Expectations Versus Reality of Asset Management Impacts on Organizational Performance – A Comparative Study From the Service Sector in the UAE

Academics and professionals alike agree on the positive effects of asset management (AM) on organizational performance; however, they cannot agree on the causal relationship between an AM system and the various key performance indicators (KPIs). Thus, this study compares two groups of professionals regarding the effects of AM on their organizations' KPIs. The professionals work for two asset-intensive organizations in two different emirates of the United Arab Emirates that provide identical services. One organization is currently using an AM system (AMS), while the other plans on taking a similar step. To assess AM's anticipated and actual impacts on both organizations, experts from each organization were required to rank a comprehensive set of KPIs based on AM's impact on these KPIs using the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (F-AHP) method. The KPIs were clustered into five groups, four of which were derived from the balanced scorecards, and the fifth comprised sustainability-related metrics. The two FAHP studies conducted in each organization demonstrate that the actual effects of adopting AM differ from those anticipated. For example, it is anticipated that customer KPIs would be impacted the most by an AMS; however, internal business processes-related KPIs were the most impacted after the AMS implementation. This divergence in viewpoints demonstrates the need to comprehend the relationship between AM and an organization's KPIs in order to make more informed decisions.