The majority of asset lifecycle costs normally emerge during operations . The acquisition or creation phase can involve a large capital outlay, but total lifecycle cost is usually dominated over time by operating cost, maintenance cost, energy consumption, downtime, repairs, spares, labor, inspections, compliance, risk controls, failures, modifications, and eventual disposal preparation. Business needs analysis is important because poor early decisions can lock in high lifecycle cost, but the costs themselves mostly materialize during the operating life of the asset. The create/acquire phase determines much of the future cost profile, yet it is not where most costs are incurred in long-lived industrial assets. In CRL Asset Management, this is a critical concept: lowest purchase price is not the same as best lifecycle value. Asset management requires balancing cost, performance, risk, opportunity, and value across the whole life of the asset. IAM and GFMAM guidance both frame asset management around balancing costs, opportunities, risks, and performance to achieve organizational objectives, which supports operations as the phase where lifecycle cost control becomes most visible.
