User Story: Asset Portfolio Management Dashboard

1. Problem Statement

The Asset Manager is tasked with long-term strategic planning for the utility's entire asset base but lacks a unified, real-time tool to do so effectively. This forces a reliance on manually compiled, often outdated, data from disparate systems.

Key Pain Points:

Lack of a Strategic Overview: Inability to get a quick, consolidated view of portfolio health, risk, and financial standing.
Inefficient Prioritization: Difficulty identifying which asset categories or age groups pose the most significant risk, leading to subjective investment decisions.
Weak Justification for Investment: Struggling to build a data-driven business case for multi-million dollar capital requests without a clear link between asset condition and financial risk.
Unclear Financial Outlook: Inability to quantify and track the "Investment Gap," which is the unfunded liability for replacing failing assets.

Core Problem: The absence of a single, strategic dashboard leads to reactive planning, inefficient capital allocation, and an inability to clearly communicate the financial and operational risks of aging infrastructure to executive stakeholders.

2. Who is the User Facing the Problem?

Primary User: Asset Manager

This individual is responsible for developing the utility's long-term asset management strategy. Their core duties include prioritizing capital investments, managing lifecycle costs, mitigating portfolio-wide risk, and reporting on asset performance to executive leadership. This dashboard is designed as their primary tool for strategic oversight.

3. Jobs To Be Done

For the Asset Manager:

When I need to develop the 5-year capital improvement plan,
But I can't easily visualize which assets are in the worst condition, pose the highest risk, and are driving our investment gap,
Help me by consolidating portfolio health, risk, and financial metrics into a single, interactive dashboard,
So that I can make defensible, data-driven decisions on where to allocate budget for maximum risk reduction and long-term value.

4. Solution

The solution is a strategic Asset Portfolio Dashboard that serves as a command center for the Asset Manager. It translates complex operational data into high-level, actionable insights for capital planning and risk management.

Key Capabilities:

Strategic KPI Overview: Presents the most critical metrics at a glance: Asset Health Index, Average Remaining Useful Life (RUL), Overall Risk Score, and the Investment Gap.
Portfolio Segmentation: Breaks down the portfolio by key strategic segments like Asset Category (e.g., Vertical, Horizontal) and Age Profile to quickly identify trends.
Condition & Risk Visualization: Uses clear, color-coded charts to display the distribution of assets by Health Status (Good, Fair, Poor) and Risk Level (Low, Medium, High).
Financial Impact Analysis: Features the "Investment Gap" as a core financial metric and tracks the "Emergency vs. Planned" work ratio to measure strategic effectiveness.
Interactive Drill-Down: Allows the user to click on any data segment (e.g., "High Risk Assets") to filter the entire dashboard and investigate the root causes behind the numbers.
Automated Watchlists: Surfaces contextual information like "Frequent Failure Assets" and "Overdue Inspections" to inform risk analysis.
Export & Reporting: Enables one-click export of any dashboard view to PDF or CSV for use in reports and presentations.

5. Major Steps Involved (Asset Manager Workflow)

Assess Portfolio: The Asset Manager opens the dashboard to begin their quarterly planning. They immediately review the four key KPIs at the top, noting an increase in the Overall Risk Score and the Investment Gap.
Isolate Problem Area: They identify that 90 assets are categorized as "High Risk" and click on that segment to investigate further.
Drill-Down Analysis: The entire dashboard filters to this high-risk segment. The manager can now clearly see that these assets are predominantly in the "> 20 years" age band and have a "Poor" health status.
Formulate Strategy: The data provides a clear conclusion: a specific cohort of aging assets is driving portfolio risk. These 90 assets become the top priority for the upcoming capital plan.
Justify the Plan: The Asset Manager exports the filtered dashboard view as a PDF. They use this visual evidence in their budget proposal to provide a data-driven justification for funding the replacement of these specific assets.

6. Flow Diagram

~~Asset Manager - Capital Planning Flow~~

~~mermaid~~

~~Source~~

~~graph TD~~

~~A[Login & Open Dashboard] --> B{Review Strategic KPIs};~~

~~B -- Risk Increasing? --> C[Click 'High Risk Assets' Segment];~~

~~C --> D{Analyze Filtered Dashboard};~~

~~D --> E[Correlate Risk with Asset Age & Condition];~~

~~E --> F[Identify Specific Assets for Capital Plan];~~

~~F --> G[Export View for Report];~~

~~G --> H[Submit Data-Driven Budget Proposal];~~

7. Business Rules

General Dashboard Business Rules

These rules apply to the entire dashboard.

Data Refresh Cadence: The data displayed on the dashboard must be refreshed from the source systems at least once every 24 hours. A timestamp indicating the "Last Updated" time should be visible on the dashboard, perhaps in the header or footer.
Default View: On loading, the dashboard will default to a "Year-to-Date" (YTD) view.
Interactivity: All widgets, charts, and KPI cards are interactive. Clicking on a specific segment (e.g., "High Risk Assets," "Poor Condition," "Vertical Assets") will filter the entire dashboard to show data relevant only to that selected segment. Multiple filters can be applied sequentially. An obvious "Clear Filters" or "Reset View" button must be present.
Trend Indicators: All trend indicators (e.g., ↑ 2.1%) compare the metric's value for the currently selected date range against the value from the immediately preceding equivalent period.
- Example: If the view is "This Quarter," the trend compares against "Last Quarter." If the view is "YTD" as of July 16, 2025, the trend compares against the same date range from the previous year.
Hover & Tooltips: Hovering over any interactive element (KPIs, chart segments, list items) will change the mouse cursor to a pointer and provide a subtle visual cue (e.g., the element brightens or a border appears). Every dynamic data element will have a tooltip on hover.
Permissions: The visibility of this dashboard is restricted to users with specific roles, primarily the "Asset Manager" and executive-level roles.
Export Functionality: An "Export" button will be available, allowing the user to download the current view of the dashboard (with any active filters applied) as a PDF or CSV file.

The dashboard must provide the following filtering capabilities, typically located in a header bar:

Date Range Filter:
- Functionality: Allows the user to control the time period for which all dashboard data is displayed.
- Default Value: "Year-to-Date" (YTD).
- Options:
  - This Month
  - This Quarter
  - Last Quarter
  - This Year (YTD)
  - Last 12 Months
  - Custom Range (with a start and end date picker).
- Business Rule: All metrics, trends, and lists on the dashboard will recalculate based on the selected date range.
Hierarchy Filter (Facilities, Systems, Networks):
- Functionality: Allows the user to narrow the dashboard view to a specific part of the asset portfolio.
- Options: A multi-select dropdown or a searchable tree view that lets the user select one or more:
  - Facilities
  - Systems
  - Networks
- Business Rule: Selecting a Facility will automatically include all Systems and Assets within it. Selecting a System will include all its Assets. This provides a powerful way to analyze specific operational areas.

Detailed Business Rules by Dashboard Section

These tabs suggest the dashboard is part of a larger application.

Fields: Overview, Financial, O&M, Energy, Inventory, Compliance.
Business Rules:
- The "Overview" tab is the currently selected view, displaying the Asset Portfolio Health & Condition dashboard.
- Each tab navigates the user to a different dashboard focused on that specific domain.
- The active tab must be visually distinct from the others (e.g., underlined, different color).

2. Strategic KPIs (Top Row)

This section provides a high-level summary of portfolio health.

Field Name	Business Rules & Formula	~~Data Source~~	Tooltip Content
Asset Health Index	Value (87): A calculated score representing the overall health of the entire asset portfolio. ~~<br>~~ Formula: `Weighted average of condition, performance, and age scores for all assets in the current filter scope.` ~~<br>~~ Trend (↑ 2.1%): Compares the current index to the previous period's index.	~~Aggregated from individual asset records, which contain condition assessments, performance data (e.g., failure rates), and age.~~	Title: Asset Health Index ~~<br>~~ Description: "A consolidated score from 0-100 indicating the overall health of the asset portfolio. It combines asset condition, age, and performance data." ~~<br>~~ Formula: `Weighted Avg(Condition,Condition Age,Score Performance)of all assets after the filters are applied`
Total Assets	Value (1,247): A distinct count of all active assets in the portfolio. ~~<br>~~ Formula: `COUNT(DISTINCT AssetID)` for all assets matching the current filter. ~~<br>~~ Trend (↑ 2.4%): Change in the total number of assets compared to the previous period.	~~The master Asset Repository/Database.~~	Title: Total Assets ~~<br>~~ Description: "The total number of active assets currently being managed in the portfolio."
Avg RUL	Value (12.4 yrs): The average remaining useful life across all assets. <br> Formula: `SUM(Asset Expected Lifespan - Asset Current Age) / COUNT(Total Assets)` <br> Trend (↑ 0.8%): Change in average RUL. An increase may indicate new assets being added or life-extending work being completed.	~~Individual asset records, containing fields for~~ `Expected_Lifespan` ~~and~~ `Date_of_Installation`.	Title: Average Remaining Useful Life (RUL) ~~<br>~~ Description: "The average number of years remaining before assets in the portfolio are expected to reach the end of their service life." ~~<br>~~ Formula: `Avg(Expected Lifespan - Current Age)`
Asset Availability	Value (91%): The percentage of time assets were operational and available to perform their function. <br> Formula: `(SUM(Scheduled Operating Time) - SUM(Unplanned Downtime)) / SUM(Scheduled Operating Time) * 100` <br> Trend (↑ 1.2%): Change in availability percentage.	~~Maintenance and operational logs (CMMS), which track asset uptime and downtime.~~	Title: Asset Availability <br> Description: "The percentage of time assets were available to perform their required function during the selected period." <br> Formula: `(Total Time - Downtime) / Total Time`
Out of Service	Value (115): The count of assets currently in an "Out of Service" or "Inactive" status. <br> Formula: `COUNT(Assets) WHERE Asset_Status = 'Out of Service'` <br> Trend (↓ 0.8%): Change in the number of out-of-service assets. A decrease is positive.	~~The master Asset Repository, specifically the~~ `Asset_Status` ~~field.~~	Title: Out of Service <br> Description: "The total number of assets that are currently inactive or not operational."
Inspection Compliance	Value (92%): The percentage of scheduled inspections that were completed on time. <br> Formula: `(COUNT(Completed Inspections) / COUNT(Scheduled Inspections)) * 100` for the selected period. <br> Trend (↑ 3.1%): Change in the compliance rate.	~~The Inspection/Maintenance module, which tracks scheduled and completed work orders.~~	Title: Inspection Compliance <br> Description: "The percentage of required asset inspections that were completed by their due date within the selected period." <br> Formula: `(Completed on Time / Total Scheduled) * 100`

3. Asset Categories & Asset Age Profile

These widgets segment the portfolio for strategic analysis.

Widget / Field	Business Rules & Formula	~~Data Source~~	Tooltip Content
Asset Categories	A breakdown of the asset portfolio by pre-defined categories. Each category shows a count and its percentage of the total. <br> Formula (Count): `COUNT(Assets) WHERE Asset_Category = '[Category Name]'` <br> Formula (%): `(Category Count / Total Assets) * 100`	~~The~~ `Asset_Category` ~~field in the master Asset Repository. This is a core attribute assigned when an asset is created.~~	Title: Asset Category <br> Description: "A breakdown of the portfolio by asset type. Click a category to filter the entire dashboard."
Asset Age Profile	A breakdown of the asset portfolio by age bands. Each band shows a count and its percentage of the total. <br> Formula (Count): `COUNT(Assets) WHERE (Current Date - Installation_Date) falls within the age band.` <br> Formula (%): `(Age Band Count / Total Assets) * 100`	~~The~~ `Installation_Date` or `Commissioning_Date` ~~field in the master Asset Repository.~~	Title: Asset Age Profile <br> Description: "A breakdown of the portfolio by asset age. Click an age band to analyze assets from that generation."

4. Asset Health Status

Field Name	Business Rules & Formula	~~Data Source~~	Tooltip Content
Good/Fair/Poor Condition	Each card represents a health status category. <br> Value (e.g., 734): `COUNT(Assets) WHERE Condition = '[Status]'` <br> Percentage (e.g., 59%): `(Status Count / Total Assets) * 100` <br> Action Required Button: This button appears on the "Poor Condition" card. Clicking it should navigate the user to a pre-filtered list of all assets in poor condition.	~~The~~ `Condition` ~~field in the master Asset Repository. This is typically updated via inspections, sensor data, or predictive models.~~	Title: [Good/Fair/Poor] Condition <br> Description: "The total number and percentage of assets currently assessed as being in [Good/Fair/Poor] condition. Click to filter the dashboard."

5. Performance & Reliability

This section focuses on operational performance metrics.

Field Name	Business Rules & Formula	~~Data Source~~	Tooltip Content
Portfolio Failure Rate	Value (2.3%): The percentage of assets that experienced a failure during the period. <br> Formula: `(COUNT(Assets with ≥1 Failure) / Total Assets) * 100`	~~Work order data from a CMMS, specifically looking for work orders classified as "unplanned" or "corrective."~~	Title: Portfolio Failure Rate <br> Description: "The percentage of assets that have had at least one failure in the selected period."
Avg MTBF	Value (720 hrs): Mean Time Between Failures. The average time an asset operates before it fails. <br> Formula: `SUM(Uptime between failures for all assets) / SUM(Number of failures)`	~~Operational and maintenance logs from a CMMS. Requires tracking uptime and failure events for each asset.~~	Title: Average Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) <br> Description: "The average operational time between failures for assets across the portfolio. A higher number is better."
Service Level Achievement	Value (91.5%): The percentage of time the utility met its defined service level targets (e.g., water pressure, flow rates). <br> Formula: `(Time Met Service Level / Total Time) * 100`	~~SCADA systems, sensors, and operational data logs that monitor service delivery metrics.~~	Title: Service Level Achievement <br> Description: "The percentage of time that operational service levels (e.g., pressure, flow) were met."
Non-Revenue Water	Value (18.5%): The percentage of water produced that is lost before it reaches the customer. <br> Formula: `((Total Water Produced - Billed Water Consumed) / Total Water Produced) * 100`	~~Production meters (at treatment plants) and customer billing meters. This is a key metric for water utilities.~~	Title: Non-Revenue Water (NRW) <br> Description: "The percentage of treated water that is lost or unaccounted for before it reaches the customer. A lower number is better."

6. Frequent Failure Assets

Business Rules:
- This list displays the top 3-5 assets with the highest number of failure-related work orders in the last 6 months.
- Each entry must display:
  - Asset Name: The common name of the asset.
  - Failure Count: "X failures in 6 months."
  - Last Failure Date: The date of the most recent failure.
- The background color of the card indicates the asset's risk level (Red = High, Yellow = Medium).
- Action Button (Inspect/Schedule/Review): The button text is dynamic based on the recommended next step. Clicking it should open a pre-populated work order or take the user to the asset's detailed page.
Data Source: CMMS work order history, filtered for "corrective" or "failure" types.
Tooltip Content: On hover over an asset name: "Click to view the detailed asset page. The recommended action is to [Inspect/Schedule/Review] this asset due to its high failure rate."

7. Risk & Strategic Impact

This section translates asset condition into financial and strategic risk.

Field Name	Business Rules & Formula	~~Data Source~~	Tooltip Content
Overall Risk Score	Value (6.2): The average risk score across all assets. <br> Formula: `Average of (Probability of Failure * Consequence of Failure) for all assets.` <br> Trend (↑ 0.3): Change in the average risk score.	~~The Risk Register or individual asset records, which must contain calculated~~ `Probability_of_Failure` ~~and~~ `Consequence_of_Failure` ~~scores.~~	Title: Overall Risk Score <br> Description: "The primary indicator of portfolio vulnerability, tracking the effectiveness of risk mitigation strategies." <br> Formula: `Avg(Probability of Failure * Consequence of Failure)`
High-Risk Assets	Value (90): The count of assets classified with a "High" risk score. <br> Formula: `COUNT(Assets) WHERE Risk_Score >= [High Risk Threshold]` (e.g., > 7.0) <br> Trend (↑ 3): Change in the number of high-risk assets.	~~The Risk Register or~~ `Risk_Score` ~~field on asset records.~~	Title: High-Risk Assets <br> Description: "The total number of assets that are classified as 'High Risk' based on their probability and consequence of failure."
Investment Gap	Value ($2.8M): The unfunded liability for replacing assets in poor condition. <br> Formula: `SUM(Replacement Cost of 'Poor' Assets) - SUM(Budgeted Replacement Capital for the period)` <br> Trend (↑ $0.4M): Change in the investment gap.	~~Asset records (~~`Replacement_Cost`, `Condition`~~) and the financial/budgeting system (~~`Budgeted_Capital`).	Title: Investment Gap <br> Description: "A critical financial metric that quantifies the funding shortfall for necessary asset replacements." <br> Formula: `SUM(Replacement Cost of 'Poor' Assets) - SUM(Budgeted Capital)`
Emergency vs Planned	Value (35:65): The ratio of emergency/unplanned work orders to planned/preventive work orders. <br> Formula: `COUNT(Emergency Work Orders) : COUNT(Planned Work Orders)` <br> Trend (↑ 5%): Change in the ratio, typically showing the percentage of work that is planned. An increase in the planned portion is positive.	~~CMMS work order data, categorized by~~ `Work_Order_Type` ~~(e.g., 'Emergency', 'Corrective', 'Planned', 'Preventive').~~	Title: Emergency vs Planned Work <br> Description: "The ratio of reactive (emergency) work to proactive (planned) work. A higher ratio of planned work indicates better strategic control."

8. Risk Assessment & Recently Added Assets

Widget / Field	Business Rules & Formula	~~Data Source~~	Tooltip Content
Risk Assessment	A breakdown of the portfolio by risk level. <br> Formula (Count): `COUNT(Assets) WHERE Risk_Level = '[Level]'` <br> Formula (%): `(Level Count / Total Assets) * 100` <br> Review Required Button: Appears on "High Risk Assets." Clicking it navigates to a pre-filtered list of those assets.	~~The~~ `Risk_Level` ~~field in the master Asset Repository, which is derived from the calculated risk score.~~	Title: Risk Level <br> Description: "A breakdown of the portfolio by risk level. Click a level to filter the entire dashboard."
Recently Added Assets	A chronological list of the 4-5 most recently added assets to the portfolio. <br> Business Rule: Displays the Asset Name, Asset Category (via icon and text), and the date it was added/commissioned. The "New" tag should be displayed for assets added within the last 30 days.	~~The master Asset Repository, sorted descending by~~ `Creation_Date` or `Commissioning_Date`.	Title: Recently Added Asset <br> Description: "The newest assets added to the portfolio. Click to view the asset's detail page."

9. Overdue Inspections

Business Rules:
- This list displays assets with inspections that are past their due date, ordered by urgency/risk.
- Each entry must display:
  - Asset Name: The common name of the asset.
  - Due Date: The date the inspection was due.
  - Priority/Risk Level: A visual tag (e.g., "high," "medium," "low") indicating the risk associated with missing this inspection.
- Action Button (Urgent/Schedule): The button text is dynamic. Clicking it should open a pre-populated work order for the overdue inspection.
Data Source: The Inspection/Maintenance module (CMMS), filtering for work orders where Work_Order_Type = 'Inspection', Status != 'Complete', and Due_Date < Current_Date.
Tooltip Content: On hover over an asset name: "This inspection is [X] days overdue. The priority is [High/Medium/Low]. Click 'Schedule' to create a work order."

8. Sample Data

Asset Name	Asset Category	Age (Yrs)	Condition	Risk Score	Replacement Cost
Pump Station #7	Vertical Asset	22	Poor	8.5	$250,000
Main Feeder Line B	Horizontal Asset	35	Poor	9.2	$1,200,000
Water Treatment Plant #1	Facility	25	Poor	8.1	$5,000,000
Generator Unit A	Horizontal Asset	18	Fair	6.5	$150,000

9. Acceptance Criteria

The system must display the four primary KPIs: Asset Health Index, Avg RUL, Overall Risk Score, and Investment Gap.
The system must calculate the Investment Gap using the defined formula.
The system must correctly categorize assets into the defined "Asset Categories" and "Asset Age Profile" bands.
The system must display the total count and percentage of assets in "Poor Condition."
The system must display the total count and percentage of assets at "High Risk."
Clicking the "High Risk Assets" widget must filter all other widgets on the dashboard.
Clicking the "Poor Condition" widget must filter all other widgets on the dashboard.
The "Emergency vs Planned" work ratio must be displayed.
Trend arrows next to each KPI must accurately compare the current period to the previous period.
All KPIs must have a tooltip explaining the business meaning and calculation formula.
The "Frequent Failure Assets" widget must list assets with the most failures in the last 6 months.
The dashboard must provide an "Export to PDF" option.
The dashboard must load completely within 5 seconds for a portfolio of up to 10,000 assets.
The data on the dashboard must be refreshed at least once every 24 hours.
All interactive elements must provide a visual cue on hover.

10. Process Changes

From (Current Process)	To (New Process)	Impact Analysis
Spending days in spreadsheets to model risk and justify budgets.	Using the dashboard to instantly identify high-risk segments and quantify the investment gap.	Reduces annual capital planning preparation time by an estimated 30-40%, freeing up the manager for more strategic tasks.
Budget meetings rely on anecdotal evidence and high-level summaries.	Budget meetings are driven by clear, visual data from the dashboard showing the link between risk, age, and funding.	Increases credibility and leads to more effective, data-driven capital allocation.
Risk is assessed periodically as a major, time-consuming project.	Risk is monitored continuously via the "Overall Risk Score" KPI.	Enables agile strategy adjustments by showing the impact of investment decisions on risk in near real-time.

11. Impact from Solving This Problem

Metric	How it Improves
✅ Capital Budget Optimization	Ensures capital is allocated to assets that pose the greatest risk, maximizing the ROI of every dollar spent.
✅ Proactive Risk Reduction	Focusing investment on "High Risk" assets demonstrably lowers the utility's operational and financial risk profile.
✅ Strategic Alignment	Provides a clear, data-driven link between operations (asset condition) and financial strategy (capital planning).
✅ Stakeholder Confidence	Builds confidence with the board and regulators by demonstrating a mature, data-driven approach to asset management.

12. User Behavior Tracking

Question to Answer	Event to Track	Properties
How often is the Asset Manager monitoring the portfolio?	`Dashboard_Viewed`	`user_role`, `timestamp`, `date_filter_range`
What strategic segments are being investigated most?	`Strategic_Filter_Applied`	`widget_name` (e.g., 'Risk Assessment'), `filter_value` (e.g., 'High Risk')
Are the KPI definitions clear and being used?	`KPI_Tooltip_Viewed`	`kpi_name` (e.g., 'Investment Gap')
Is the dashboard being used to create reports?	`Dashboard_Exported`	`format` ('PDF', 'CSV'), `active_filters`
What is the typical analysis path for the manager?	`Drilldown_Path_Tracked`	`path` ('Clicked High Risk -> Filtered Age Profile')

13. Wireframe

Wireframe Link