Clients ambition

To ensure the availability and performance of the baggage handling system, the technical baggage department wanted to professionalize their asset management system. Compris assisted them to reach AM-maturity and ISO55001 certification.

Our solution

We assisted the Baggage Department with optimizing their organisational design and professionalization of their asset management system. Furthermore, we prepared the certification of this system according to the ISO 55001 standard.

In 2022 the prestigious ISO 55001 certificate was granted to the Baggage department of Royal Schiphol Group. A special milestone for Schiphol´s Baggage and the team. It is now one of the first baggage handling systems to be fully certified.

Millions of pieces of baggage are processed by Schiphol every year. The Schiphol's Baggage cluster is responsible for the careful and adequate handling of baggage flows within the airport. For this cluster, and in fact the whole of Schiphol, it is essential that the baggage handling systems are professionally maintained to ensure performance and availability. Baggage handling is a primary part of airport operations. When there are problems with baggage handling it will directly result in many travelers not receiving their luggage, for sure it will be on the 8 o'clock news. The image of an airport is partly inseparable from reliable baggage handling.

Asset management to be further professionalized

The Baggage cluster asked Compris to support them in professionalizing their asset management system. "The Baggage cluster wanted to be more in control of baggage management. It is a crucial part of Schiphol's core business. Potential errors can have direct and quite severe consequences for customer satisfaction, safety and finance. Obviously, you want to minimize the risks. Solid asset management processes which support the baggage handling systems running smooth is essential for this," said Anton Post, consultant at Compris and involved in this project. "By setting up your asset management professionally, you are in control and can anticipate on what´s to come."

Complimenten van de auditor

With further professionalization comes an appropriate standardization of the system and the associated working methods. It was decided to test the asset management system against ISO55001: the international standard. Compris supported and guided this certification process. Anton: "To find out what the starting point of the organization was, we first checked the requirements from ISO 55001 against the working methods. As a team, we managed to find and close the gaps. After a pre-audit session - a kind of dress rehearsal - we decided that we were ready for the real thing." The audit primarily looks if what´s stated on paper, actually happens in practice. "During the audit it emerged that Baggage meets the requirements of the standard quite well. In particular the management of data and the analyses performed to ensure that proper and adequate management and maintenance can be carried out. But also the way in which the department, employees and service parties contribute to the realization of Schiphol's objectives and the way these are translated into the personal objectives of employees. These findings led to compliments from the auditor."

Ron Wever, Cluster Manager Baggage adds: "asset management is really all about team effort. We work together towards one goal according to established processes. The challenge here is to see how we can work smarter, rather than harder. Compris has been a valuable facilitator in this."

Certification is not the end goal

Anton looks back on an intensive period, during which it was sometimes a challenge to keep the focus on certification in the hectic pace of everyday life. "The ISO 55001 certification is a excellent confirmation that Baggage applies a solid asset management system, but certification was never a goal in itself. Those involved at Baggage are now even more consciously working to improve internal processes to continue to meet organizational goals. That is ultimately the real gain."

Would you like to know more?

Are you looking to professionalize your asset management system? We would be happy to help you. Please contactFrank Schouten to see what we can do for your organization.