Effective PLiM of HWR NPPs implies more effective use of plant data trends using instrumentation and monitors that often already exist at the plants. Also the integrity of ageing related plant data is a significant concern in the nuclear industry. With the passage of time, retention, integrity, and accessibility of data histories within the plant culture and organization can become issues. Plants that start early on organizing data systematically will be better able to optimize their maintenance strategies.

Hence, effective PLiM programmes also deal with plant data management issues to ensure high quality data for both current and future ageing/life assessments. For example, the ageing assessments on important fluid retaining SSCs show that the effects of chemistry are among the most important factors affecting degradation. To track these, an advanced system chemistry monitoring and diagnostic system can be used to advantage. For instance, to maximize steam generator tubing life, it is necessary to identify the effects of impurities in the secondary side water on local steam generator crevice chemistry and fouling. On-line access by the operators to current and past chemistry conditions (such as available from such advanced monitoring and diagnostic chemistry systems) enables appropriate responses and facilitates planning of shutdown maintenance actions (such as cleaning of specific areas). This is a significant means to successful management of health and long life of this critical plant component.

As maintenance strategies move to more condition-based decision making, effective use of age-related information at the plant and the timely flow of this information to key decision makers becomes a greater challenge to manage. Each monitored parameter of importance to ageing will be used to determine when to take an appropriate action. Therefore, it becomes important to ensure that the appropriate personnel see the requisite information, and to track their response as follow up action is taken. It also means that personnel will be expected to deal with a more significant number of potential actions, so care must be taken to not simply overload them with information and requests. To facilitate these changes to condition-based decision making advanced maintenance information, monitoring, and control systems can be used to benefit. These types of systems provide an interface for users to access specific health monitor information and an electronic portal to the maintenance review and to the work management system.