FAQ Overview

ADAC Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

What is ADAC?

ADAC stands for “Asset Design and As Constructed”. It is a non-proprietary data specification and transport format (XML) for the description and transmission of asset design and ‘as constructed’ data.

Where did ADAC come from?

ADAC was created by local government for local government. Starting in south-east Queensland more than a decade ago, ADAC is the result of a consortium of Councils and other organisations. The ADAC consortium’s mission is to develop a robust framework for the efficient and standardized capture, delivery and use of public works asset data. The consortium’s vision is that ADAC will become the industry standard for the specification and recording of asset design and ‘As Constructed’ data.

What asset types does it cover?

The ADAC specification currently covers the widest selection of asset categories available in the market, including:

  • Roads
  • Drainage
  • Open Space
  • Water
  • Sewerage
  • Cadastre (as a reference feature)

Work is currently underway to expand the number of asset categories and classes covered by ADAC. For example, by December 2011 the ADAC Technical Reference Group will be reviewing proposals for bridges, buildings and coastal infrastructure assets.

How does ADAC work?

The ADAC data specification provides a standardized method of describing asset design and ‘as constructed’ data. This specification is completely embodied in the ADAC XML schema definition. The ADAC XML schema definition can be used in conjunction with any feature manipulation engine (Extract, Transform and Load/ETL) tool to map data from electronic design and ‘as constructed’ drawings directly to data fields within your asset data register and / or GIS systems. In this way you can automate the validation and ingestion of this data into your asset systems. In addition, you can extract and export data from your asset systems to meet statutory reporting requirements or to compare your data with other ADAC consortium members.

Who owns and controls ADAC?

The ADAC specification was created by the members of the ADAC Consortium, and the ongoing direction of ADAC is developed by the ADAC Strategic Reference Group and ADAC Technical Reference Group made up mostly of Council and Utility members. ADAC is administered by an industry association: the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia (Queensland Division). The IPWEAQ is a not-for-profit organization that provides governance, quality assurance and advocacy support for ADAC.

Is ADAC supported by any national industry bodies?

Yes. The ADAC specification for ‘As Constructed’ data is the supported direction of the IPWEA National Asset Management Strategy Committee (NAMS.AU) which provides national leadership and advocacy in the sustainable management of community infrastructure. ADAC is the only data specification model referred to in the IIMM(International Infrastructure Management Manual) just revised and re-released in June 2011.

What are the benefits of implementing ADAC?

  • ADAC provides a common language for describing asset design and ‘as constructed’ data and a common method of transporting it. This enables:
    • Validation of asset data and streamlining of asset acceptance processes
      • Ensures you receive the right data in the right format from your asset delivery entities (e.g.  property developers, contract construction firms and internal asset constructors).
      • Allows you to process new asset design faster and with less effort. Timeframes from submittal to acceptance of designs and as cons can be improved greatly.
      • Provides a common format for asset delivery entities to submit asset design and as constructed drawings to different authorities (e.g. Councils, utilities, State government instrumentalities).
      • Improvement in asset management data quality
        • Data can be entered into your asset management and GIS systems quicker, cleaner and cheaper.
        • Standardization of data structures promotes more streamlined internal and external asset reporting.  
      • Opportunities to collaborate and benchmark with similar organizations
        • Provides the opportunity to provide aggregated regional and industry reporting.
  • Being part of the ADAC Consortium gives you:
    • The ability to collaborate with fellow members to
      • Work on issues and ideas.
      • Share knowledge and experience.
      • Influence the development of ADAC and the emerging field of asset data management standards.

Who is currently using ADAC?

The ADAC Consortium currently has 17 members comprising of Councils and utilities across mainly Queensland and now rapidly expanding  into other states. Councils include those with poulations between 20 000 and 1,000,000,000. Please see the list contained within this wesite for a detailed list of the ADAC consortium.

How is ADAC different from other offerings in the market?

  • ADAC has an extensive data model which gives it the greatest coverage of asset classes and categories currently available in the market.
  • ADAC is incredibly flexible.
    • The ADAC transfer format is non-proprietary XML. This means you do not need to buy a particular software product to use it. You can implement it with almost any asset management / GIS software.
    • The design of ADAC supports enumerations to assist regional variances in terminology.
    • ADAC focuses on how the data is validated and transmitted, not what it looks like. This allows you to retain local symbology to meet your internal business needs and the capabilities of your software.
  • The ADAC XML schema embodies the entire data model. This supports electronic validation using common and mature XML validation routines.  
  • ADAC is developed by members for members. The development of ADAC is driven by members’ needs, not the need to generate a profit.
  • ADAC has the support of peak industry bodies. ADAC is the supported direction of the IPWEA National Asset Management Strategy Committee (NAMS.AU) for ‘As Constructed’ data.

Where is ADAC going in the future?

The Consortium’s goal is to see ADAC as the standard specification for the description and transmission of asset design and ‘as constructed’ data. By December 2011 the ADAC Technical Reference Group will review proposals to expand the ADAC asset categories and classes to include bridges, buildings and coastal infrastructure. It is also envisaged that ADAC will expand to accommodate asset categories and classes for the Utilities sector (e.g. electricity, gas etc.)

How much does ADAC cost?

The ADAC specification is freely available from our website . You can download the specification and start using it right now once you have registered, just follow the prompts.

If you want to join the ADAC consortium, our joining fees and annual membership subscription rates are built on a sliding scale according to population.

Please contact Adam Hain at IPWEAQ at ahain@ipweaq.asn.au for further information.

What do I get for my money if I become a member?

General membership entitles you to:

  • Link to forum on IPWEA national site.
  • Consortium Charter.
  • XSD file access.
  • ADAC Support guidelines .
  • Data standards document. A delivery standard to be presented to the private industry.
  • Back end GIS assistance from Consortium peers.
  •  In-house information day from IPWEAQ .
  • In-house information day from  ADAC accredited software vendor. 
  • ADAC training access through IPWEAQ.
  • Q&A FAQ sheet to assist in your first steps.

You can also choose to be a member of the Strategic Reference Group (SRG) by application
to IPWEA. Contact Adam Hain at ahain@ipweaq.asn.au .

 

Are there any other products or services I have to buy once I get ADAC?

No. There are a range of 3rd party software and technical support services that can help you automate the capture and recording of asset design and ‘as constructed’ data, but there is nothing you must buy to make ADAC work.

Is there ADAC compliant software available?

Yes. Although ADAC is a specification not an application it is supported by a range of 3rd party software tools. A list of ADAC compliant software suppliers is available on our website, with ongoing discussions being held with additional vendors.

How do software and support suppliers become ADAC accredited?

Prospective ADAC software vendors and support providers can apply to the Consortium to become Corporate ADAC Partners, with which there are many benefits. The ADAC Strategic Reference Group will evaluate each application. Where software is involved, the ADAC Technical Reference Group will perform a product review and advises the vendor of any issues that would prevent their application receiving ADAC accreditation. Given that the ADAC transport format is built upon the open XML standard, it is expected that any changes would be minimal.

How often is ADAC updated?

The ADAC data specification and transfer format are reviewed annually by the ADAC Technical Review Group. Recommendations for modifications to ADAC are reviewed and approved by the ADAC Strategic Reference Group under the auspices of IPWEAQ.

How future-proof is ADAC?

The ADAC data specification is designed to allow for the controlled expansion of the range of asset categories and types.  The transport format has been designed in XML to promote inter-operation with almost any software. Under the structure of a council member consortium and the governance of the Institute of Public Works Engineers Australia, the longevity of ADAC is secured.

Is ADAC scalable and portable?

Yes. ADAC is designed to suit small organizations as well as large ones. It can be implemented with spreadsheet-based asset registers or state-of-the-art asset management / GIS systems. You choose how automated your data capture process becomes.

Will ADAC replace the printed plan?

  • ADAC complements printed plans by making spatial and non-spatial asset data available to other systems (e.g. asset registers and mapping systems). There are some functions for which printed plans are more useful.  The printed plan represents an engineer or surveyor’s signed professional testament to conditions at a fixed point in time.  It is a valuable static record that has enduring value as such.     Electronic asset records in systems are dynamic records that can be updated and interacted with to show the current situation and have a forward lifespan that follows the life of the asset.   In the future it is envisaged that ADAC data will be used as an input to produce a static plan (that can be archived as a fixed record) then travel on to become dynamic data.

 

Does choosing ADAC lock me in to anything?

No. When you join the ADAC consortium you choose how far and how fast you want to go with your implementation. Joining ADAC does not commit you to the purchase of any software or 3rd party support services.

How would I go about implementing ADAC in my organisation?

As an ADAC member you also have access to a number of support resources including the “Support Guidelines for Implementing ADAC” developed by the Consortium. A local briefing will help you answer questions like:

 

  • What is the optimal scope, timing and extent of my ADAC implementation?
  • How do I engage key stakeholders to make my ADAC implementation a success?
  • How do I map my existing data structures to ADAC?
  • How can I use the ADAC XML transport format?

 

As an ADAC Consortium member you also have access to other members’ knowledge and experience via the ADAC Community forum and invitation to group meetings where you can have your issues addressed.

Do I have to change my asset management systems to use ADAC?

  • No. The ADAC data specification and XML transport format can be mapped to almost any asset management system or GIS data schema. But while you don’t have to, there are benefits to be realized by aligning asset descriptions and properties with ADAC structures and values that will lower effort in the long term.  Such action does not have to be taken all at once.

 

Where do I get additional ADAC resources?

Information on additional ADAC resources is available at our website (www.adac.com.au) or by contacting ahain@ipweaq.asn.au. Anyone can download the ADAC data specification for free. Members are also able to access a range of ADAC support tools and content developed by other members.

What ADAC support is available to me?

As a member of the ADAC Consortium you have access to other members’ tools for planning and implementation. You also have access to the ADAC Community web forum to discuss issues and ideas with other members. In addition to this, there are a number of 3rd party providers you can engage to assist with planning and implementation of ADAC.

Resources

Mindmaps

New version ADAC V4.1.0 (changes marked)

Current version V4.0.0

 

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Contacts

ADAC V3

The ADAC V3 Schema was updated in October 2010 to the new version V4. Over the past twelve months V4 has progressed greatly and is now fully robust. Translation tools are no longer supplied by council but are now provided by third party companies.

 

Please go to the Downloads section of the website to get the latest schema and associated documentation or to the Affiliated software vendors page for any authoring tools.

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