Transportation agencies nationwide are increasingly focused on asset management, yet commercially available enterprise systems often fail to meet the unique needs of public-sector owners. In response, PennDOT developed an open-source suite that aligns with DOT business processes, supports multiple asset classes, and provides flexibility for future innovation.

The platform currently includes three core tools:

• AssetFox – An enterprise-grade system for analyzing asset portfolios, identifying treatments, evaluating condition and consequence, managing funding sources (“colors of money”), and forecasting cash flow. It is asset-agnostic, applicable to bridges, pavements, and other asset types.
• ProjectBuilder – A project development tool that integrates treatment recommendations across assets in space and time, generating biddable projects and supporting the creation of TIPs, STIPs, and LRTPs.
• DecisionSpace – A companion module that enables tradeoff and scenario analysis, including consideration of potential new assets not currently in the inventory, helping agencies prioritize investments based on data-driven scoring.

Together, these components provide a comprehensive, open, and scalable asset management solution designed to evolve through collaboration among states and partners.

Objective:

To establish a national collaborative platform for the distribution, adoption, and enhancement of PennDOT’s open-source asset management suite — enabling other state DOTs and public agencies to implement the system, share best practices, and co-develop new capabilities.

Description:

This pooled fund study goal is to create a shared national capability for enterprise-level asset management — one that is open, customizable, and designed by practitioners for practitioners. Participating agencies will collaborate to enhance platform functionality, share lessons learned, and develop best practices that advance asset management implementation across the country.

There is no licensing cost to use the software. However, each agency will incur costs associated with setup, configuration, customization, and new feature development.

?The pooled fund participants will define the overall direction and scope of activities, anticipated to include the following components:

1. Platform Installation
• Required for all participants
• Each participating DOT will install the relevant modules (AssetFox-BAMS, PAMS; ProjectBuilder; DecisionSpace), adapted to its unique IT environment, data architecture, and security requirements
2. Software Setup and Configuration
• Participants may adopt PennDOT’s existing treatment logic and consequence models, or customize them to reflect their own practices
• Agencies may perform this work internally or leverage pooled fund resources for technical support and shared development
3. Feature Development and Enhancement
• Following successful installation and setup, participants will collaboratively identify, prioritize, and fund new features and enhancements that benefit all members of the pooled fund community
• Shared development ensures cost efficiency and consistency across implementations

?Anticipated Outcomes:

This pooled fund will establish a collaborative national platform for asset management innovation. Participants will:

• Gain access to high-quality, low-cost, open-source tools that align with DOT workflows
• Share lessons learned from implementation, utilization, and updates
• Advance the state of the practice by contributing to tools that support performance-based decision-making and cost-effective asset management

Ultimately, the study aims to empower agencies to manage transportation assets at the lowest practical life-cycle cost while fostering an open, interoperable foundation for continuous improvement.

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