KUALA LUMPUR (March 30): UEM Edgenta Bhd and PLUS Malaysia Bhd have formed a collaboration that will see the expansion of digital solutions in highway maintenance operations.

UEM Edgenta managing director and chief executive officer Syahrunizam Samsudin said the company has developed the Road Asset Management System that enables it to plan short and long-term road maintenance activities, prioritising its responsibilities of managing over 1,000 kilometres of highway assets for PLUS.

“The key advantage of this system, combined with our experience and discipline, is the convenience to design long-term asset management plans and maintain optimal timing of maintenance works at multiple locations,” he said in a joint statement today.

UEM Edgenta's infrastructure solutions arm, Edgenta PROPEL Bhd has been providing highway maintenance services to PLUS and continuously adopts innovative technologies that enhance operational efficiencies and safety standards to become one of the region’s leading highway maintenance service providers.

The use of advanced technology such as Internet of Things and machine learning has enabled UEM Edgenta to deliver better service quality and actionable insights via real-time data streams that flow into the company’s command and contact centre located at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.

“The company then leverages on predictive analytics to detect potential faults and enhance predictive maintenance for a smarter asset management approach,” it said.

It said the ongoing restrictions on inter-state travelling has enabled PLUS and UEM Edgenta to conduct continuous improvement activities and new benchmarking exercises to explore and set enhanced safety and operational standards.

Meanwhile, PLUS managing director Datuk Azman Ismail said PLUS is committed to serving highway users for commercial or leisure purposes as its inter-urban highway network is a critical link for the nation and contributes to economic growth stimulation, particularly during the current phase of national recovery.

“We also look forward to a close collaboration between PLUS and UEM Edgenta in supporting the Ministry of Works' key aspirations of enhancing organisational governance to improve the efficiency of service delivery,” he said.

He said UEM Edgenta’s highway maintenance operations service partner network has over 200 experienced and capable Bumiputera companies that have grown sustainably with PLUS for over 30 years to maintain the company’s assets and keeping the highways in prime condition for the convenience of users.

“We value them as key stakeholders in our network and will always ensure their welfare and well-being are taken care of, as we move to transition into the post-pandemic economy,” he added.