Interactive guide - part 2

In this guide, we assume that:

• Dynaway EAM is installed in your Business Central environment
• You have a license for the EAM
• "Set up assets" and "Set up work orders" Assisted Setup wizards are completed in the environment you are working in.
• You want to learn how to work with Work Orders and Assets in the EAM

Introduction video

Before we start using the EAM, it is crucial that you understand the basic workflow of Dynaway EAM for BC.

So if you haven't already, please watch this video to understand the basic workflow in the EAM.

Do you have sufficient permissions to use the "Asset Manager" role center?

To use the functionality described in this guide, you should have at least these Permission Sets:

These can be edited by searching for "Users in Business Central", clicking the associated link and choosing the user you want to give Permission Sets:

(picture above) An Example of a User Card with Maintenance Technicians Permissions

To find out more about user permissions, visit our documentation or Business Central Documentation to learn about Permission Sets.

Do you have the "Asset Manager" role center open?

To switch your role center to "Asset Manager"...

Click the gear icon in the top right and "My Settings"

...role...

And choose the Asset Manager role.

Would you like to set up Asset Templates?

(= Would you like to set up how an Asset looks like by default when you create it?)

Asset Templates

To create a template for your assets, search for "Asset Templates" and click the associated link:

Here, you will set up how a new Asset looks when you create it. If you only have one existing Asset template, it will be automatically used to create an Asset.

You can also create a couple of templates and choose one of them every time you make a new Asset.

We will create an Asset Template called "Default Asset Template," but you can call it whatever you want (below).

Creating your first Asset

Click on "Assets" and choose "Assets" again to open the Assets list.

and click on "+ New."

If you created one Asset Template in the previous step, this template will be automatically used to create your Asset.

If you created more than one template, you will be asked which template you would like to use.

Because of the scope of this guide, we will only focus on the parts of the Asset Card that are needed to create and post a first Work Order.

Maintenance Items

In the "Items" tab at the bottom of an Asset Card, you should add Items that could be used in connection with this Asset - for example, as spare parts.

You can make any Business Central Item into a Dynaway EAM Maintenance Item simply by opening it and ticking "Maintenance Item" in the Maintenance tab. To show this to you, we can search for Items:

And by opening an Item from the Business Central demo data and turning on the switch in the Maintenance Tab:

The EAM works like this to show only the relevant Business Central items in the EAM.

Now we can add the item back on our Asset (Card):

Building your Assets in a hierarchy

To make your Asset Directory easier to navigate, you should structure your Assets into a tree:

You can do this by assigning your Asset to a parent Asset:

You can also create a child Asset from a parent Asset:

If you want to group Assets, you might find "Virtual Assets" useful. By marking one of your Assets as Virtual, you will tell EAM that this Asset does not physically exist on the floor, and therefore it won't be possible to create a Work Order on this Asset, for example.

You can then use Virtual Assets as a folder for your other Assets by assigning the virtual Assets as a parent on the children.

Please, create at least 2 Assets, one of which is a virtual-asset parent.

The Assets Tree

Now let's have a look at the assets in the system from the Assets Tree view.

To do this, click on "Assets" and "Assets Tree":

You will only see Assets here that are assigned an Active Status Code. (below an example of Active Statuses on an Asset)

You can also view much other information related to each Asset, like Asset Items.

Example: Earlier, we asked you to add an item to one of your Assets. To view this Item in the Assets Tree, go to Process/Tree Options:

and turn on "Show Asset Items":

(above) Feel free to add other things that you want to be displayed in your Asset tree.

Now when we click "Close" and click on the little triangles to search for our Asset with an Item connected to it, we will see Items similar to children of Assets:

Creating a one-off Work Order from the Assets Tree

The Assets Tree is a universal and powerful tool - both for Maintenance Managers and Maintenance Technicians.

Apart from the things introduced so far, you can also perform many actions from the Asset Tree, including creating Work Orders.

Let's say that one of our Assets broke down and we need to perform work on it. Then we can select this asset and click on Process/Create Work Order 

to Create a one-off Work Order. Remember that you cannot create Work Orders from Virtual Assets.

You can also right-click on an asset to do the same:

And fill in the necessary information:

Clicking "Yes" will create a Work Order, from where Items and Resources used during the work on an Asset can be posted.

Adding Resources to a Work Order

Now that we have a Work Order, we can add Items and Resources used during the work.

To do this, open the "Resources" tab on the Work Order first. Here we can add (or remove) Business Central Resources:

Then we choose the type of work that was/will be performed (not mandatory):

and we add quantity to consume:

To add Items to a Work Order...

Open the "Items" tab:

...and add a Maintenance Item:

Remember that Maintenance Items are standard Business Central Items. The only difference is that Maintenance Items have the "Maintenance Item" button in the Maintenance tab marked as true:

The last thing is to add the number of Items to be consumed:

Expenses on a Work Orders

Expenses can be added to a Work Order, but this should probably be set up by someone responsible for handling finance in Business Central first (so that it is connected to the correct G/L account etc.)

Expenses are special costs that may be included in a work order. Examples are costs for accommodation, gasoline, and external contractors required to complete a job.

You can read more about Expenses in our documentation here.

You can also read our blog post "How to register external costs for your maintenance work".

Creating your first Work Order Plan

Usually, you will need a Work Order Plan to create Work Orders.

The Work Order that we created in the previous steps from the Assets Tree has automatically created a Work Order Plan in the background.

To create a Work Order Plan manually, navigate to Work Orders - Work Order Plans:

Here we can see the Work Order Plan that was created in the background along with the Work Order created from the Assets Tree:

But we want to create a new Work Order Plan. To do that, click "+ New":

Work Order Plans work like templates for future Work Orders. 

On the Work Order Plan, we can specify what will the future Work Orders contain.

Parts of a Work Order Plan

Work Orders are like templates for creating Work Orders. It contains many of the same fields and tabs as Work Orders do:

• An Asset
• Category
• Priority
• Instructions
• Items
• (Expenses - depends on setup)
• Resources*

*It is not necessary to add a specific Resource to your Work Order Plans. You can either choose a specific Resource later or Dynaway EAM can find it by itself based on availability (premium feature - Resource Allocation) 

All of the above will be inherited by each Work Order that is created from a Work Order Plan.

You can also assign Checklists that will be required to fill in before and/or after the execution of work

Checklists are created with the Dynaway Forms module that is automatically installed along with Dynaway EAM for BC.

If you want to attach a Checklist to a Work Order, you will have to create a Form Template with a Category "WO Checklist". 

A Checklist Template can only be used on a Work Order Plan when it's released!

Form templates can be done directly created from a Work Order Plan by clicking on +New in the dropdown menu:

How to Add a Checklist to a Work Order Plan

Frequencies on Work Order Plans Introduction

Maybe the most crucial part of a Work Order Plan is the Frequencies tab.

In the Frequencies tab, you determine when a Work Order is created from a Work Order Plan.

Important note: There can always be only ONE Work Order created from a Work Order Plan at a time. A next Work Order can then be created only when the previous one has been closed.

Frequencies on a Work Order Plan:

Four frequency types can be used in Work Order planning:

• One-off - triggers a Work Order on a specific date, by default "corrective."
• Calendar - used for recurring maintenance based on time, always preventive maintenance
• Counter - triggers Work Orders based on a linear value - e.g. running hours, qty. produced, milage. Treaded as preventive maintenance.
• Measurement - triggers Work Orders based on non-linear values - e.g. temperature, pressure, vibration. Treaded as corrective maintenance.

One-off frequency on Work Order Plans

One-off frequencies create Work Orders on a specific date. They are by default marked as "corrective" but can be set to preventive as well.

Assigning a one-off frequency to a Work Order Plan is very simple - choose the frequency type "One-off" and then fill in the Planned Date for when the work should take place:

Calendar Frequency on Work Order Plans

You can use Calendar frequencies for scheduling reoccurring maintenance based on time. EAM always treats it as preventive maintenance.

The "Calendar" frequency allows you to plan Work Orders periodically - daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly.

To add a Calendar frequency to a Work Order Plan, scroll to the "Frequencies" tab and add a new frequency with a type "Calendar":

Then click "No" under "Scheduled":

The Recurrence Schedule window will pop up. First, you will need to choose one of the reccurrence types. To do this, click the three dots at the top of the window.

Let's, for example, choose a weekly reccurrence. Then under the "Weekly" tab, the distance between weeks and which days work order plans should be triggered can be selected:

The screenshot above is an example of how a frequency that is triggered every second week on Mondays would look like.

When you are done, click "OK."

Counter Frequency on Work Order Plans

Counters are only available with one of our premium plans.

Counters create Work Order Plans based on a linear value - e.g. running hours, qty. produced, milage. It is treaded as preventive maintenance.

You can only add a Counter frequency line if the Asset selected on the Work Order Plan has a Counter installed (next slide).

How to add Counter frequency to a Work Order plan:

1. Select a frequency type "Counter" on a  Work Order Plan
2. Select the No link in the Scheduled field to open the screen where you set up counter frequency details.
3. If you want to add a limit that should be reached on the counter before Work Orders start to be created from the counter frequency line, enter that number in the Do not trigger before usage field.
4. In the Usage between work orders field, enter the frequency used for calculating the next Work Order.
5. The screenshot shows an example of a counter frequency schedule to create a Work Order for every 50 running hours (RH) registered on the counter (50, 100, 150…):
   
6. Select Yes to save the setup.

Installing a Counter

First, a Counter needs to be created:

1. Search for Counters
2. Click "+New"
3. Enter an ID for the Counter in the No. field. Consider using the same No. as the Asset you will assign it to
4. Enter a name in the Name field.
5. Select a code in the Counter Category Code field or choose New to create a new Counter Category.
6. In the Max. Counter Reading field, enter the maximum value for the Counter.

Then the Counter has to be added to an Asset to be used on Work Order Plans that contain this Asset.

1. On an Asset select Actions > Counter Registration > "+Mount Counter"
   
2. Select the Counter No.
3. Select the current reading Value from the counter
4. Click "Yes" to connect the Counter to your Asset

Now your Asset has a Counter mounted to it, and it can be used on Work Order plans.

Measurements on Work Order Plans

Measurements are only available with one of our premium plans.

Measurements are based on IoT device values that measure - e.g. temperature, pressure, vibration. Treaded as corrective maintenance.

You can only add a Measurement frequency line if the Asset selected on the Work Order Plan is related to a Measurement.

How to create a Measurement (next slide)?

1. On the Work Order Plan> Frequencies section > the Frequency Type field, select "Measurement" to create maintenance Work Orders based on Measurement readings. A checkmark is automatically inserted in the Corrective Maintenance checkbox.
2. Select the No link in the Scheduled field to open the screen where you set up measurement frequency conditions.
3. Select the measurement in the Measurement No. field.
4. In the Filter expression field, enter the expression used for calculating the next Work Order. Refer to Microsoft documentation for more information on filter expressions: Sorting, Searching, and Filtering.
5. The screenshot shows an example of a Measurement schedule to create a Work Order if Measurement readings are in the interval 35 through 40 degrees Celsius.
6. Select Yes to save the setup.

Installing a Measurement

Examples of Measurement equipment are vibration sensors, thermometers, and air quality sensors. One Asset can be related to several pieces of Measurement equipment

1. On your role center, select Measurements > Measurements.
2. Select New.
3. Enter Measurement No. and Name.
4. Select the Measurement unit in the Unit of Measure Code field.
5. Define the accepted range for the Measurement in the Minimum Allowed Value and Maximum Allowed Value field. Depending on the Measurement unit, only one of the values may be relevant.
6. Select the "0" link in the Asset Count field to open the Assets Measurements screen. Here you add the Assets you want to relate to the Measurement equipment.
7. Select New on the Asset Measurements screen.
8. In the Asset No. field, select an Asset. When you leave the line or close the screen, the other fields on the line are automatically updated.
9. Repeat step 7-8 for all the Assets you want to add to the selected Measurement.
10. When you return to the Measurements screen, press F5 to update screen. The number of Assets added to the Measurement is shown in the Asset Count field.

How are Work Orders created from Work Order Plans?

When you are done filling in your Work Order Plan, the first thing that you should do is to release it. 

You can release your Work Order Plan from your Work Order Plan by clicking "Release/Release":

Now there are 3 ways Work Orders can be created from Work Order Plans:

• On Release
• Manually
• Semi-automatically

On Release

If you have set up the EAM to "Calculate Work Orders on Plan Release" in Asset Management Setup:

Work Orders will be created automatically when you release a Work Order Plan. 

Manually

By manually, we mean that you can create a Work Order from each work Order Plan directly by clicking Process/Calculate Plan.

After you click "OK" a Work Order will be calculated based on the frequencies.

Semi-automatically

In semi-automatic Work Order scheduling, someone like a Scheduler or a Maintenance Manager can decide which Work Orders are created and change them in the process. This can be done on the Planning Worksheet.

The Planning Worksheet

Use the Planning Worksheet to calculate multiple Work Order Plans (and Round Plans if you use the Rounds module in EAM-BC) at a time and create Work Orders (or Round Orders) from the plans.

1. On your role center, select Work Orders > Planning Worksheet.
   
2. Select Calculate Plan….
   
3. On the Calculate Work Orders pop-up screen, select OK to calculate Work Order Plans with the status "Released." You can only create a new Work Order for a Work Order Plan without active Work Orders.
4. Select the Accept Action Message check box for the plans you want to create a Work Order for.
   1. If you want to create a Work Order for all the plans in the list, select the Accept All Action Messages... button to select the check box for all plans.
5. (optional) You can change when the Work Order is scheduled under "Planned Date."
   
6. Select the Carry Out Action Message… button to create Work Orders.
7. Click OK to close the message.
8. The Work Order Plans for which Work Orders have been created are deleted from the Planning Worksheet.
9. On your role center, select a Work Order list, for example, Open Work Orders, to see the Work Orders you created.

Dynaway Scheduling Board

A separate license is needed for the Scheduling Board.

You can learn what you can do with the Scheduling Board in this short video:

To install Dynaway Scheduling Board...

Search for and click on "Extension Management":

And then click "Manage/Extension Marketplace":

Then search for Dynaway and click on "Free Trial" under "Dynaway Scheduling Board":

After you fill in a short form, you can check the progress of the installation in "Installed Extensions/Manage/Deployment Status":

Do you have a license for the Dynaway Scheduling Board?

You will need to get a license specifically for the Scheduling Board.

You can find more information about the available licenses and get a license for the Dynaway Scheduling Board here.

To check if the Scheduling Board is installed in your Business Central AND to check if you have a license for it...

Search for and click on "EAM License Information":

And under the "Modules" tab:

you will be able to see which modules are installed and if you have a license for them.

What would you like to do next?

To post Items/Resources/Expenses on a Work Order...

Click on Post - Post/Close on a Work Order:

and click "Post" and "OK" to post Items, Resources, and Expenses:

We will now be able to see posted Items and Resources on the Work Order:

If we wanted to, we could add more Resources, Items, or Expenses to the Work Order now.

To close a Work Order...

select "Post/Close" again and click "OK" after selecting "Close":

Depending on how you set the system up in Assisted Setup, some other fields might be editable or mandatory:

You can always change which fields are mandatory/available in "Asset Management Setup":

... in the Work Order and Rounds tab under "Closing":

Reviewing history in Dynaway EAM

This video shows a couple of ways to review historical data in the EAM:

You can find more information through these links:

On our website: dynaway.com/eam-bc

17-minute demo of the basic workflow for Managers and Technicians

Read our in-depth documentation: help.dynaway.com/eam-bc

Send us an email to help@dynaway.com

Part 1 of the Interactive Guide: https://www.dynaway.com/eam-bc/interactive-guide/setup

Simulating Work Order Plans

Simulation Work Orders can help both maintenance BC users and non-maintenance BC users get an overview of how many Items and Resources will be needed in the future for planned work.

Work Orders can be simulated by clicking on "+ Simulate Work Orders" in the Asset Manager role center:

To see simulated Items and Resources for a specific Work Order Plan, open the Plan, and go to Related/Simulation/Instances - this will show all the Items and Resources that will be needed based on the Plan's frequency.

Work Order Plans will be simulated only for the Work Order Plans with frequencies that will be triggered within the  planning horizon in the Asset Management Setup - this was set up in Assisted Setup and it is called "Work Order Lookahead":

For Items, a person responsible for purchases in your Business Central will see how many items will be needed when and why. The person can then create purchases for these Items if needed.

For Resources, in Related/Planning/Maintenance Availability, it's possible to see how many hours are assigned to and planned for Resources. 

Work Order Plan simulation does not work for Measurement frequencies.

Plans are simulated:

• Automatically - Job Queue
• When a Work Order is created from a Work Order Plan
• Can be triggered manually for released Work Order Plans or Round Plans