Highway Maintenance Management: Kilometer-Based Asset Tracking and Cost Analysis With SAP PM

In highway operations, an area as critical as revenue management is the accurate tracking of infrastructure and superstructure maintenance costs. On a highway hundreds of kilometers long, thousands of assets — toll booths, lighting systems, traffic control units, cameras, barriers and the road surface — can be managed professionally for maintenance and repair through the SAP Plant Maintenance (PM) module.

Highway Asset Hierarchy

In SAP PM, highway assets are structured in a geographic and functional hierarchy:

Location-Based Breakdown

• Highway segment (e.g. Istanbul-Ankara Highway)
• Kilometer range (e.g. KM 45-50)
• Direction (Outbound / Inbound)
• Lane (Lane 1, Lane 2, Hard shoulder)

Equipment-Based Breakdown

• Toll systems: HGS antennas, barrier motors, payment terminals
• Lighting: Road lighting poles, tunnel lighting
• Traffic control: Variable message signs (VMS), speed radars
• Security: CCTV cameras, SOS phone units
• Infrastructure: Bridges, viaducts, tunnel ventilation systems

Work Order Management

Every maintenance activity is executed through a Work Order. Work orders are classified as:

• Planned maintenance: Periodic checks, lubrication, calibration
• Breakdown maintenance: Repairs initiated by a fault notification
• Investment maintenance: Capacity expansion or modernization projects

Material, labor and external service costs are charged to each work order.

Kilometer-Based Cost Analysis

One of the critical KPIs in highway operations is maintenance cost per kilometer. With the integration of SAP PM and CO:

• The total maintenance cost of every kilometer segment is calculated
• The cost trend over years is analyzed
• High-cost segments are identified to support investment decisions
• Booth-level operating costs are compared with revenue to measure profitability

Anomaly Detection for Proactive Maintenance

Moving from traditional periodic maintenance to condition-based maintenance significantly reduces costs. By analyzing sensor data and historical breakdown records:

• Pre-failure warning systems are established
• Maintenance plans are dynamically optimized
• Spare part inventory levels are determined with forecast models
• End-of-life predictions are made for equipment

At VEX-I, we make the maintenance and repair costs of your highway infrastructure traceable through work orders in SAP PM — broken down by kilometer, direction and lane.