeds information back into Asset Management.

The lemniscate emphasises that Asset Management and Maintenance are not separate disciplines, but two perspectives on the same system.
Asset Management without maintenance is abstract; maintenance without Asset Management becomes reactive and unaligned. Value emerges from the continuous interaction between the two halves: from strategy and planning through execution and feedback, and back again.

Within this dynamic loop, the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight can be seen as the structural spine.
The lemniscate shows the flow of decisions and information over time.
The line of sight shows the architecture that these flows must follow if they are to remain coherent, traceable and norm-conformant. In other words, the lemniscate describes how value flows; the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight describes what needs to be connected, at which levels and with which standards.

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Connecting the landscapes 

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2.3 The Asset Management landscape

The Asset Management landscape, as also reflected in ISO 55000 and bodies of knowledge such as the IAM Anatomy, distinguishes several layers of activity. At the top is organisational management, where mission, policy, strategic objectives and risk appetite are defined. Below that is Asset Management, where these objectives are translated into SAMPs, asset strategies, portfolios and programmes. Further down are the Asset Management System activities, where processes, controls and information flows are designed and operated. Finally, there is the asset portfolio, where individual assets and systems are planned, created, operated, maintained and retired.

This layered view is essential for understanding the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight.
Each layer has its own dominant language, stakeholders and decision cycles.

• At organisational level, the conversation is about public value, financial sustainability and risk appetite.
• At Asset Management level, the focus is on portfolios, scenarios and programmes.
• At system-activity level, the focus becomes processes, controls and assurance.
• At the asset level, the focus is on technical condition, interventions and performance in operation.

The ISO 55000:2024 series provides the normative scaffolding for this landscape.

• ISO 55000 sets the vocabulary and principles, ISO 55001 specifies the requirements for the Asset Management System, and ISO 55002 provides guidance on how to apply these requirements across the layers.
• ISO 55010 adds alignment with financial functions; ISO 55011 positions Asset Management within public policy;
• ISO 55012 and ISO 55013 bring people and data explicitly into the picture.

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight uses this landscape as its upper half. It asks: how do these ISO standards, and the structures they suggest, connect downward into the maintenance landscape and the concrete activities by which assets are maintained and improved?

2.4 The Maintenance landscape and the Maintenance Framework

On the maintenance side, the CEN/TC 319 standards describe a complementary landscape.

• EN 13306 and EN 17007 provide a common basis: a shared terminology and a structured view of maintenance processes and associated indicators.
• EN 16646, EN 17485, EN 17948 and EN 15331 describe management aspects: maintenance within physical Asset Management, frameworks for value creation over the life cycle, maintenance management functions and criteria for maintenance services.
• EN 17666, EN 15341, EN 16991, EN 17840, CEN/TS 17385 and EN 17975 provide methodologies: maintenance engineering requirements, KPI structures, risk-based inspection and performance and condition assessment.
• EN 13269, EN 13460 and EN 15628 define resources: contracts, documentation and qualification of personnel.

The Maintenance Framework article organises these standards into a coherent architecture.
It interprets the CEN/TC 319 documents not as a mere list, but as an interconnected set of building blocks that define how maintenance is to be planned, executed, measured and improved. Process architecture, roles, indicators, methods and resources are positioned in relation to each other.

In the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight, this maintenance landscape forms the lower half.
It represents the part of the value chain where strategies become concrete processes, where standards must be implemented in procedures and tools, and where people and contractors carry out work on real assets.
The key question then becomes: how do we ensure that this maintenance landscape is not a separate world, but structurally aligned with the Asset Management landscape described above?

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Connecting the landscapes 

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2.5 The P–C–R Trefoil as integrated decision logic

The P–C–R Trefoil Balance provides a unifying decision concept that spans both landscapes.
It recognises that performance (P), cost (C) and risk (R) cannot be optimised independently. Actions that improve performance may increase cost or risk; cost reductions may erode performance or increase risk; risk reductions may require higher cost or modified performance expectations. The trefoil metaphor expresses that these dimensions are entangled, not independent.

In the context of the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight, the P–C–R trefoil functions as a recurrent decision gate.

• At the level of organisational management and the SAMP, the trefoil shapes strategic trade-offs between service levels, budget envelopes and risk appetite.
• At the level of the SMP and maintenance strategies, it guides choices between maintenance concepts, renewal timing and resilience measures.
• At the level of maintenance programmes and work planning, it informs the prioritisation of tasks, the scheduling of outages and the allocation of resources.
• At the level of engineering and inspection methods, it influences the design of condition thresholds, risk models and KPI targets.

By explicitly positioning the P–C–R trefoil at multiple points along the line of sight, the article emphasises that Value Chain Standardization is not only structural, but also behavioural. Standardisation of processes and roles must be accompanied by standardisation of decision logic. Only then can performance, cost and risk be managed in a way that is consistent across the entire chain.

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The P-C-R Trefoil

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2.6 Horizontal and vertical Line of Sight across the VCS layers

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight operates along two complementary dimensions: vertical and horizontal. Both are essential for a robust and credible value chain; neither is sufficient on its own.

2.6.1 The Vertical Line of Sight 

Vertical line of sight concerns the traceability of decisions, requirements and information across the layers of the value chain. From the top, organisational objectives, public value aspirations and risk appetite flow into Asset Management strategies and the SAMP. These are further translated into the SMP, maintenance concepts, programmes and work orders. From the bottom, data on condition, failures, interventions, costs and impacts flow back upwards, informing KPIs, risk evaluations, assurance activities and revisions of policy and strategy.

In a well-designed vertical line of sight, it is possible to start from a specific work order, inspection plan or maintenance programme and explain how it follows from higher-level objectives, standards and risk criteria.
Conversely, it is possible to start from a strategic objective or policy statement and show how it is operationalised in concrete maintenance activities and monitoring arrangements. The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight model makes this vertical chain explicit by linking the ISO 55000:2024 standards at the upper layers to the CEN/TC 319 standards at the lower layers, with the P–C–R trefoil and the SMP as connecting elements.

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Connecting the landscapes 

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2.6.2 The Horizontal Line of Sight 

Horizontal line of sight concerns the coherence between functions, disciplines and actors within the same layer.
At the organisational management layer, this means alignment between executive management, finance, risk, policy and operations around shared definitions of value and risk, as captured for example in ISO 55010 and ISO 55011. At the Asset Management and AMS layer, it involves alignment between planning, asset strategy, portfolio management, information management and assurance functions, consistent with ISO 55001 and ISO 55002.
At the maintenance layer, horizontal line of sight implies that planning, engineering, execution, contracting, documentation and competence management are all structured according to the same CEN/TC 319 framework and use the same terminology and indicators. Across organisational boundaries, it includes alignment between asset owners, asset managers, service providers and suppliers, supported by standards such as EN 13269, EN 13460 and EN 15628.

Taken together, vertical and horizontal line of sight create a grid of coherence across the Value Chain Standardization model. Vertical traceability ensures that strategy and execution are connected over time.
Horizontal coherence ensures that different functions at the same level do not work at cross-purposes and do not introduce contradictory assumptions, data definitions or risk concepts. Value Chain Standardization, as proposed in this article, is therefore not only about aligning standards in a conceptual way, but about designing and maintaining both vertical and horizontal line of sight across all layers of the Asset & Maintenance Management value chain.

In the next chapter, the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight model itself is described in more detail.
The layered structure of the visual is used to show how ISO 55000:2024 and CEN/TC 319 standards can be arranged into one coherent architecture, and how this architecture can support both governance and day-to-day maintenance practice.

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Connecting the landscapes 

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3. The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight: model description

The previous chapter introduced the conceptual foundations for Value Chain Standardization: the ISO 55000 view of value, the A&MM Lemniscate as system view, the Asset Management and Maintenance landscapes, and the role of the P–C–R trefoil.

This chapter translates those foundations into a concrete model: the Value Chain Standardization (VCS) Line of Sight. The aim is not to present a new standard, but to describe a way of organising and reading the existing normative set so that vertical and horizontal line of sight become explicit.

3.1 Overview of the visual

The VCS Line of Sight visual represents the Asset & Maintenance Management value chain as a layered structure.
From left to right it shows how organisational management, Asset Management, System activities and the asset portfolio relate to one another. From top to bottom it shows how this landscape is supported and made operational by four maintenance-oriented layers:

• Common Basis,
• Management,
• Methodologies
• and Resources.

Across these layers runs a clear line of sight, which can be followed from strategic intent at the top to operational activities at the bottom, and back via feedback and learning.

At the upper left, the model starts with organisational management.
Here, mission, policy, public value, risk appetite and long-term financial frameworks are defined.
Moving one layer down, the focus shifts to Asset Management, where these objectives are translated into SAMPs, asset strategies, portfolios and programmes. Below that sit the activities by an Asset Management System, where processes, controls, information flows and assurance mechanisms are designed and operated.
At the base of this left-hand stack lies the asset portfolio, the level at which physical systems, subsystems and components are planned, created, operated, maintained and retired.

On the right-hand side of the visual, the ISO 55000:2024 standards are positioned in relation to these layers.

• ISO 55000, ISO 55001 and ISO 55002 define the vocabulary, principles, requirements and application guidance that structure the upper layers.
• ISO 55010 and ISO 55011 ensure alignment with finance and public policy.
• ISO 55012 and ISO 55013 act as cross-cutting enablers for people involvement, competence and data.

Beneath this, the CEN/TC 319 standards are grouped into four concentric rings: Common Basis, Management, Methodologies and Resources. These rings represent the maintenance-oriented part of the value chain, from shared language and process models to concrete contracts, documentation and competences.

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight then appears as a vertical axis that passes through all these layers.
It connects organisational objectives and public value, via the Asset Management System and the Strategic Maintenance Policy, down into maintenance processes, engineering methods and resource arrangements.
Along this axis, the P–C–R trefoil can be placed at several levels, indicating where performance, cost and risk must be balanced consistently.

The visual therefore serves three purposes at once:

• it is a map of where standards sit;
• a spine that connects Asset Management and Maintenance;
• and a lens for examining whether vertical and horizontal line of sight are present in a given organisation.

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Connecting the landscapes 

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3.2 The upper layer: organisational management and public value

The top section of the VCS Line of Sight model is concerned with organisational management and public value.
At this level, decisions are made about mission, strategic objectives, regulatory obligations, stakeholder expectations and the organisation’s risk appetite. Value is conceived in broad terms, including safety, service reliability, environmental performance, financial sustainability and social legitimacy.

In the model, this layer is guided primarily by ISO 55000, which sets out the vocabulary, overview and principles of Asset Management. It articulates the idea that assets exist to deliver value, and that Asset Management is the coordinated activity to realise that value. The 2024 edition reinforces the connection between asset-related decisions and wider organisational and societal outcomes.

At the same time, the model recognises that Asset Management does not operate in isolation from policy and finance.

• ISO 55011 provides guidance on how Asset Management can be embedded in public policy development and implementation, making explicit the link between asset decisions and societal value.
• ISO 55010 addresses the alignment of financial and non-financial functions, ensuring that financial planning, budgeting and reporting use the same value and risk concepts as technical and operational functions.

Within the VCS Line of Sight, this upper layer can be read as the origin of intent.
Here, the initial statements of “what we are trying to achieve” are formulated in terms of value and risk, and the constraints of affordability and compliance are set. For the line of sight to be meaningful, these high-level statements must be translatable into structures and criteria that can guide concrete decisions further down the chain. The rest of the model exists to make that translation explicit and traceable.

3.3 The AMS and Strategic Maintenance Policy layer

Below organisational management lies the Asset Management layer and, closely connected to it, the Asset Management System (AMS). In the VCS Line of Sight, these are the layers where strategic intent begins to take a more concrete shape.

• ISO 55001 defines the requirements for the AMS: the set of interrelated and interacting elements through which an organisation establishes Asset Management policies, objectives, processes and controls.
  It specifies what needs to be in place to ensure that asset-related decisions are aligned with organisational objectives and that risk, performance and cost are managed systematically.
• ISO 55002 provides guidance on applying these requirements across the organisation and its asset base, linking the high-level principles of ISO 55000 to the design of specific processes and structures.

Within this context, the Strategic Asset Management Plan (SAMP) occupies a central position.
It translates organisational objectives and value definitions into asset objectives, strategies and investment priorities over the life cycle. The SAMP is therefore a key waypoint along the vertical line of sight: it is the first formal expression of how high-level intent will be realised through assets.

However, as argued in the Strategic Maintenance Policy article, the SAMP alone is not sufficient to connect Asset Management to maintenance reality. There needs to be an explicit governance instrument that translates SAMP intentions into maintenance principles, strategies and priorities.

This is the role of the Strategic Maintenance Policy (SMP).
In the VCS Line of Sight model, the SMP is located at the intersection between the AMS layer and the maintenance-oriented layers below.

The SMP defines, for example:

• how performance, cost and risk (P–C–R) are to be balanced in maintenance decisions;

• which maintenance concepts are preferred for different asset classes and risk profiles;

• how roles and responsibilities between Asset Management, maintenance, operations and suppliers are allocated;

• how standards from CEN/TC 319 are to be applied in processes, contracts and competence frameworks.

By placing the SMP explicitly in the line of sight, the model acknowledges that governance of maintenance is not an informal by-product of Asset Management, but a deliberate design task within the AMS. The AMS and SMP layers together ensure that there is a structured path from organisational objectives to maintenance strategies, and that this path uses ISO 55000 and CEN/TC 319 standards in a coherent way.

3.4 The maintenance value chain layer (CEN/TC 319)

The lower part of the VCS Line of Sight model is devoted to the maintenance value chain as captured in the CEN/TC 319 standards and the Maintenance Framework.
Here, strategies and policies are translated into processes, methods and resource arrangements that govern day-to-day maintenance activities.

This part of the model is organised into four concentric rings:

• Common Basis

• Management

• Methodologies

• Resources

The Common Basis ring is formed by EN 13306 and EN 17007.
EN 13306 defines maintenance-related terminology in a systematic way, ensuring that terms such as failure, corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance and availability are used consistently. EN 17007 describes maintenance processes and associated indicators, providing a structured view of how maintenance activities are grouped and related over the life cycle. Together, these standards establish the shared language and process model that underpin the entire maintenance value chain.

The Management ring contains standards such as EN 16646, EN 17485, EN 17948 and EN 15331.

1. EN 16646 describes maintenance within physical Asset Management, emphasising the link between maintenance and value over the life cycle.
2. EN 17485 provides a framework for improving the value of physical assets through maintenance, making explicit the connection between maintenance strategies, life-cycle costs and performance.
3. EN 17948 addresses maintenance management and functions, clarifying organisational roles and responsibilities.
4. EN 15331 focuses on criteria for design, management and control of maintenance services for buildings.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these standards define the organising logic of the maintenance function: how maintenance is positioned, governed and managed as part of the wider value chain.

The Methodologies ring includes standards such as EN 17666, EN 15341, EN 16991, EN 17840, CEN/TS 17385 and EN 17975.

• EN 17666 sets out maintenance engineering requirements, bridging design and maintenance.
• EN 15341 defines families of maintenance and reliability KPIs, enabling consistent performance measurement.
• EN 16991 provides a framework for risk-based inspection.
• EN 17840 and CEN/TS 17385 offer guidance on performance and condition assessment for buildings and civil engineering works.
• EN 17975 addresses energy and fluids risk control in maintenance tasks.
  These standards populate the line of sight with concrete methods by which maintenance strategies are operationalised and P–C–R decisions are implemented in practice.

Finally, the Resources ring is defined by standards such as EN 13269, EN 13460 and EN 15628.

• EN 13269 provides guidelines for the preparation of maintenance contracts.
• EN 13460 deals with maintenance documentation for maintenance.
• EN 15628 defines the qualification of maintenance personnel.

This ring represents the people, documentation and contractual arrangements without which maintenance processes and methods cannot be applied consistently.

In the VCS Line of Sight, the maintenance value chain layer shows how the abstract requirements and principles from ISO 55000 are translated into concrete, standardised practices. The line of sight passes through the SMP into the Common Basis, Management, Methodologies and Resources rings, making visible how decisions at higher levels must be reflected in terminology, processes, methods and resource structures.

3.5 Standards as assets in the value chain

An important implication of the VCS Line of Sight model is that standards themselves must be seen as assets in the value chain. They are not merely external documents that one can choose to reference or ignore at will.
They embody codified knowledge about how value, risk and performance should be managed, and they define capabilities that the organisation claims to have when it says it is “working according to” ISO 55000 or CEN/TC 319.

In this sense, the set of ISO and EN standards relevant to Asset & Maintenance Management constitutes a portfolio of knowledge and information assets. These assets must be selected, owned, maintained, combined and applied in a deliberate way. They need governance: decisions about which standards are mandatory for which contexts, how new editions are adopted, how deviations are handled, and how internal procedures, templates and tools reflect the chosen standards.

By arranging the standards along the VCS Line of Sight, the article invites organisations to treat them as a designed architecture rather than as a stack of references.

• ISO 55000, ISO 55001 and ISO 55002 become the design rules for the upper part of the value chain.
• ISO 55010, ISO 55011, ISO 55012 and ISO 55013 become cross-cutting enablers.
• The CEN/TC 319 standards become the design rules for the maintenance value chain.
• The P–C–R trefoil, the SMP, the A&MM Lemniscate and the Maintenance Framework become the internal models that connect these external standards into a coherent whole.

Seen in this way, the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight is both a diagnostic tool and a design guide.
It can be used to examine where standards are currently applied, where gaps and overlaps exist, and how vertical and horizontal line of sight can be strengthened. It can also be used to plan how the organisation will evolve its use of standards over time, in line with its ambitions for value, resilience, sustainability and Industry 5.0 readiness.

The next chapter builds on this model by providing a more detailed normative mapping between the ISO 55000:2024 standards and the CEN/TC 319 families, showing how each group of standards contributes to the VCS Line of Sight and how they can be combined into one coherent architecture.

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Connecting the landscapes 

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4. Normative mapping: ISO 55000:2024 and CEN/TC 319 in one architecture

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight becomes tangible when the relevant standards are placed within it in a structured and intentional way.

This chapter therefore provides a normative mapping: it positions the ISO 55000:2024 standards and the CEN/TC 319 standards along the layers of the VCS model and explains how they interact. The aim is not to repeat each standard in detail, but to clarify what role each group of standards plays in the value chain, and how they collectively form one architecture rather than a loose collection of documents.

4.1 ISO 55000, ISO 55001 and ISO 55002: principles, AMS requirements and application

At the top of the VCS architecture sit ISO 55000, ISO 55001 and ISO 55002.
Together, they define the conceptual and structural backbone of the Asset Management part of the value chain.

• ISO 55000 provides the vocabulary, overview and principles of Asset Management.
  It defines what assets are, what Asset Management is, and what is meant by value, risk, cost, performance, life cycle and alignment. The 2024 revision sharpens these notions and emphasises the connection between asset-related decisions and organisational and societal objectives.

• ISO 55001 formulates the requirements for the Asset Management System (AMS).
  It specifies what an organisation must have in place in terms of policy, objectives, planning, support, operation, performance evaluation and improvement to manage assets systematically.
  These requirements do not prescribe specific processes or methods, but set out the framework in which such processes and methods must fit.

• ISO 55002 offers guidance for the application of ISO 55001.
  It explains how the requirements can be interpreted in different organisational contexts and for different asset types. It gives examples of how to design and operate an AMS that is appropriate to purpose, complexity and risk.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these three standards form the upper structural layer.
They define the “rules of the game” for how value-related decisions should be made, documented and improved.
They also set expectations for line of sight: ISO 55001 in particular requires that asset-related objectives are aligned with organisational objectives, and that performance and risks are monitored and reviewed.

From a Value Chain Standardization perspective, ISO 55000, 55001 and 55002 are therefore not neutral background documents. They are the design specifications for the upper half of the value chain, against which the maintenance-oriented standards and internal practices must be aligned.

4.2 ISO 55010 and ISO 55011: alignment with finance and public policy

The next layer in the mapping is formed by ISO 55010 and ISO 55011.
These standards ensure that Asset Management is not a purely technical or operational activity, but is embedded in the financial and policy context of the organisation.

• ISO 55010, “Guidance on the alignment of financial and non-financial functions”, addresses the relationship between Asset Management and finance. It emphasises that financial planning, budgeting, valuation and reporting must be aligned with Asset Management information about condition, risk and performance. It calls for consistent assumptions about service lives, risk treatments, cost structures and investment profiles.

• ISO 55011, “Guidance for the development of public policy to enable Asset Management”, connects Asset Management to the public value dimension. It provides guidance on how public policy and regulatory frameworks can support good Asset Management, and how Asset Management can be used to realise policy objectives in a transparent and justifiable way.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these two standards act as horizontal bridges at the upper layers.
ISO 55010 strengthens horizontal line of sight between finance and technical functions: both must use the same language when talking about value, risk, cost and performance. ISO 55011 strengthens horizontal line of sight between public policy and Asset Management: policy goals and constraints must be expressible in terms that can be translated into asset strategies and maintenance decisions.

For Value Chain Standardization, this means that the top of the value chain is not solely defined by technical standards. It is defined by a joint normative space where finance, policy, risk and operations meet. The P–C–R trefoil at this level must therefore be understood by all these functions in a similar way.

4.3 ISO 55012 and ISO 55013: people and data as cross-cutting enablers

The VCS model treats ISO 55012 and ISO 55013 as cross-cutting enablers that run horizontally across all layers of the value chain.

• ISO 55012, “Guidance on people involvement and competence”, emphasises that Asset Management is a socio-technical discipline. It provides guidance on engaging people, defining roles, designing competence requirements and building organisational capabilities. It highlights leadership, culture, communication and learning as essential aspects.

• ISO 55013, “Guidance on the management of data”, addresses the role of data and information in Asset Management. It provides principles and guidance for data quality, data governance, information architecture and the use of data for decision-making. It is particularly relevant in the context of digitalisation, analytics, digital twins and AI.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these standards emphasise that people and data are not a separate layer.
They are present at every point where decisions are made or information is generated. Vertical line of sight requires that competence and data structures make it possible to trace decisions and feedback across layers. Horizontal line of sight requires that different functions use compatible data definitions and that roles are defined in a way that supports standardised processes.

From a Value Chain Standardization perspective, ISO 55012 and ISO 55013 are therefore crucial. They ensure that the normative architecture described by the other standards can actually be enacted by competent people and supported by reliable data, rather than remaining a paper design.

4.4 Common Basis: EN 13306 and EN 17007

At the interface between the ISO-based Asset Management architecture and the maintenance-oriented layers lies the Common Basis ring, defined principally by EN 13306 and EN 17007.

• EN 13306, “Maintenance – Maintenance terminology”, provides a harmonised set of definitions for maintenance-related terms. It ensures that concepts such as failure, fault, maintenance, corrective maintenance, preventive maintenance, reliability, availability and maintainability are used consistently.

• EN 17007, “Maintenance process and associated indicators”, describes maintenance as a set of structured processes, each with its own objectives and associated indicators. It identifies and groups maintenance processes, providing a process architecture and a basis for performance measurement.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these two standards act as the linguistic and process bridge.
They provide the common vocabulary and process view that connects the Asset Management world to the maintenance world. Without this common basis, vertical line of sight would be broken: decisions made in terms of service levels, risk and performance could not be reliably translated into maintenance concepts and processes.

Value Chain Standardization therefore starts by making sure that EN 13306 and EN 17007 are widely understood and embedded. They form the grammar and syntax of the maintenance part of the value chain.
The SMP, the Maintenance Framework and the A&MM Lemniscate all rely on this common basis to ensure that roles and processes can be defined in a way that is both standardised and meaningful.

4.5 Management: EN 16646, EN 17485, EN 17948, EN 15331

The next ring in the CEN/TC 319 architecture consists of management-oriented standards.
These documents describe how maintenance is positioned, governed and integrated into the broader Asset Management context.

• EN 16646, “Maintenance within physical asset management”, explicitly links maintenance to physical Asset Management. It emphasises that maintenance strategies and activities influence asset value across the life cycle and must be aligned with Asset Management objectives.

• EN 17485, “Maintenance – Maintenance within physical asset management – Framework for improving the value of physical assets through their whole life cycle”, builds on this by providing a framework to improve asset value via maintenance. It connects maintenance decisions to life-cycle cost, risk and performance considerations.

• EN 17948, “Maintenance – Maintenance management and functions”, describes maintenance management functions and their responsibilities. It clarifies which functions are needed to plan, control and improve maintenance activities.

• EN 15331, focusing on maintenance for buildings, provides criteria for the design, management and control of maintenance services in that specific context. It offers detailed guidance that can be aligned with the more generic frameworks.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these standards populate the management layer of the maintenance value chain.
They connect the SMP and the AMS requirements to concrete organisational structures, responsibilities and management practices.

For Value Chain Standardization, this layer is where governance meets operation.
Decisions about how maintenance is organised, which functions exist, how they cooperate with Asset Management and finance, and how performance is monitored, are guided by this set of standards. Vertical line of sight requires that these management structures are clearly linked upwards to SAMP and SMP, and downwards to methodologies and resources. Horizontal line of sight requires that functions defined in EN 17948, for example, are understood and recognised across departments and partners.

4.6 Methodologies: EN 17666, EN 15341, EN 16991, EN 17840, CEN/TS 17385, EN 17975

The Methodologies ring contains standards that specify how maintenance strategies and policies are to be implemented in terms of engineering, risk management, performance monitoring and condition assessment.

Key standards in this ring include:

• EN 17666, which defines maintenance engineering requirements. It describes how engineering activities should support maintenance, including reliability analysis, failure mode identification, task development and optimisation.

• EN 15341, which structures maintenance and reliability KPIs into families. It provides a standardised way to define and interpret indicators related to costs, performance and effectiveness of maintenance.

• EN 16991, which offers a framework for risk-based inspection (RBI).
  It guides the development of inspection plans based on risk considerations, integrating probability and consequence assessments.

• EN 17840 and CEN/TS 17385, which address performance and condition assessment for buildings and civil engineering works. They provide methods and criteria for assessing asset condition and performance in a structured way.

• EN 17975, which focuses on energy and fluids risk control in maintenance tasks, addressing safety and environmental risks associated with utilities and fluids.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these methodologies occupy the space where the P–C–R trefoil becomes operationalised in models, thresholds and procedures. They are particularly relevant for Maintenance Engineers and Reliability Engineers, who use them to design maintenance concepts, inspection regimes and improvement programmes.

From a Value Chain Standardization perspective, it is crucial that these methodologies are explicitly connected to the management layer above and the resource layer below. They should be selected and configured in line with SMP principles, and their data and competence requirements must be reflected in contracts, documentation and training. Otherwise, they risk becoming isolated “tools” rather than components of a standardised value chain.

4.7 Resources: EN 13269, EN 13460, EN 15628

The outer ring of the CEN/TC 319 architecture is formed by resource-oriented standards.
These documents define how maintenance-related agreements, documentation and competences are to be structured and managed.

• EN 13269, “Maintenance – Guidelines for the preparation of maintenance contracts”, provides guidance on defining scope, responsibilities, performance indicators, interfaces and other aspects of maintenance contracts. It supports alignment between asset owners, asset managers and service providers.

• EN 13460, “Maintenance – Documentation for maintenance”, defines requirements for maintenance documentation, such as manuals, instructions, records and technical information. It ensures that documentation supports maintenance planning, execution and improvement in a consistent way.

• EN 15628, “Maintenance – Qualification of maintenance personnel”, defines competence requirements for maintenance roles. It describes what knowledge, skills and abilities are needed for different levels of maintenance responsibility.

In the VCS Line of Sight, these standards represent the human and contractual infrastructure of the maintenance value chain. They ensure that the processes and methodologies described in the inner rings are actually applied by competent people, supported by appropriate documentation and governed by clear agreements.

For Value Chain Standardization, this means that horizontal line of sight at the operational level must include suppliers and contractors. Contracts should reference the same standards and performance concepts as internal procedures. Competence frameworks should reflect the methodologies and responsibilities defined in the other layers. Documentation should be designed to support both operational needs and the data requirements of the AMS and ISO 55013.

4.8 From list of standards to coherent architecture

Taken individually, each of the standards discussed in this chapter can be read and applied on its own.
In many organisations, that is precisely what happens: a particular standard is adopted to solve a specific problem, while other standards are ignored or only partially used. The result is often a patchwork of standards, guidelines and internal practices that are not fully aligned.

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight offers a different approach. By mapping the standards onto a layered model that reflects the Asset Management and maintenance landscapes, it becomes possible to see them as parts of a single architecture:

• ISO 55000, ISO 55001 and ISO 55002 define the upper structural logic of the AMS.

• ISO 55010 and ISO 55011 ensure alignment with finance and public policy at the organisational level.

• ISO 55012 and ISO 55013 provide cross-cutting enablers for people and data.

• EN 13306 and EN 17007 create a common basis of language and process architecture for maintenance.

• EN 16646, EN 17485, EN 17948 and EN 15331 shape the management of maintenance within the value chain.

• EN 17666, EN 15341, EN 16991, EN 17840, CEN/TS 17385 and EN 17975 supply methodologies for engineering, KPIs, risk and condition.

• EN 13269, EN 13460 and EN 15628 define the resources of contracts, documentation and competence.

Within this architecture, the P–C–R trefoil provides a consistent decision logic across layers. The SMP forms the hinge that connects the ISO-based AMS to the CEN/TC 319-based maintenance system. The A&MM Lemniscate describes the dynamic loop through which decisions and feedback circulate, while the Maintenance Framework details the maintenance-side implementation of the architecture.

The key message of this chapter is that Value Chain Standardization is achieved not by adding more standards, but by organising and governing the standards that already exist. The VCS Line of Sight is a way of making that organisation visible and discussable. It enables organisations to ask structured questions such as:

• Where are we using these standards today, and where are the gaps?

• How do decisions, data and responsibilities flow along this architecture?

• Are vertical and horizontal lines of sight intact, or are there breaks and inconsistencies?

The next chapter will build on this normative mapping by integrating the VCS architecture with the P–C–R trefoil, the SMP, the A&MM Lemniscate and the Maintenance Framework. It will show how these SSAMM models act as internal connectors that help organisations to live the architecture described here, rather than merely referencing it.

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Connecting the landscapes 

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5. Integration with key SSAMM frameworks

The previous chapter positioned the ISO 55000:2024 and CEN/TC 319 standards within the Value Chain Standardization (VCS) Line of Sight. Normatively, the architecture is complete: we know where the standards sit and how they relate.

However, organisations do not work with standards alone. They work with internal models, policies and frameworks that make the standards operational in their own context. Within SSAMM, four such frameworks are central:

• the P–C–R Trefoil,
• the Strategic Maintenance Policy (SMP),
• the A&MM Lemniscate
• and the Maintenance Framework,

all underpinned by the interpretation of the ISO 550XX:2024 series. This chapter explains how these SSAMM frameworks integrate with the VCS architecture and how, together, they turn a normative map into a living system.

5.1 The P–C–R Trefoil as decision compass in the value chain

The P–C–R Trefoil Balance was introduced to express a simple but often neglected insight:
performance (P), cost (C) and risk (R) cannot be optimised independently. They form a coupled system. Any meaningful decision about assets will influence all three dimensions.

In the context of Value Chain Standardization, the P–C–R trefoil functions as a decision compass that is reused at multiple levels along the VCS Line of Sight. It provides a common logic for comparing options and for explaining trade-offs, whether they are made at strategic, tactical or operational level.

• At the organisational management level, the P–C–R trefoil shapes high-level trade-offs between service levels, affordability and risk appetite. Decisions about acceptable levels of service interruption, safety margins or environmental impact are inherently P–C–R decisions. Here, the trefoil is embedded in the organisation’s policy and risk framework, and in the way ISO 55000 and ISO 55011 are interpreted in relation to public value.
• At the SAMP level, P–C–R guides portfolio and programme choices.
  Should we invest in early renewal of certain assets, extend lifetimes with additional maintenance, or accept higher risk in exchange for lower cost? These are classic P–C–R trade-offs. The SAMP becomes a place where the trefoil is expressed in terms of portfolio strategies, prioritisation rules and scenario analyses, in line with ISO 55001 and ISO 55002.
• At the SMP level, the trefoil becomes more concrete.
  It informs choices between maintenance concepts (time-based, condition-based, risk-based, run-to-failure) and their combinations for different asset classes and risk profiles. It shapes policies on redundancy, inspection depth, response times and spare parts strategies. By embedding the P–C–R trefoil in the SMP, the organisation ensures that maintenance policies consistently reflect the same value, cost and risk considerations as the SAMP.

At the maintenance programme and engineering levels, the trefoil is implemented through methods and parameters. Here, standards such as EN 17666, EN 16991, EN 15341, EN 17840 and CEN/TS 17385 translate P–C–R decisions into inspection intervals, condition thresholds, risk matrices and KPIs. The trefoil becomes visible in the design of dashboards, decision rules and intervention criteria.

By explicitly placing the P–C–R trefoil at each of these levels along the VCS Line of Sight, the organisation obtains a continuous decision logic. Vertical line of sight is no longer just structural (“which process follows which”), but also conceptual (“which P–C–R reasoning joins these levels”). Horizontal line of sight is supported because different functions (finance, Asset Management, maintenance, engineering) can refer to the same P–C–R logic when discussing options and trade-offs.

In summary, the P–C–R trefoil is the behavioural layer of Value Chain Standardization.
The standards define what must be in place; the trefoil defines how decisions within that architecture should be made and justified.

5.2 The SMP as the hinge between SAMP and maintenance

The Strategic Maintenance Policy (SMP) plays a central role in the VCS Line of Sight.
It is the formal point at which Asset Management intent, as expressed in the SAMP, is translated into explicit guidance for maintenance.

From the ISO perspective, the SMP is a concrete expression of several ISO 55001 requirements. It connects policy, planning, support and operation within the AMS. It demonstrates how maintenance contributes to achieving asset objectives and managing risk in line with organisational objectives.

From the CEN/TC 319 perspective, the SMP is the governance layer that tells the maintenance system how to apply the standards in context.

• It specifies, for example, how EN 13306 and EN 17007 are to be used in defining processes and terminology.
• It indicates which management standards (EN 16646, EN 17485, EN 17948, EN 15331) are dominant for different parts of the asset base.
• It defines the criteria for selecting methodologies (EN 17666, EN 16991, EN 15341, etc.) and for structuring contracts, documentation and competences (EN 13269, EN 13460, EN 15628).

In the VCS model, the SMP is therefore positioned on the line of sight exactly where the AMS layer transitions into the maintenance value chain layers. It acts as a hinge in three ways:

1. Conceptual hinge – it translates SAMP concepts (such as resilience, sustainability, risk appetite) into maintenance principles (for example, redundancy requirements, specific inspection levels, criticality classes).

2. Normative hinge – it binds ISO requirements to CEN/TC 319 practices by specifying which standards apply where, and how they must be interpreted in the organisation’s context.

3. Operational hinge – it provides guidance for planners, engineers and maintenance managers on how to design programmes, contracts and procedures that are consistent with strategy.

Without an explicit SMP, the line of sight between Asset Management and maintenance remains fragile.
Maintenance decisions may be aligned with local constraints and experience but not with the SAMP and organisational objectives. With an SMP anchored in the VCS architecture, maintenance can be governed as an integral part of the Asset Management System, rather than as a separate operational domain.

In short, the SMP turns Value Chain Standardization from a conceptual idea into governable practice.

5.3 The A&MM Lemniscate and the dynamic loop

The A&MM Lemniscate adds a dynamic dimension to the VCS architecture. Where the VCS model describes a layered structure, the lemniscate describes a continuous loop between Asset Management and Maintenance.

On the left-hand side of the lemniscate, Asset Management cycles through strategy formulation, planning, prioritisation and decision-making. On the right-hand side, Maintenance cycles through preparation, execution, monitoring and feedback. Information, assumptions and constraints flow between the two halves, forming a continuous process of learning and adjustment.

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight can be viewed as the vertical axis that runs through the lemniscate.
It defines the structural relationships and normative anchors that remain constant even as the organisation moves around the loop.

• When Asset Management revises the SAMP, it should do so in a way that remains consistent with the ISO-based upper layers of the VCS model and with the SMP as governance hinge.

• When Maintenance revises programmes or introduces new methodologies, these changes should fit into the CEN/TC 319-based layers and respect the principles set out in the SMP.

• When feedback from failures, inspections, audits or performance reviews emerges, it travels along the vertical line of sight back towards the AMS and organisational management, informing risk assessments, investment strategies and policy updates.

The lemniscate thus highlights that Value Chain Standardization is not a one-off design exercise, but a continuous process. Standards, frameworks and policies define the architecture, but it is the repeated passage through the lemniscate loop that tests and refines that architecture.

This interaction has several important implications:

• Vertical feedback – Data from maintenance (condition, failures, near misses, costs, downtime) must be structured according to the standards so that it can be aggregated and interpreted at higher levels in the VCS model. ISO 55013 and the CEN/TC 319 methodologies play a key role here.

• Horizontal feedback – Lessons learned in one function (e.g. maintenance engineering) must be shareable across other functions (e.g. Asset Management, finance, operations) because they use the same language and process concepts.

• P–C–R learning – Each time the organisation goes around the lemniscate, it has an opportunity to re-examine its P–C–R trade-offs in light of new information, and to adjust strategies and policies accordingly.

By combining the VCS architecture with the A&MM Lemniscate, organisations gain both a stable spine and a dynamic loop: structure and movement, design and learning, standards and practice.

5.4 The Maintenance Framework as process-level realisation

The Maintenance Framework translates the CEN/TC 319 standards into a process-level view of the maintenance system. Where the VCS model groups standards into rings (Common Basis, Management, Methodologies, Resources), the Maintenance Framework lays out how these standards shape concrete processes and functions.

At its core, the Maintenance Framework uses EN 17007 to define the maintenance process architecture. It identifies processes such as maintenance policy and strategy development, maintenance planning and scheduling, execution, performance evaluation, improvement and support. It then positions other CEN/TC 319 standards as enablers or specifications for these processes:

• EN 13306 ensures that all processes use consistent terminology.

• EN 17485 and EN 16646 inform processes related to policy and strategy.

• EN 17948 clarifies which management functions are involved in which processes.

• EN 17666 and EN 16991 provide methods for engineering and risk-based decisions within planning and optimisation processes.

• EN 15341 shapes KPI selection and performance evaluation.

• EN 13269, EN 13460 and EN 15628 inform processes for contracting, documentation and competence management.

In the VCS Line of Sight, the Maintenance Framework can be seen as the operational blueprint for the lower half of the architecture. It shows how the rings of standards are actually enacted in the form of day-to-day and periodic processes.

The integration between VCS and the Maintenance Framework has several benefits:

• It provides a clear mapping from high-level standards to process owners and responsibilities.

• It supports vertical line of sight by showing how policy and strategy processes (aligned with SAMP and SMP) connect to planning and execution processes.

• It supports horizontal line of sight by making sure that planning, engineering, execution, documentation, contracting and competence management refer to the same process model.

From a Value Chain Standardization point of view, the Maintenance Framework is therefore the primary instrument for ensuring that CEN/TC 319 standards are not only known, but embedded in the design of processes, roles and information flows.

5.5 ISO550XX:2024 as top-level context

Finally, the ISO550XX:2024 Insights & Overview article provides the top-level interpretation within which the VCS architecture is situated. It explains how the revised ISO 55000, ISO 55001 and ISO 55002 emphasise principles such as value, alignment, leadership, assurance and continual improvement. It also explores how the newer standards (ISO 55010, ISO 55011, ISO 55012, ISO 55013) extend the scope of Asset Management into finance, public policy, people and data.

In the VCS Line of Sight, this ISO550XX interpretation functions as a contextual lens. It ensures that the architecture is not treated as a static compliance diagram, but as a management system that must actively deliver value and assurance. Several aspects are particularly relevant:

• The strengthened emphasis on value confirms the need for a chain perspective.
  Value is not created at a single point; it arises from the coordinated functioning of the entire value chain.

• The focus on alignment supports the idea of line of sight.
  Asset-related objectives and activities must be aligned with organisational objectives; this is precisely what the VCS model seeks to make visible.

• The attention to assurance underlines the importance of traceability and evidence.
  Assurance is more robust when the organisation can show, along the line of sight, how standards are embedded and how decisions at different levels relate.

• The inclusion of people and data as explicit topics reinforces the cross-cutting nature of ISO 55012 and ISO 55013 in the VCS model.

By combining the ISO550XX insights with the VCS architecture and the SSAMM frameworks (P–C–R, SMP, Lemniscate, Maintenance Framework), organisations have a coherent mental and normative model for Asset & Maintenance Management. They can describe not only what standards they use, but how these standards are integrated into a value chain that is structurally sound, behaviourally consistent and capable of learning.

The next chapter turns to role-based perspectives. It explores what the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight means in practice for Asset Managers, Maintenance Managers, Maintenance Engineers, Reliability Engineers, designers and those working on Industry 5.0 and digitalisation.

 

6. Role-based perspectives and practical implications

The Value Chain Standardization (VCS) Line of Sight is an architectural model. It becomes meaningful when it is interpreted from the perspective of the people who must use it in their daily work.

This chapter therefore explores what the VCS Line of Sight implies for different roles in the Asset & Maintenance Management ecosystem.

The focus is not on job descriptions, but on how each role can use vertical and horizontal line of sight to make better decisions, improve collaboration and strengthen assurance. The roles discussed are the Asset Manager, the Maintenance Manager, the Maintenance Engineer and Reliability Engineer, the maintainability and design perspective, and those working on Industry 5.0 and digitalisation, as well as regulators, auditors and policymakers.

6.1 The Asset Manager

For the Asset Manager, the VCS Line of Sight provides a structured way to connect organisational objectives to asset portfolios and programmes, and further down to maintenance reality.

At the upper layers of the model, the Asset Manager operates in the space defined by ISO 55000, ISO 55001 and ISO 55002, and is heavily influenced by ISO 55010 and ISO 55011. Here, the main tasks include translating organisational objectives into asset objectives, developing the SAMP, shaping portfolio strategies and ensuring that financial and non-financial criteria are aligned.

The VCS Line of Sight supports the Asset Manager in several ways.

• First, it clarifies that the SAMP is not an endpoint, but a midpoint: a translation of organisational intent that must continue downwards into the SMP and the maintenance value chain. This encourages the Asset Manager to regard maintenance not as an operational detail, but as an integral part of how asset value is realised over the life cycle.
• Second, the VCS architecture allows the Asset Manager to see which standards underpin which parts of the chain. For example, when the SAMP refers to improving reliability or extending asset life, the Asset Manager can trace how these intentions rely on EN 17666, EN 16991, EN 17840 and EN 15341 at the methodological level, and on EN 13269, EN 13460 and EN 15628 at the resource level. This makes it easier to set realistic expectations and to ask targeted questions about capabilities and resource needs.
• Third, the P–C–R trefoil provides the Asset Manager with a consistent decision language when discussing trade-offs with finance, operations and maintenance. Instead of framing discussions in purely financial or purely technical terms, the Asset Manager can explicitly articulate how changes in one dimension (e.g. cost reductions) will affect performance and risk, and how these effects propagate along the value chain.

In practice, this means that the Asset Manager can use the VCS Line of Sight as a governance and communication tool. It helps explain to executives and stakeholders how strategies, standards and maintenance practices fit together, and it provides a structured basis for justifying investment decisions, risk positions and performance commitments.

6.2 The Maintenance Manager

For the Maintenance Manager, the VCS Line of Sight offers a way to make sense of the many demands that converge on the maintenance function.

At the top, the Maintenance Manager receives expectations derived from ISO 55001, the SAMP and organisational policies: targets for availability, safety, sustainability, costs and risk. At the same time, the Maintenance Manager must deal with backlogs, resource constraints, contracts, ageing assets, operational disruptions and regulatory compliance.

The VCS architecture shows that these pressures are not random, but originate from different layers of the same value chain. It connects them to specific standards and to the SMP as the formal expression of how Asset Management intent is translated into maintenance expectations.

From this perspective, the Maintenance Manager can use the VCS Line of Sight in several ways.

• It helps to translate strategic expectations into structured requirements for maintenance processes and functions. By referring to EN 16646, EN 17485, EN 17948 and EN 15331, the Maintenance Manager can define which management functions must exist, how they relate to the SAMP and SMP, and how they should be supported by methodologies and resources.

• It provides a framework for role clarity and collaboration. The Common Basis and Management rings, combined with the Maintenance Framework, show how planning, engineering, execution, contracting, documentation and competence management fit together. This supports horizontal line of sight within the maintenance organisation and across interfaces with Asset Management, finance and operations.

• It reinforces the position of the Maintenance Manager in governance discussions. By showing how maintenance processes and contracts are grounded in standards and aligned with the VCS architecture, the Maintenance Manager can demonstrate that maintenance decisions are not ad hoc, but part of a standardised, traceable value chain.

In essence, the VCS Line of Sight enables the Maintenance Manager to move from a reactive posture (“fighting fires”) to a systemic posture: making explicit how maintenance contributes to value, how it is structured by standards and governance, and what is needed to keep the chain functioning reliably.

6.3 The Maintenance Engineer and the Reliability Engineer

The Maintenance Engineer and the Reliability Engineer operate primarily in the Methodologies ring of the VCS model, but their work has implications across the entire value chain.

Maintenance Engineers design maintenance concepts, inspection regimes and intervention strategies.
Reliability Engineers analyse failure behaviour, derive risk models and recommend measures to manage reliability and availability. Both use standards such as EN 17666, EN 16991, EN 15341, EN 17840, CEN/TS 17385 and EN 17975, and they rely heavily on data and information structures as envisioned in ISO 55013.

The VCS Line of Sight helps these roles in several ways.

• First, it makes clear that engineering methods are not isolated technical tools but embedded components of a normative architecture. When Engineers design an RBI scheme according to EN 16991, they are not just implementing a method; they are filling a specific place in the value chain where P–C–R decisions are made explicit. This encourages engineers to document assumptions, parameters and decision rules in a way that can be understood at higher levels.
• Second, the VCS model clarifies the vertical responsibilities of engineering work.
  Engineering decisions flow upwards in the form of risk assessments, recommended strategies and KPI structures that inform the SMP and the SAMP. They also flow downwards in the form of inspection plans, work orders and data requirements. Understanding this vertical role can help engineers design methods and data models that support both operational decision-making and higher-level assurance.
• Third, the VCS architecture supports horizontal collaboration.
  Maintenance Engineers and Reliability Engineers often need to work with planners, operations, IT, finance and external experts. By referring to shared standards (e.g. EN 13306, EN 17007, EN 15341) and to the P–C–R trefoil, they can frame discussions in terms that are recognisable to these other functions.

Ultimately, the VCS Line of Sight helps Maintenance and Reliability Engineers to position themselves as system thinkers, not just method specialists. They can show how their analyses and recommendations contribute to the integrity of the value chain, and how they support both Asset Management objectives and maintenance practice.

6.4 The maintainability and design perspective

The maintainability and design perspective sits at the early stages of the asset life cycle, but its influence extends throughout the value chain.

Design decisions determine, to a large extent, the future maintenance burden, accessibility, risk exposure and flexibility of assets. Maintainability is therefore not a downstream concern; it is an inherent property that must be shaped in the concept and design phases.

The VCS Line of Sight places maintainability at the bridge between the Asset Management landscape and the Maintenance landscape. Standards such as EN 16646, EN 17485 and EN 17666 are particularly relevant here, as they connect design choices to maintenance strategies and engineering requirements.

For designers and maintainability specialists, the VCS model provides three key insights.

First, it shows that maintainability must be defined in terms of value and P–C–R trade-offs, not only in terms of technical convenience. Design decisions about redundancy, modularity, access, monitoring and diagnostic capabilities must be justified with respect to performance, cost and risk over the life cycle. The P–C–R trefoil and the SMP provide the context in which such justifications should be formulated.

Second, the VCS architecture clarifies how maintainability-related decisions will later be implemented in maintenance processes and methods. For example, designing for condition monitoring implies that there must be processes, data structures and competencies to interpret condition data (EN 17840, CEN/TS 17385, ISO 55013).
Designers can therefore engage proactively with Maintenance Engineers and Reliability Engineers to ensure that design provisions are matched by operational capabilities.

Third, the model supports feedback loops from maintenance experience back into design.
By structuring failure and condition data according to the standards, and by maintaining vertical line of sight, insights from operation and maintenance can inform design guidelines and standard solutions.
This closes the lemniscate loop in a way that is visible and auditable.

In this way, the VCS Line of Sight encourages maintainability and design roles to see themselves as integral actors in the value chain, responsible for enabling future standardised maintenance and for making value, cost and risk transparent from the outset.

6.5 Industry 5.0 and digitalisation

For those working on Industry 5.0, digitalisation, analytics and AI, the VCS Line of Sight offers a stabilising reference frame.

Industry 5.0 emphasises human-centricity, sustainability and resilience, supported by advanced technologies.
Digitalisation promises better insight, predictive capabilities and automation. However, without a standardised value chain, these ambitions risk becoming fragmented pilot projects, disconnected from governance and standards.

The VCS architecture helps digital and Industry 5.0 initiatives in several ways.

It clarifies that data structures and analytics must be aligned with ISO 55013 and the CEN/TC 319 standards if they are to support the full value chain. Condition data, failure statistics, intervention histories and cost records must use consistent definitions (EN 13306), be linked to standard processes (EN 17007) and feed into KPIs (EN 15341) that are recognised by both maintenance and Asset Management.

It also shows that digital tools must be designed to support P–C–R decision-making along the line of sight.
Dashboards, predictive models and decision-support tools should not only visualise data, but make explicit how different options influence performance, cost and risk at various levels (asset, system, portfolio).

Furthermore, the VCS Line of Sight reinforces the human-centric dimension of Industry 5.0.
ISO 55012, together with EN 15628, highlights the importance of people involvement and competence.
Digitalisation should therefore be implemented in a way that strengthens, rather than bypasses, the ability of professionals to understand the value chain, to interpret data and to make informed P–C–R judgements.

From this perspective, the VCS model acts as a guardrail: it ensures that digital and Industry 5.0 initiatives build on a stable normative backbone, contribute to line of sight, and enhance both vertical traceability and horizontal collaboration.

6.6 Regulators, auditors and policymakers

Finally, the VCS Line of Sight is highly relevant for regulators, auditors and policymakers who seek assurance that Asset & Maintenance Management is conducted in a responsible, transparent and effective manner.

For regulators and policymakers, the model provides a structured lens for understanding how organisations use standards to manage risk, performance and value across the asset life cycle. It connects public policy objectives and regulatory requirements (ISO 55011) to the design of Asset Management Systems (ISO 55001, ISO 55002) and to maintenance practice (CEN/TC 319). This can inform the design of regulations, guidance and oversight frameworks that encourage integrated, standard-based approaches rather than narrow compliance with individual norms.

For auditors—whether internal, external or certification auditors—the VCS architecture supports a systemic audit approach. Instead of checking isolated documents or processes, auditors can ask how vertical and horizontal line of sight is established and maintained:

• How are organisational objectives translated into asset and maintenance policies along the line of sight?

• Which standards are used where, and how consistent is their application?

• How do data and feedback from maintenance inform higher-level decisions and assurance?

• How is the P–C–R decision logic evidenced at different levels?

By using the VCS Line of Sight as a reference, auditors can identify gaps, misalignments and good practices more systematically. This can lead to more meaningful audit findings and to recommendations that support organisational learning rather than mere compliance.

In summary, for regulators, auditors and policymakers, the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight offers a way to connect standards, governance and practice into a coherent picture. It enables a more informed dialogue with asset-intensive organisations about how they manage value, cost and risk over the life cycle, and about how standards are used to support that management in a traceable and robust manner.

The next chapter will turn from role-based perspectives to the question of implementation and maturity.
It will discuss how organisations can diagnose fragmentation in their current value chain, design a Value Chain Standardization journey and embed the VCS Line of Sight into governance, contracts, competence development and digital transformation.

 

7. Implementation roadmap and maturity

The Value Chain Standardization (VCS) Line of Sight provides a conceptual and normative architecture.
To create impact, this architecture must be implemented in organisations that already have histories, constraints and existing ways of working.

This chapter therefore focuses on how organisations can move from a fragmented use of standards and local optimisation towards a more standardised, traceable and learnable value chain. It introduces a diagnostic view on fragmentation, outlines a possible journey for Value Chain Standardization, and discusses embedding in governance, contracts, competence development and continuous improvement.

7.1 Diagnosing fragmentation

Implementation starts with an honest assessment of the current state. In most asset-intensive organisations, some elements of the VCS architecture are already present. ISO 55001 may have been implemented for certification.
Certain CEN/TC 319 standards may be used in specific domains. Internal procedures and tools may reflect parts of the normative set.

However, the overall picture is often characterised by fragmentation rather than by a coherent architecture.
Typical symptoms include:

• Discontinuous line of sight.
  It is difficult to trace how organisational objectives and risk appetite influence maintenance concepts, inspection plans or work orders.
  Conversely, data from maintenance cannot easily be aggregated and interpreted at SAMP or policy level.

• Isolated standards.
  Individual standards are used in specific teams (for example, EN 16991 in an RBI project, or EN 15341 in a KPI dashboard) without clear connection to the broader Asset Management System.

• Inconsistent terminology and data.
  Different departments use different definitions for key terms (failure, condition, risk, downtime) and register data in ways that are hard to reconcile.

• Unclear role boundaries.
  Responsibilities for Asset Management, maintenance, engineering, contracting and data management are not aligned with the functional structures suggested by ISO 55001, EN 17948 or EN 15628.

• Local optimisation and tool dependency.
  Improvement initiatives are driven by tools or local needs rather than by an integrated architectural view.
  For example, a new CMMS is introduced without aligning process models with EN 17007 or KPI structures with EN 15341.

A practical way to start diagnosing fragmentation is to view the organisation through the VCS Line of Sight lens and ask a series of structured questions:

• Can we describe our value chain using the VCS layers (organisational management, Asset Management, AMS activities, asset portfolio, Common Basis, Management, Methodologies, Resources)?

• Which ISO 55000:2024 standards are explicitly in scope today, and where in the organisation are they “owned”?

• Which CEN/TC 319 standards are used, by whom, and with what level of formality?

• Where do we see clear vertical line of sight (e.g. between SAMP and SMP, between SMP and maintenance programmes, between programmes and work orders)?

• Where is horizontal line of sight strong (e.g. between finance and Asset Management, between planning and execution, between asset owners and contractors), and where is it weak?

This diagnostic exercise does not yet require changing anything. Its purpose is to create a shared understanding of the current landscape, the standards in play and the breaks in vertical and horizontal line of sight. It provides the foundation for designing a realistic and context-sensitive VCS journey.

7.2 Designing the Value Chain Standardization journey

Value Chain Standardization is not achieved overnight.
It is a development journey that must be tailored to the specific organisation, its context, its maturity and its strategic priorities. Nevertheless, several recurring phases can be distinguished, which organisations can adapt to their own situation.

• A first phase is orientation and alignment on the architecture. Here, the VCS Line of Sight, the ISO 55000:2024 set and the CEN/TC 319 standards are introduced as one coherent architecture to key stakeholders from Asset Management, maintenance, finance, operations, IT and governance. The goal is to build a shared conceptual model and to align expectations about what Value Chain Standardization means.
• A second phase involves mapping and gap analysis. Based on the diagnostic questions in Section 7.1, the organisation maps its existing processes, systems, standards, roles and data structures onto the VCS model. This reveals where the architecture is already partly realised, where overlaps or redundancies exist, and where gaps or inconsistencies are most critical.
• A third phase is prioritisation and roadmap design. Not all gaps can be addressed at once. The organisation must decide where Value Chain Standardization will yield the greatest benefit or reduce the greatest risk. This may be, for example, in a particular asset class, a specific region, or a specific interface (such as between Asset Management and maintenance, or between the organisation and key contractors). A phased roadmap is then developed, with clear objectives, responsibilities and time frames for each step.

Typical roadmap elements might include:

• formalising or updating the SMP as the hinge between SAMP and maintenance;

• aligning maintenance process models with EN 17007 and integrating them into the AMS;

• harmonising terminology and data definitions according to EN 13306 and ISO 55013;

• restructuring maintenance functions and roles to reflect EN 17948 and EN 15628;

• introducing or standardising methodologies such as RBI (EN 16991) or KPI frameworks (EN 15341) in line with P–C–R principles;

• revising contracts and documentation to reference relevant standards (EN 13269, EN 13460).

A fourth phase is implementation and integration, where the roadmap steps are executed.
Here, it is essential to treat Value Chain Standardization as a change in both structure and behaviour.
Processes, templates, systems and contracts must be updated, but so must mindsets, routines and collaboration patterns. Regular reflection on P–C–R trade-offs and explicit use of vertical and horizontal line of sight in decision-making can accelerate this behavioural shift.

Finally, a fifth phase is consolidation and learning, where the organisation reviews progress against the roadmap, assesses the effects on value, risk and performance, and adjusts its approach. At this stage, Value Chain Standardization begins to be perceived not as a project, but as an enduring characteristic of how the organisation manages assets and maintenance.

7.3 Embedding in governance, contracts and partner ecosystem

For Value Chain Standardization to be sustainable, it must be embedded in governance arrangements, not just in internal procedures. This has implications at several levels.

At the level of organisational governance, the VCS architecture should be reflected in policy documents, governance frameworks and committee structures. For example, the roles and responsibilities of Asset Management, maintenance, finance and risk functions should align with the line of sight, and reporting lines should support vertical traceability. Governance bodies (steering committees, risk boards, investment committees) should explicitly use P–C–R language and refer to the SMP and standards when discussing options and trade-offs.

At the level of contracts and external partners, Value Chain Standardization requires a shift away from purely output-based or transactional relationships towards standard-based collaboration. Maintenance contracts should reference relevant CEN/TC 319 standards (e.g. EN 13269 for contracts, EN 13460 for documentation, EN 15628 for competences) and align with internal process and data requirements. Service-level agreements and performance regimes should be designed in a way that supports P–C–R transparency and feedback into the AMS.

Partners such as service providers, OEMs, engineering firms and IT vendors form part of the extended value chain.
If they work with different process models, terminologies or data structures, horizontal line of sight breaks down at organisational boundaries. Embedding VCS in the partner ecosystem therefore involves:

• engaging key partners in the VCS architecture and explaining how their services fit into the line of sight;

• aligning contractual requirements and interfaces with the standards and process models used internally;

• collaborating on data models, KPIs and reporting structures that support both operational management and assurance needs.

In this way, governance and contracts become instruments for extending Value Chain Standardization beyond the boundaries of the organisation, reinforcing both vertical and horizontal line of sight across the network of actors involved in the asset life cycle.

7.4 Competence, training and communities of practice

Value Chain Standardization is highly dependent on people.
Standards and models only come to life when practitioners understand them, believe in their usefulness and are able to apply them in context.

The competence dimension has at least three components.

First, there is the need for role-specific knowledge and skills.
Asset Managers, Maintenance Managers, Engineers, Reliability Engineers, planners, contract managers and technicians require different levels of familiarity with ISO 55000, CEN/TC 319, the P–C–R trefoil, the SMP and the Maintenance Framework. Standards such as EN 15628 and ISO 55012 provide guidance on competence requirements, which can be interpreted and extended in role profiles and development plans.

Second, there is the need for cross-functional understanding.
To support horizontal line of sight, professionals in different functions must understand enough of each other’s frameworks to collaborate effectively. Asset Managers should have a basic grasp of EN 17007 and EN 17666; engineers should understand the logic of the SAMP and the AMS; finance professionals should be familiar with P–C–R and risk concepts as applied in maintenance. This calls for training and learning interventions that cut across traditional silos.

Third, there is a need for communities of practice (CoPs) that sustain Value Chain Standardization over time.
CoPs bring together practitioners from different parts of the organisation (and sometimes from partner organisations) to share experiences, discuss cases, refine practices and co-evolve the VCS architecture.
They can, for example:

• review how standards are interpreted and applied in specific projects;

• identify friction points in vertical or horizontal line of sight;

• propose improvements to SMPs, procedures, data models or training materials.

Training and CoPs are therefore not add-ons, but integral mechanisms for embedding the VCS model.
They ensure that the architecture is understood not only on paper, but in the lived experience of practitioners, and that it remains adaptable as contexts, technologies and standards evolve.

7.5 Metrics, feedback and continuous improvement

A final pillar of implementation is the design of metrics and feedback loops that allow the organisation to monitor and improve its Value Chain Standardization over time.

At a basic level, this involves defining indicators for the health of the value chain itself, in addition to traditional performance indicators for assets and maintenance.
Examples include:

• the degree of adoption of key standards (e.g. ISO 55001, EN 17007, EN 15341) in processes and systems;

• the presence of documented SMPs that explicitly reference standards and P–C–R logic;

• the proportion of contracts that reference relevant CEN/TC 319 standards;

• the consistency of terminology and data definitions across systems and reports;

• the frequency and quality of vertical traceability exercises (e.g. audits that follow a requirement from policy to work order and back).

More qualitatively, organisations can assess maturity in terms of line-of-sight coherence.
This includes evaluating how well decisions at different levels are aligned, how easily cause–effect relationships can be explained along the value chain, and how often feedback from maintenance leads to adjustments in strategy, policies or standards interpretation.

Continuous improvement then consists of using these metrics and assessments to adjust the architecture and its enactment. This may mean refining the SMP, revisiting role definitions, updating data models, revising contracts or targeting specific training needs. It may also involve experimenting with new methodologies or digital tools, while always checking how they fit into the VCS Line of Sight and whether they strengthen or weaken vertical and horizontal coherence.

In this way, Value Chain Standardization becomes part of the organisation’s learning system.
The VCS architecture provides a stable reference, but its concrete implementation is iteratively improved in response to experience, audits, incidents, technological developments and changes in the external context.

The concluding chapter will summarise the main insights of the article, reflect on the implications for practice and research, and outline potential next steps in the development and application of the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight.

 

8. Conclusion and outlook

The preceding chapters have developed the Value Chain Standardization (VCS) Line of Sight as a way to understand, design and govern the Asset & Maintenance Management (A&MM) value chain. In this concluding chapter, the main insights are synthesised, the implications for practice are highlighted, and possible directions for further development and application are outlined.

8.1 What the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight establishes

The starting point of this article was a recurring observation:
many organisations use parts of the ISO 55000:2024 series and parts of the CEN/TC 319 standards, yet struggle to demonstrate a clear, shared line of sight from organisational objectives to maintenance reality and back.
Standards are present, but often as fragments; improvement initiatives are active, but often as local optimisations.

The Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight responds to this situation by:

• treating ISO 55000:2024 and CEN/TC 319 as one normative architecture rather than as separate families;

• arranging this architecture in a layered model that reflects the Asset Management and maintenance landscapes;

• making vertical line of sight (from organisational intent to operational activity and feedback) and horizontal line of sight (coherence between functions and actors at each layer) explicit;

• integrating SSAMM frameworks – the P–C–R Trefoil, the Strategic Maintenance Policy (SMP), the A&MM Lemniscate and the Maintenance Framework – as internal connectors that allow organisations to live this architecture in practice.

Taken together, the VCS Line of Sight demonstrates that:

• Value (in the ISO 55000 sense) is a chain outcome.
  It is realised through coordinated decisions and activities across multiple layers and functions, not at a single point in the organisation.

• Standards are themselves assets that define capabilities and expectations.
  Their value is only fully realised when they are selected, combined and governed as part of a coherent architecture.

• Governance of maintenance is not an afterthought but a central design task.
  The SMP, located on the line of sight between the AMS and the maintenance value chain, is a pivotal mechanism that binds ISO and CEN/TC 319 together.

• Decision-making must be standardised as well as structures.
  The P–C–R Trefoil provides a recurring decision logic for balancing performance, cost and risk along the entire line of sight, ensuring conceptual consistency across layers and roles.

• Dynamics and learning are essential.
  The A&MM Lemniscate shows that value is created through ongoing interaction between Asset Management and Maintenance, while the VCS Line of Sight provides the stable spine through which decisions and feedback travel.

In essence, the VCS Line of Sight establishes a way to move from a patchwork of standards and practices towards a standardised, traceable and learnable A&MM value chain.

8.2 Implications for practice

The practical implications of the VCS Line of Sight are significant and can be summarised along several dimensions.

First, for organisational design and governance, the VCS model implies that:

• the Asset Management System (ISO 55001) should explicitly recognise the SMP and the maintenance value chain as integral parts of how asset-related objectives are achieved;

• governance structures, committees and reporting lines should support vertical line of sight, making it possible to trace how decisions and information flow from policy and SAMP, via SMP and processes, to tasks and back;

• finance, risk, operations and Asset Management functions should use a shared P–C–R language, supported by ISO 55010 and ISO 55011, to discuss trade-offs and justify choices.

Second, for maintenance organisation and practice, the VCS architecture suggests that:

• maintenance should be structured according to the Common Basis, Management, Methodologies and Resources rings of CEN/TC 319, as interpreted in the Maintenance Framework;

• roles and responsibilities should be aligned with EN 17948 and EN 15628, ensuring that functions and competences match the demands of the value chain;

• processes and methods – from policy and planning to execution and improvement – should explicitly reference the relevant standards (EN 13306, EN 17007, EN 17485, EN 17666, EN 15341, EN 16991, EN 13269, EN 13460, etc.), making the line of sight visible in procedures and tools.

Third, for engineering, reliability and design, the VCS model clarifies that:

• engineering methods (RBI, condition assessment, KPI frameworks, maintenance optimisation) are not isolated techniques but normatively anchored components of the architecture;

• design and maintainability decisions should be made with explicit reference to their downstream consequences in the maintenance value chain and the P–C–R balance;

• data structures and models should be designed to support both operational decisions and higher-level assurance, consistent with ISO 55013 and the maintenance methodologies.

Fourth, for collaboration with external partners, the VCS Line of Sight indicates that:

• contracts with service providers, OEMs and other partners should be aligned with the CEN/TC 319 standards, especially EN 13269, EN 13460 and EN 15628, so that external actors become part of the same standardised value chain;

• shared process models, data definitions and KPIs are essential for maintaining horizontal line of sight across organisational boundaries;

• partner ecosystems should be seen as extensions of the internal architecture, not as separate value chains with incompatible logics.

Fifth, for digitalisation and Industry 5.0 initiatives, the VCS model acts as a stabilising reference:

• digital tools, analytics, digital twins and AI applications should be designed to support and enhance the VCS architecture, not to replace or bypass it;

• data architectures should reflect the terminology and process structures of EN 13306 and EN 17007, and the information needs of ISO 55013 and EN 15341;

• human-centricity, sustainability and resilience – core themes of Industry 5.0 – are more likely to be achieved when digital solutions are embedded in a value chain that is standardised, transparent and explainable.

Finally, for assurance, regulation and auditing, the VCS Line of Sight offers:

• a systemic audit lens, enabling auditors and regulators to assess not only compliance with individual standards, but the coherence of the entire value chain;

• a basis for more meaningful dialogue between regulators and asset-intensive organisations about how public value, risk and affordability are managed through assets and maintenance;

• an opportunity to design regulatory frameworks that encourage integrated, standard-based approaches rather than siloed, document-driven compliance.

In short, the practical message is that Value Chain Standardization is not an abstract ideal but a concrete organising principle that can guide structural design, governance, collaboration and digital transformation in asset-intensive environments.

8.3 Relation to the broader SSAMM body of work and future directions

This article is positioned as a hub within the broader SSAMM body of work.
It does not replace earlier contributions; rather, it integrates and contextualises them within a value chain perspective.

• The P–C–R Trefoil Balance is placed along the VCS Line of Sight as a recurring decision compass.
  Future work can further explore quantitative and qualitative ways of operationalising P–C–R at different levels, for example through scenario analysis, optimisation models or visual decision aids.

• The Strategic Maintenance Policy (SMP) is identified as the governance hinge between SAMP and maintenance.
  Case studies, templates and sector-specific SMP examples can further illustrate how different organisations design and evolve this hinge.

• The A&MM Lemniscate Cornerstones provide the dynamic context in which the VCS architecture is enacted.
  Further elaboration of the lemniscate – including digital line-of-sight aspects, learning cycles and resilience loops – can deepen understanding of how organisations move through the continuous strategy–execution–feedback cycle.

• The Maintenance Framework translates CEN/TC 319 standards into a process and function architecture.
  Future work can extend this framework with maturity models, process performance benchmarks and practical diagnostic instruments.

• The ISO550XX:2024 Insights & Overview article remains the primary interpretation of the updated ISO 55000 series.
  As organisations and sectors gain experience with the 2024 editions, new insights can be fed back into the VCS architecture, refining how the standards are interpreted and applied.

Building on this hub, several future directions suggest themselves:

1. Sector-specific applications
   Different sectors (transport infrastructure, water, energy, industrial production, buildings, health care) have distinct asset profiles, regulatory environments and risk landscapes.
   Sector-specific adaptations of the VCS Line of Sight, with tailored SMP examples and maintenance architectures, can make the model more directly actionable in each context.

2. Role-based curricula and competency frameworks
   The role-based perspectives in Chapter 6 can be developed into concrete learning paths and curricula for Asset Managers, Maintenance Managers, Engineers, Reliability Engineers and policymakers.
   These could integrate ISO, CEN/TC 319 and SSAMM frameworks into structured educational programmes and certification schemes.

3. Digital Line of Sight and data architectures
   The connection between the VCS model and digitalisation can be elaborated into a “digital line of sight” concept, including reference data models, information flows and analytics architectures aligned with ISO 55013 and CEN/TC 319.

4. Maturity assessment tools
   The implementation and maturity discussion in Chapter 7 can be translated into diagnostic instruments and self-assessment tools, enabling organisations to benchmark their Value Chain Standardization status and to plan improvement journeys.

5. Empirical case studies and research
   Finally, empirical work is needed to document how different organisations apply the VCS Line of Sight, what challenges they face, what benefits they observe, and how the architecture interacts with organisational culture, regulatory regimes and technological developments.
   Such case studies can refine the model, reveal context-specific adaptations and inspire further theoretical development.

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In conclusion, the Value Chain Standardization Line of Sight is proposed as a reference model for aligning standards, governance and practice across the Asset & Maintenance Management value chain.
It does not promise simplicity; managing assets in complex socio-technical systems will remain a demanding task.
What it does offer is clarity: a structured way to see how ISO 55000:2024, CEN/TC 319, P–C–R, SMP, the A&MM Lemniscate and the Maintenance Framework fit together, and how they can be used to build a value chain that is standardised, transparent, explainable and capable of learning.

The invitation to practitioners, educators, regulators and researchers is to use this line of sight not as a fixed blueprint, but as a shared language and thinking framework – a basis for dialogue, experimentation and improvement in the ongoing development of Asset & Maintenance Management.