Before you begin putting together the asset register, it is important to clearly outline the objectives of the asset register. The objective could be regulatory compliance, cost management, or asset optimization. Having this clarity will ensure that the asset register is built in the most usable manner with well-defined data governance. Along with objectives, it is equally important to define the maintenance philosophy. For instance, Oil & Gas companies maintain their facilities without any downtime whereas petrochemical companies follow campaign maintenance which is carried out during the shutdown period. Based on the maintenance philosophy, the nature of the asset register will change.

Once you have clearly defined the objective of the asset register, it is crucial that you extensively collect all the relevant data about your assets. This includes design engineering documents, procurement data packages and records, asset maintenance histories, equipment specifications, spare part lists, as-built drawings, and geographical coordinates. Augment data from all sources, such as physical documents, ERP, CMMS software, etc., to ensure you are not missing any critical information. Often, organizations miss capturing asset lifecycle information, including the acquisition date, expected lifespan, and depreciation schedule, which can be very important in the long run.

Since the number of assets in any Oil & Gas plant will be huge and, at times, asset management initiatives will span across multiple locations, developing a standardized format to record asset information is a must to ensure consistency and ease of use. Standardizing and classifying fields such as asset types, functions, and locations is also essential.

When creating an asset register, it is essential to verify the accuracy and completeness of the data entered. Any mistakes or missing information should be corrected. When manually entering data, it is common for human errors to occur. Hence, it is crucial to have qualified analysts and engineers prepare the asset register using clear processes, standards, and policies. One of the most important ways to validate the data is to physically verify the assets in the field against the as-built drawings. Data validation helps ensure data integrity and reliability by addressing errors, changes, or discrepancies during the preparation of the asset register.

Building an asset register requires going through and compiling data from a large number of documents and manuals, such as asset records, engineering drawings, inspection reports, and maintenance procedures. Having a well-maintained and auditable repository will be helpful for data validation and to bridge any gaps that are observed later during the course of operations and maintenance.

Appropriate data governance measures such as processes, policies, standards, and practices should be in place to build a robust asset register. Defining who can manage and edit the data and having a clear record of changes is essential to ensure data consistency and reliability. Creating standardized data creation templates and implementing data workflow governance are two important facets of data governance. It is also pertinent to implement clear data security measures to protect sensitive asset information.