We are all too familiar with computer systems being procured, installed, loaded with data and after spending a lot of money, they end up unused. First lets define unused. Unused systems are those that are not used at all, or partially used but not to their full potential, or systems that people dread using and would stop at the first chance. These systems are costly beyond their initial cost to bring on line; they also cost us in productivity, morale etc. AM/FM being one of the costliest systems that a water agency can get into is in a class of systems that should be somehow ensured of use to avoid these problems. This paper discusses the ownership of a AM/FM system through out its life cycle from inception to full productivity and even to full maturity. It turns out that there are very few systems that are ill conceived but there are many that get off track part way in through their lives. In order to avoid letting one’s system suffer the consequences of being unused, it is important to understand the full life cycle of a AM/FM. Since it is the owners of a system that make it and shape it into what it is and what it will be, it is also important to understand who has ownership of the system at what stage of its life. This paper will attempt to clarify all of these points in a way that will help management at a water authority make the successful decisions about their existing or future AM/FM. In fact, the lessons learned from this exploration can be extended to any computer system such as SCADA, LIMS etc.