Object Status

Each object has a design status level that corresponds to its progress rate within a workflow. The design status also enables the object to be tracked throughout its life cycle. When an object is first created in IFS/Asset Design it is automatically assigned a design status to show its progress within the design workflow. Changing the design status often creates a parallel object in IFS/Equipment and transfers the design object's information to the new object. Within IFS/Equipment, an object receives an operational status to show its status within the operational workflow.

Both the design status and operational status are visible from within IFS/Asset Design and IFS/Equipment. An object's operational status is parallel in IFS/Asset Design and IFS/Equipment, as long as the object exists in IFS/Asset Design as well. 

Note: Within this document, an object in IFS/Asset Design is referred to as a design object. An object within IFS/Equipment is referred to as a functional object. A design object, once transferred, exists in IFS/Asset Design and, in parallel, as a functional object in IFS/Equipment.

Note: Instead of creating an object in IFS/Equipment, the design object could create a linear asset in IFS/Linear Asset (depending on the class connected to the design object). Descriptions below does hence not apply for IFS/Linear Asset. For information regarding the connection between IFS/Asset Design and IFS/Linear Asset read the documentation for Linear Asset..

Overview of Design Status and Operational Status

A new design object is automatically given the design status of Under Design. During the object's under design period the object is registered, complemented with technical requirements describing its wanted function, and might also be connected to other objects through relations/connections, in order to give even more detailed information about wanted design. A design part, a physical piece of equipment, could be added to the object and documents are connected as required. 

Once the object's design is complete, the object's design status is changed. This change affects the functional object in IFS/Equipment in two ways. It creates the functional object and it changes the functional object's operational status. Operational status tracks the functional object's progress in much the same manner as the design status tracks the design object's progress in IFS/Asset Design. Operational status can be tracked from both IFS/Asset Design and IFS/Equipment. 

Design and Operational Status Prerequisites

Certain conditions must be met to enable status changes.

Installation of IFS/Asset Design and IFS/Equipment

These two products should be installed together to enable both design status and operational status changes and the transfer of complete data. If IFS/Equipment isn't installed, an object may still receive a design status and an operational status change, but no transfer of data occurs between the design object and the functional object.

Site

An object in IFS/Asset Design must have a defined site before the design status may be changed. The site is defined automatically, as the user's default site, when the object is first registered. Once the design status has been changed (for example, from Under Design to Completed), alterations to the site may not be made. Site information originates from IFS/Enterprise. 

Object Level

For an object within IFS/Asset Design to be promoted to IFS/Equipment, that object's class must have a been defined with an object level. This definition occurs on the class in IFS/Asset Design using object level values already defined in IFS/Equipment basic data. If a design object does not have a defined object level, the design status change may occur, both for the design and operational statuses, but no data transfer will occur.

Matching Object Level

For the creation of a design object in IFS/Asset Design and where the functional object already exist in IFS/Equipment, or for the transfer of information following a status change on an object which exists in both IFS/Asset Design and IFS/Equipment, the system variables for Design to Equipment - Match Object Level and Equipment to Design - Match Object Level have to be set such as to Ignore Object Level when transferring data (default setting) or Consider Object Level when transferring data. In the case of the latter, information will only be transferred if the object level at both ends match.

Design Status

The design status levels and the available commands for changing status are described in the sections below. 

Under Design
When a design object is created in IFS/Asset Design, its design status is set to Under Design and operational status is set to Not Applicable. This assumes the functional object does not exist in IFS/Equipment. However, if the functional object exists in IFS/Equipment prior to the creation of the design object, design status is set to Completed and operational status is set to the functional object's current status (e.g., In Operation).

The following commands are available for design objects with a design status of Under Design:

Completed
This is the goal status for design objects and usually entails the end of the design object's design phase.

Note: If the functional object exists in IFS/Equipment when the design object is first created in IFS/Asset Design, the design object is created and its design status is set to Completed and the operational status is set to the functional object's current status (In Operation or Out of Operation).

The following commands are available for design objects with a design status of Completed:

Redesign
Design object can undergo rework after it is released as Completed. The object is set to Redesign from IFS/Asset Design.

The following commands are available for design objects with a design status of Redesign:

Planned for Scrapped
Objects are scrapped when they are no longer in use and will not be used in the future.

The following commands are available for design objects with a design status of Planned for Scrapped:

Operational Status

The operational status concerns the functional object within IFS/Equipment. The operational status of a functional object in IFS/Asset Design is always equal to that in IFS/Equipment. Refer to the IFS/Equipment documentation for more information on operational status. The different operational status levels are:

Not Applicable
When a design object is first created in IFS/Asset Design it gets the design level status of Under Design and the operational status of Not Applicable. The operational status for functional objects that do not yet exist in IFS/Equipment is set to Not Applicable.

Planned for Operation
During the design period, the design object may be created as a functional object. This functional object is given the operational status of Planned for Operation, which means that the design object is still under design but the functional object now exists in IFS/Equipment.

In Operation and Out of Operation
These are the two main tracks for a functional object, and often they may be switched back and forth.

Scrapped
A scrapped functional object is one that is not used or is not planned for use. This object usually has been set to In Operation within IFS/Equipment and/or set to Planned for Scrap from IFS/Asset Design. Note that when the operational status for a functional object is set to Scrapped, the design status may not be changed.

Object Creation in IFS/Equipment

If an object's design status is changed in IFS/Asset Design, a parallel functional object is created in IFS/Equipment. For this to occur, three conditions must be met:

  1. The functional object level must be set up in IFS/Equipment's basic data.
  2. The design object's class must have a defined functional object level. If this is not defined, the design status may be changed, but a functional object is not created.
  3. The design object status must be changed. The following status changes cause this functional object to be created within IFS/Equipment:

Object Exists First in IFS/Equipment

Usually, an object is created in IFS/Asset Design and, via a design status change a functional object in IFS/Equipment is created. However, the functional object may exist first within IFS/Equipment due to the installation of IFS/Equipment proceeding that of IFS/Asset Design. 

When the design object is created after the creation of the functional object, the design object is defined with the same object ID as its equipment counterpart, and the following settings and rules apply to the design object:

Note: If a design object is to be created with the same object ID as an existing functional object, information will be transferred from the functional object to the design object. The technical template defined on the functional object will also be valid for the design object if no prior template has been defined on the design object.

It is also possible to control such a transfer of information by setting the system variables such as to Match Object Level from Equipment to Design and vice versa. In this case the object in Equipment will not be created in Asset Design unless the object level at both ends match. Detailed information about system variables is found in this document: About System Variables.

Creating Serial Objects from IFS/Asset Design

A serial object can be created and connected to a functional object from within IFS/Asset Design. The first step is to define serial part information, and save it on a design object in IFS/Asset Design. When the object's design status is changed from Under Design to Planned for Operation or Completed, the following events occur:

Note: Serial information is sent one-way from IFS/Asset Design to IFS/Equipment. Any future change where the serial object is moved in IFS/Equipment is not transferred back to the design object in IFS/Asset Design.

Part Number and Design Part

Part number of the design part, defined on the design object is transferred to the corresponding equipment object (functional). For this to occur, the below conditions must be met:

Main part on the functional object is transferred to the corresponding design object if the part is connected to a single design part. For this to occur, the following conditions must be met:

An object history log is generated for insert/updates of design parts on the design object.

 Additional Parts and Spare Parts

Additional parts are transferred from design object and added as spare parts on the functional object. For this to occur, these conditions must be met:

Spare parts are transferred from functional object and added as additional parts on the design object. For this to occur, these conditions must be met:

Spare Part Quantity, Drawing Number, Drawing Position, and Note fields are added to each design object's additional spare part. Purchase Quantity field is set to one (1) for new design object additional parts.

The transfer of additional parts and spare parts are controlled by system variables in IFS/Asset Design. It's possible to select between the following two options:

  1. Replace the part list.
  2. Update information on existing parts and add new parts.

Detailed information about system variables is found in this document: About System Variables.

Documents

Design object's connected documents are transferred to the functional object in IFS/Equipment. The following condition exist:

Functional object's connected documents are transferred to the design object in IFS/Asset Design. The following conditions exist:

The transfer of documents is controlled by system variables in IFS/Asset Design. It's possible to select between the following two options:

  1. Replace the document list.
  2. Only add new documents.

Detailed information about system variables is found in this document: About System Variables.

Technical Attribute Values

Technical attribute values are shared between design object and functional object as long as the same attribute exist on both. The same technical class is not required for this transfer. The transfer will occur as long as the same attribute exist on both objects.

The transfer of technical attribute values is controlled by system variables in IFS/Asset Design. It's possible to select between the following three options:

  1. Replace all attribute values.
  2. Replace all attribute values but not with empty values.
  3. Add value only if it's missing.

Detailed information about system variables is found in this document: About System Variables.

Transfer of Object Connections

Both design objects in IFS/Asset Design and functional objects in IFS/Equipment can have connected objects. These objects connections enable powerful navigation between assets and serve as an important part to describe and document the assets. One common example of an object connection is a pump that is driven by a motor, and vise-versa, a motor that drives the pump. Once connected it enables easy navigation between the pump and motor.

Design object and its object connections are transferred to the functional object in IFS/Equipment. For this to occur, the following conditions must be met:

Functional object and its object connections are transferred to the design object in IFS/Asset Design. For this to occur, these conditions must be met:

The transfer of object connections is controlled by system variables in IFS/Asset Design. It's possible to select between the following two options:

  1. Replace the object connection list.
  2. Only add new object connections.

Detailed information about system variables is found in this document: About System Variables.

Transfer of Object Structure

A design object and corresponding equipment object (functional) can share the same object structures like functional, locational, from/to, process, pipe system and circuit/loop. These structures are powerful an enable easy navigation and serve as an important part of a facility's documentation. The parent object is transferred. Child structure objects are not transferred. A practical strategy is to start the transfer from the top and down, to ensure that the parent object already exist once it's about to be added on the object. The design status is usually changed one object at a time. However, you can change design status for a functional or locational structure including the object and its child relations via the corresponding right mouse button option on the object. The change in design status occurs downwards and affects only the object from where the status change is initiated and the object's child relations. Parent relations are not affected. The design status cannot be changed for a non-existing structure; in other words, if the structure doesn't apply, the command to change is ignored.
 

IFS/Asset Design's functional structure is called belongs to structure in IFS/Equipment.

IFS/Asset Design's circuit/loop structure is called electrical structure in IFS/Equipment.

Design object and its structures: functional, locational, from/to, process, pipe system and circuit/loop are transferred to the functional object in IFS/Equipment. For this to occur, the following conditions must be met:

Functional object and its structures: functional, locational, from/to, process, pipe system and circuit/loop are transferred to the design object in IFS/Asset Design. For this to occur, the following conditions must be met:

The transfer of object structures are controlled be a system variable in IFS/Asset Design. It's possible to select between the following options:

  1. Validate parent object's class against class configuration. This will prevent invalid parent structure objects to be added.
  2. Do not validate parent object's class against class configuration. This enables any design object to be added as a parent structure object as long as it exists in IFS/Asset Design.

 

Design Status Change and Data Transfer

Changing the design status for a design object transfers data between the design object in IFS/Asset Design and the functional object in IFS/Equipment. The data transfer is usually from the design object to the functional object, but data can also be transferred from the functional object to the design object.

A design status change can result in the creation of a functional object if the functional object does not exist. If the functional object exists, but the design object does not exist, the design object needs to be created before it can be updated with the latest functional object data. For design objects and functional objects to share data, they must have a common object ID.

For technical attributes, spare parts, object relations, and documents, system variable parameters can be set. These system variables can affect data transfer. Detailed information about system variables is found in this document: About System Variables.

Commands to Change Design Status 

The sections below are organized by the action status commands you use to change design status. The available commands are dependent upon the current design status setting. 

Set Planned for Operation

This command keeps the Design Status field at Under Design but creates a functional object in IFS/Equipment using the design object's ID. If the functional object already exists, updates are made for the differences in data.

The following data changes are sent from the design object in IFS/Asset Design to the functional object in IFS/Equipment:

Set Completed

This command creates a functional object in IFS/Equipment using the design object's ID. If the functional object already exists, updates are made for the data differences.

The following data changes are sent from the design object in IFS/Asset Design to the functional object in IFS/Equipment:

Set Redesign

This command sends data from IFS/Equipment to IFS/Asset Design:

Set Planned for Scrap

This command sends data from IFS/Asset Design to IFS/Equipment. The following data changes are made:

Set Scrapped

This command sends data from IFS/Asset Design to IFS/Equipment. The following data changes are made:

Statuses and information updates

Information on a design objects is only possible to be changed during certain circumstances listed below.