Infrastructure Ontario Gets Ahead of Facilities Renewals

Challenge: A Large, Disconnected Portfolio

Infrastructure Ontario (IO) is a Government of Ontario Crown Agency whose purpose is to build, manage, finance and enhance the value of Ontario public assets. IO procures and delivers major infrastructure projects to repair, rebuild and renew roads, highways, bridges, public transit, post-secondary institutions, hospitals and courthouses in communities across the province.

With a such vast infrastructure portfolio, the biggest burden for IO had been the management of information in disconnected spreadsheets. These disconnected datasets made it difficult to understand project priorities should stack up and left IO limited visibility into their facility components and no comprehensive capital plan. As a result, repairs were based on observations made during inspections and performed on an as-needed basis.

Solution: One Centralized Database

IO implemented VFA Capital Planning Software to pull information from several spreadsheets into one centralized database. This holistic view of their portfolio enabled IO to create snapshots in time of their components’ characteristics, like age, life expectancy and current condition, the organize an investment plan accordingly.

Before VFA, a facilities manager would inspect a building, observe a boiler and determine that no repairs were needed based on its appearance and functioning, which would sometimes lead to an unexpected need for a repair later down the road. With VFA, that same manager now could determine that the boiler needed a renewal based on its age and Building Owners and Managers Association standards, allowing facilities renewals to be made proactively to prevent future breakdowns.

Results: Executing Facilities Renewals Methodically and Efficiently

Implementing VFA has enabled IO to adapt its business model to better plan renewals and enhance a rolling inspection plan that is more organized, methodical and successful. By creating a 10-year capital plan and three-year tactical plan with clear priorities, the agency now executes repair, replacement and facilities renewal projects more quickly.

“[VFA] has simplified the ability to create one comprehensive 10-year capital plan for 1,000 buildings in 15,000 line items rather than 15,000 spreadsheets.”
Marion Birkenhead, Capital Planning Manager

From an operational perspective, IO has achieved its goals of guiding projects by five key principles – transparency, accountability, value for money, public ownership and public interest – and is able to make better and faster decisions thanks to the simplified management of building information through VFA.