Future of Assets | Nearly four decades in asset management distilled into five insights. What Johan Jansen van Rensburg of SAPPI wants every leader to know about AI and the fundamentals that never change.
Nearly four decades of experience in maintenance, reliability, and asset management gives you a perspective that most conversations about technology never quite reach. When Berend Booms sat down with Johan Jansen van Rensburg, Reliability Manager at SAPPI, for Episode 5 of Assets UNSCRIPTED, what emerged was a conversation that cuts through the noise — and gets back to what actually matters.
Here are five of the most important ideas from that conversation.
Johan Jansen van Rensburg is Reliability Manager at SAPPI, with nearly four decades of experience spanning electrical engineering, maintenance, and asset management across multiple countries and industries. Having lived through the CMMS revolution of the 1990s, he brings a rare long-view perspective to today’s AI-driven transformation.
In Episode 5 of Assets UNSCRIPTED, Johan shares what he has learned across close to forty years at the sharp end of maintenance and reliability — from the arrival of computers in industry to the current wave of artificial intelligence. His message is consistent, grounded, and worth paying attention to. Watch the full episode on YouTube, or listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
1. There Is No Silver Bullet — There Never Was
From CMMS in the 1990s to AI today, every major technology wave has arrived with the same pitch: this is the solution. Johan has heard this story many times. His professor told him early in his career that the silver bullet doesn’t exist — and every decade since has confirmed it.
The appeal is understandable. People are looking for instant gratification, a way to solve the problem and move on. But the organizations that have genuinely improved their maintenance and reliability over time are the ones that resisted that thinking and invested in the discipline instead.
“The silver bullet doesn’t exist. Everybody is looking for that instant gratification, but you still need the fundamentals in place to make sure things work.” — Johan Jansen van Rensburg, Reliability Manager, SAPPI
2. Data Integrity Is the Foundation Everything Else Builds On
Ask Johan what he would audit before allowing an AI conversation to continue, and the answer is immediate: how the organization manages its asset data. Not which platform they use, not what their budget is — the quality and integrity of the data already in their systems.
Organizations that have been methodical and disciplined about collecting and maintaining accurate asset data are the ones whose systems actually work — whatever the underlying technology. Those that haven’t? AI will temporarily mask the problem, but in five years they’ll be back to square one. Johan has seen this exact pattern play out with CMMS, and he sees it beginning again with AI.
“If your data integrity is not good, you’re gonna fix it using AI maybe, but in five years’ time you’re gonna be back and it’s not gonna be working for you.” — Johan Jansen van Rensburg, Reliability Manager, SAPPI
3. You Still Need People Who Get Their Hands Dirty
No matter how sophisticated the technology becomes, the physical work of maintaining assets has not gone away. Johan is direct about this. You still need an artisan. You still need someone who understands the fundamentals of electricity, how to fit a bearing, how to use a torque wrench.
The skills shortage in maintenance and reliability is not a local problem. He has witnessed it across South Africa, Germany, Sweden, and the United States. Everywhere, organizations face the same challenge: attracting and retaining the hands-on technical talent that keeps operations running. Technology is not the answer to that shortage — it is a tool that skilled people use.
“You still need an artisan, you still need somebody that’s gonna get their hands dirty. As much as technology has driven a lot of things, those people are critical to any business.” — Johan Jansen van Rensburg, Reliability Manager, SAPPI
4. Build from the Foundation Up — Not from the Roof Down
Berend shares an observation from watching his new house being built — floor by floor, foundation first. Johan immediately applies the same logic to AI in asset management. A digital twin sounds impressive, but it is only as useful as the asset attributes that sit beneath it. What oil does the gearbox take? What temperature should it run at? Can you access the dipstick to take a sample? That data still needs to be captured, maintained, and trusted.
Organizations that expect AI to deliver value before those foundations are in place are starting with the roof. What they get is not a functioning house — it is a system that looks impressive and quickly collapses under real operating conditions.
“You need the attributes of that physical asset — that is the foundation. If you implement a maintenance system without it, you’ve got nothing to build on.” — Johan Jansen van Rensburg, Reliability Manager, SAPPI
5. Curiosity and Continuous Learning Are the Skills That Matter Most
Asked what he would prioritize if he were starting his career today, Johan doesn’t reach for a technical skill. He talks about attitude. About curiosity. About the willingness to keep learning even when the pace of change feels impossible to keep up with.
Reliability and asset management as a discipline is still young. ISO 55,000 — the international standard for asset management — only came out in 2014. There is still no single, well-defined academic pathway into this field. But that, says Johan, is exactly what makes it such an exciting time to be part of it. For anyone entering the industry now, the opportunity to shape something that is still forming is significant.
“You need to foster a culture of continuous learning. Have a curiosity — and enjoy it. It is a phenomenal time to be in this industry.” — Johan Jansen van Rensburg, Reliability Manager, SAPPI