Is your organization aiming to optimize its asset management processes and performance? Effective asset management can make the difference between success and failure, from reducing costs to boosting client satisfaction.
The SMART tool provides an easy-to-use foundation for building successful asset optimization strategies. By establishing SMART goals, companies can improve their asset management operations to increase efficiency.
In this article, we’ll provide 13 examples of SMART goals for asset management so that you can tailor your goals to benefit your organization’s unique needs. Let’s not waste any more time.
What is a SMART Goal?
The SMART method is a valuable approach for developing goals in asset management. SMART stands for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-based.
Let’s delve deeper into each component of SMART:
Specific
Being detail-oriented in setting your goals enhances the chances of their realization. Generalized goals often lead to disappointment. For instance, if your goal is to improve asset performance, it lacks specificity.
How do you plan to improve it? Are there any particular strategies or tools you intend to use? Being specific ensures you have a defined path to successful goal attainment.
Measurable
Having a way to gauge progress is crucial to ascertain if you’re heading in the right direction. If your goal involves improving asset performance, make it quantifiable.
For example, “Increase the ROI of assets by 15% within 6 months.” That way, you have a precise target to strive for, enabling you to track progress more efficiently.
Attainable
It’s essential to set realistic goals in asset management. Achieving significant improvements won’t happen overnight. You need to have adequate time and resources to meet this ambitious goal.
Relevant
Ask yourself, “Why am I setting these asset management goals?” Perhaps enhancing asset performance could improve your company’s financial stability and growth. Establishing relevant goals ignites motivation, empowering you to persist despite challenges.
Time-Based
A timeline fosters accountability on your path to success. It creates an urgency that propels you forward over time. Without a deadline, you risk jeopardizing the completion of your goals. Hence, ensuring your goals are time-bound is critical to avoid such a scenario.
13 SMART Goals Examples for Asset Management
1. Increase Asset Utilization
“I’ll work with my team to identify and implement strategies for increasing asset utilization by the end of 6 months. This includes optimizing existing assets and incorporating new technologies or processes that enable us to maximize our investments.”
Specific: The goal is explicit regarding what it intends to achieve (increasing asset utilization) and how it will be reached (by identifying and implementing strategies).
Measurable: By tracking asset utilization over time, the team can assess whether or not the goal was achieved.
Attainable: This is attainable by identifying and implementing strategies that optimize existing assets and incorporate new technologies.
Relevant: Increasing asset utilization is critical to asset management, allowing the team to get the most out of their investments.
Time-based: This SMART goal has a 6-month timeline for completion.
2. Develop More Efficient Workflows
“I will aim to improve the efficiency of our workflows. We currently have a manual process for many activities, and I want to automate them where possible. Within the next two years, I want 70% of our workflow processes to be automated or semi-automated.”
Specific: The goal is clear about what needs to be done, and the timeline for success is also provided.
Measurable: You can measure the degree of automation present in your workflows.
Attainable: Automating 70% of workflow processes within two years is possible with the right resources.
Relevant: This is important to ensure that your workflows are efficient and up-to-date with industry best practices.
Time-based: This SMART goal has a two-year end date for achievement.
3. Use Data to Drive Better Decision Making
“By the end of this quarter, I will be able to make better decisions by using our asset data to inform my decisions. I’ll review analytics and trends from our asset management system to identify key performance indicators to help me make better decisions.”
Specific: You have precise actions available: review analytics and identify key performance indicators.
Measurable: Review analytics and trends at least three times each quarter.
Attainable: This is a realistic goal if you are willing to put in the work and time.
Relevant: Using data to inform decision making will help you make better decisions for your assets.
Time-based: You should expect goal attainment within the following quarter.
4. Increase Security for Critical Assets
“For the next year, I will ensure that all critical assets are adequately protected. I want to help revise our security policies and procedures, train staff on best practices for asset protection, and perform regular vulnerability assessments.”
Specific: This goal is evident because it outlines the steps to protect critical assets.
Measurable: Evaluate your progress by assessing the security policies and procedures and ensuring staff is trained on best practices.
Attainable: It is reasonable to expect that security for all critical assets can be improved within a year.
Relevant: Ensuring the security of critical assets is an integral part of asset management.
Time-based: You will have a full year to complete this particular goal.
5. Utilize Predictive Analytics to Minimize Risk
“We’ll analyze past asset optimization trends using predictive analytics and develop an algorithm to identify problematic patterns that could lead to potential risks. We hope to deploy the algorithm over the 6 months ahead.”
Specific: The goal outlines the action (analyze past trends and develop an algorithm) to be taken.
Measurable: You could track the amount of data analyzed and the number of algorithms developed.
Attainable: Predictive analytics and algorithm development are possible in the current technology landscape.
Relevant: Utilizing predictive analytics can minimize the risk associated with asset optimization.
Time-based: Success is anticipated over the course of 6 months.
6. Improve Asset Tracking and Documentation
“I want to improve our asset tracking and documentation system by the end of 5 months. By streamlining this process, we can better keep track of assets, ensure they are allocated properly, and increase efficiency in our workplace.”
Specific: The asset manager understands precisely what they want to accomplish and how.
Measurable: By tracking the progress of this goal, the company can measure its success.
Attainable: Working with the IT and Operations departments makes this goal possible.
Relevant: Improving documentation and asset tracking will help the company allocate resources and become more efficient.
Time-based: The manager has set a 5-month window to reach the goal.
7. Reduce Unnecessary Expenditures
“By the end of this quarter, I want to reduce my team’s spending on unnecessary items by 20%. To do this, I’ll track all expenses and create a budget for each department. I’ll also run monthly analyses to identify and eliminate wasteful purchases.”
Specific: The individual aims to decrease their team’s expenditures on unnecessary items.
Measurable: You could help track expenses and create a budget for the department.
Attainable: This is reachable because the person is taking active steps to identify and eliminate wasteful purchases.
Relevant: The statement is appropriate since it reduces costs and increases asset management efficiency.
Time-based: This goal is time-bound since it has an end date of one quarter.
8. Improve Compliance With Regulations
“The organization must meet the requirements of all current regulatory bodies and fulfill their compliance obligations by the end of one year. They will implement a regular review process that ensures alignment with up-to-date industry standards.”
Specific: The goal outlines what is expected from the organization and how it should be met.
Measurable: The organization should regularly review and audit its assets to comply with regulatory bodies.
Attainable: A yearly timeline leaves ample time for the organization to assess its current assets and make necessary changes properly.
Relevant: This goal is suitable because meeting compliance standards is essential to protect the organization from legal issues.
Time-based: The end date is one year, giving the organization enough time to meet its compliance obligations.
9. Upgrade Asset Management Software
“We plan to allocate a budget of $1,000 to upgrade our asset management software before the end of this quarter. That will enable us to streamline workflows and ensure accuracy in our asset tracking processes.”
Specific: The goal is to upgrade the existing asset management software with an allocated budget of $1,000.
Measurable: This investment will be judged by the completion of the software upgrade before the end of this quarter.
Attainable: Allocating a budget and setting a timeline for the project makes it feasible.
Relevant: Upgrading asset management software can improve workflows and accuracy in tracking assets, which is essential.
Time-based: Completing this SMART goal should happen after this quarter.
10. Streamline Communication
“I will work with my team to create document templates and other internal communication tools that make it easier for all stakeholders to access and understand asset information. This process should be completed over the following three months.”
Specific: The goal is well-defined—creating document templates and other communication tools to streamline asset information.
Measurable: The individual has clearly outlined a timeline of three months in which the goal will be completed.
Attainable: Assuming the team is organized and ready to strategize, this will definitely be doable.
Relevant: This is relevant given the need for stakeholders within the organization to access and understand all asset information.
Time-based: Goal attainment should be reached in three months.
11. Foster a Culture of Improvement
“The asset management system will be changed 5 times to promote continuous improvement in our operations within 7 months. Every change must be monitored and tracked daily until completion.”
Specific: The goal statement specifies the timeline, the number of changes to be made, and how it will be monitored.
Measurable: You must track and monitor the changes that will be made on a daily basis.
Attainable: The timeline provided should give enough time to implement all 5 changes that promote continuous improvement.
Relevant: This SMART goal will foster innovation and improvement within the asset management system.
Time-based: There is a 7-month timeline to accomplish success.
12. Embrace Digital Transformation
“I want to assess the current state of our assets with a digital transformation audit by the end of next month. This will help us understand where we are now and how digital transformation can improve our assets.”
Specific: A digital transformation audit must be completed to identify areas for improvement in asset management.
Measurable: Ensure you utilize the right tools and processes to ensure the audit is thorough.
Attainable: Digital transformation can significantly impact asset management, so this goal is doable.
Relevant: An audit like this will allow you to understand how digital transformation can change how you manage assets.
Time-based: You have until the end of next month to achieve this particular goal.
13. Leverage Automation
“I plan to use automation to maximize asset management efficiency for three months. I will begin by researching available automation tools and evaluating the ones that fit our organization’s needs.”
Specific: This is specific because it involves researching various automation tools and determining which is best for the team.
Measurable: A metric for success could be the amount of time saved by leveraging automation tools and techniques.
Attainable: Automation technology is available to anyone who takes the time to research it, so this goal is definitely achievable.
Relevant: Utilizing automation can enhance asset management in any organization, making this a crucial SMART goal.
Time-based: The expected time frame to meet this goal is three months.
Final Thoughts
You should now better understand what SMART goals are and how they can be used to improve asset management efficiency. Implementing these goals within your organization can help you make the most out of your assets, reduce costs, and increase productivity.
Recognize that setting SMART goals is just as important as following through with them to reach success. Start researching available tools and technology, assessing the current state of your assets, and creating a well-defined plan.
By developing SMART goals for asset management, you can be sure you are heading in the right direction. You’ll be able to implement the changes necessary to make your asset management processes more efficient.
