This is a conceptual paper introducing the novel reliability chain as a holistic framework for the asset management process. The main objective of the reliability chain is to give a tool for communication regarding asset management decisions and to visualize the different areas that are important for efficient decisions.

The reliability chain describes the process from data on component and system level to asset management decisions, via steps of information handling. Furthermore a brief outline on how to utilize the concept in order to categorize different asset management strategies is provided.

A main challenge in many maintenance and asset management processes is the risk of putting too much attention to a limited part of the process. One of the main conclusions from the paper is that significant efforts have to be spent on the transitions between the different links in the reliability chain in order to reach an efficient and well-organized asset management.