19Assets
Assets
This chapter describes how to track and manage assets. You can collect of data from assets in the field to provide information for preventive maintenance, repairs, billing, and marketing. This chapter includes the following topics:
About Assets
An asset in Siebel Field Service is an instance of a product that has an individual identity and is associated with a customer. You can create an asset for any product by assigning it a unique asset number. An asset has a quantity, a location, and a monetary value and is associated with a product and an organization. In Siebel Field Service, assets have the following additional properties:
Assets can be physical or virtual.
Assets can have serial numbers.
Assets can exist individually, or they can have components.
You can associate assets with other assets when the assets depend on each other.
You can associate teams of employees with an asset.
Assets can be associated with other Siebel business objects and with internal data and calculations as follows:
Assets can contain a hierarchy of other assets as components. There is no restriction on the number of tiers and the number of components in a multi-tiered asset.
You can perform actions such as install, uninstall, upgrade, or downgrade on an asset. You record these actions as asset transactions.
The same asset can have different products over time. For example, when the product associated with an asset is obsolete, you might replace it with a different product. The same asset record remains in Siebel Field Service, but the associated product changes.
When you service an asset, you can associate service requests, preventive maintenance records, and repair records with the asset to maintain a service history for that asset.
Assets can have multiple types of measurements, including gauges, counters, and sensors. Each measurement can have multiple readings that are manually or automatically recorded and stored for problem diagnosis or for usage tracking.
The current value of an asset is calculated or revalued according to its condition, value basis, and cost method.
Serialization of Assets
Not every asset requires a serial number. If an asset requires a serial number, then it is serialized. If an asset is serialized, then the asset requires a serial number for all of its movements and transactions, including the following:
Inventory transactions
Field part movements
Cycle counts
Shipments
Receipts
For all inventory transactions involving serialized products, an asset is equivalent to 1 product. (The product quantity is 1.)
If a product is serialized (if the Serialized check box is selected in the Fulfillment view in the Service Information view in the Products view of the Administration - Product screen), then the assets of the product must also be serialized. However, an asset can be an instance of a nonserialized product and still have a serial number.
Siebel Field Service handles serialized assets differently from nonserialized assets. When you ship or receive serialized assets, the correct number of assets with serial numbers must exist in Siebel Field Service.
Registration of Assets
You can associate an asset with an account, an account site, an owner, and 1 or more contacts. If a customer buys an asset, then the owner and the account are the same. However, if a customer leases or rents the asset, then the account is the location of the asset, and the owner is the lessor or rental agent for the asset. You can view all registered assets for an account in the Accounts screen.
Hierarchical Assets
Assets can have a hierarchical relationship with asset components.
A hierarchical asset is an asset with a hierarchical structure that includes asset or product components. The hierarchical structure of a complex asset can include multiple levels and sublevels of asset or product components and subcomponents. There is no restriction on the number of levels or the number of components in a hierarchical asset. Asset components can be serialized or nonserialized. For example, a parent computer asset can have child assets, such as a motherboard (Part number M, Qty 1, Serial number 123), RAM (Part number RAM, Qty 16, no Serial number), and so on.
A customizable asset is an asset that is associated with a configurable product. You use Siebel Configurator to customize products. For more information about configurable products and Siebel Configurator, see Siebel Product Administration Guide.
Components of a hierarchical asset inherit some properties from the top-level asset. Changing the following fields of the top-level or parent asset of a hierarchical asset changes the same fields in all of the installed components: Account (and all account-related fields, for example, Site, Address Line 1, and so on), Owner, Ownership, and Organization.
Inheritance applies to a change that a user action or an automated process initiates. Changes to the components occur when a user updates the fields in the previous paragraph and saves the record. Users can update only the fields for the top-level asset. The fields of component assets are read-only.
Asset Transactions
Asset transactions with a value of Install, Uninstall, Upgrade, and Downgrade in the Type field maintain the installed base for an asset. Users must manually create these transactions.
For example, a computer has a defective disk drive that you must replace with another disk drive. Two asset transactions affect the change. The first transaction shows the removal of the defective disk drive from the computer. The second transaction shows the installation of the new disk drive in the computer.
If an asset has components, then a transaction for that asset automatically includes its components.
Asset Swaps
Service activities often involve replacing an asset with another asset. If the installed asset is an instance of the same product or product component as the removed asset, then you can record the replacement as a swap. When replacing an asset, the field service engineer records the replacement in the Part Tracker view of the Activities screen. For more information, see Recording Part Movements for Activities (End User).
When you swap 2 assets, you can transfer the warranties and entitlements of the removed asset to the installed asset on a prorated basis. For this transfer, the assets must be root assets, and the Transferable check box (for warranties and for entitlements) must be selected before you can record the swap in the Part Tracker view. For more information about the Transferable check box, see Creating Warranties and Creating Entitlements (End User).
A warranty transfer and an entitlement transfer are processed in slightly different ways if the removed and installed assets in the swap are instances of different products or product components. The warranties of the product for installed asset are in effect. For agreements that include entitlements for the removed asset, the asset values for the entitlements on the Service Agreement Product business component are updated with the asset number of the installed asset, replacing the asset number of the removed asset. When this business component is updated, the Asset number (#) field in the Products view in the Entitlements view in the List view of the Agreements screen changes to display the new installed asset. Consequently, the warranties and entitlements are automatically in place for the installed asset.
Asset swaps also transfer any hierarchical relationships from the removed asset to the installed asset. However, if a removed asset is a child asset, then the parent of the removed asset becomes the parent of the installed asset, but the removed asset keeps any of its child assets.
Asset Swaps Business Service
The FS Asset Swap Service business service is used during asset exchange. Using the business service methods, the warranties and entitlements of the removed asset are transferred to the installed asset. For more information about this business service, see FS Asset Swap Service Business Service.
About the Asset Dispatch Board
The Asset Dispatch Board provides an interface for manually scheduling asset-related activities. To access the user preferences for the Asset Dispatch Board, navigate to the Asset Dispatch Board of the User Preferences screen. For more information about these user preferences, see Setting User Preferences for the Dispatch Board(End User).
The Asset Dispatch Board includes the following sections:
Gantt chart (at the start of the Asset Dispatch Board)
Unscheduled Activities list (at the end of the Asset Dispatch Board)
To schedule activities, you relocate activities from the Unscheduled Activities list to the Gantt chart as follows: you select the activities from the Unscheduled Activities list and without releasing the selection, then move the activities to the Gantt chart. To unschedule an activity, select the activity from the Gantt chart and then move it back to the Unscheduled Activities list.
Gantt Chart
The Gantt chart on the Asset Dispatch Board shows the scheduled and unscheduled time periods for the asset records. The chart is divided by a frame boundary into two frames as follows:
First frame. Lists assets and the related products and accounts. You can drill down on the Asset number (#) field to quickly navigate to the Activities view in the List view of the Assets screen, drill down on the Product field to navigate to the Internal Product List view of the Products screen, and drill down on the Account field to navigate to the All Accounts Across Organizations view.
Second frame. Appears in a calendar format and shows the activities associated with assets in different time periods. Activities appear in colors that represent priority, status, and type. You can drill down on the time bar for an activity to navigate directly to the Schedule view in the Activity List view of the Activities screen. The user preferences for the Dispatch Board also apply to the Asset Dispatch Board. For more information, see Setting User Preferences for the Dispatch Board(End User).
The second frame is positioned beside the first frame.
Unscheduled Activities List
The Unscheduled Activities list on the Asset Dispatch Board shows all activities that have a status value of Unscheduled. Users can create new activities directly from this list. This list provides the same relocation functionality as the Unscheduled Activities list of the Dispatch Board. For more information about the unscheduled activities list, see About Using the Dispatch Board.
You can drill down on the Type field to quickly navigate to the Schedule view in the Activity List view of the Activities screen. Drill down on the Account field to navigate to the Contacts view of the Accounts screen.
Asset Charts
The following table lists the charts in the Charts view for assets.
Table Descriptions of Charts for Assets
| Chart | Description |
|---|---|
Measurement Analysis |
The readings from a measurement as a function of the date of the readings. The graphs also show the upper and lower limits of readings. Administrators set these limits in the Administration - Contracts screen. |
Process of Administering Assets
The following list shows the tasks that administrators typically perform to administer assets. Your company might follow a different process according to its business requirements.
To administer assets, administrators perform the following tasks:
Configuring Account Service Teams
If you need account service teams for the service delivery model of your company, then you must configure the Employee Account business component. This business component has no applets, so you must use Siebel Tools to configure the appropriate applets and views. For an example of how this view might appear, navigate to the Employees view in the List view of the Assets screen. For more information about adding views to a Siebel application, see Configuring Siebel Business Applications.
Membership in an account service team does not affect account visibility. Even if an employee is a member of an account service team, the account might not appear for the employee when the employee uses the My Accounts visibility filter. To make the account visible to the employee, use the Account Team Members dialog box to add the appropriate position. This dialog box appears when you click the select button in the Accounts List view of the Accounts screen.
This task is a step in Process of Administering Assets.
Defining Assignment Rules
You can use role priorities in assignment rules to support prioritized assignment of primary, secondary and tertiary field service engineers. Primary engineers receive the highest score, then the secondary engineers, and finally, the tertiary engineers.
After you assign role priorities to asset or account service team employees, you can define assignment rules for these priorities in Assignment Manager. Assignment Manager uses these assignment rules to determine dynamic candidates. Dynamic candidates are potential assignees for activities.
When you create the asset or account service team assignment, Assignment Manager controls the candidates that a user (for example, a dispatcher) can select.
When the dispatcher creates a new activity on the Activities screen, the dispatcher can specify an asset for the activity. When the dispatcher selects the Assign menu command, the assignment rules determine that only certain employees appear for selection. The employees appear according to their roles, and the primary candidates receive higher scores than secondary and tertiary candidates. Using this information, the dispatcher can select the most appropriate candidate for the activity.
For example, if you associate an activity with an asset, and that asset has a team of employees, then you can configure Assignment Manager to automatically consider these employees for an activity. The same employees are available as potential candidates for other activities. These employees are the dynamic candidates. For more information about how dynamic candidates are determined for activities, see Siebel Assignment Manager Administration Guide.
This task is a step in Process of Administering Assets.
To define an assignment rule
Navigate to the Administration - Assignment screen, then the Assignment Rules List view.
Create a new assignment rule record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Type the name of the assignment rule.
Objects to be Assigned
Select the Activity object.
Rule Group
Select the group to include the assignment rule.
Person Candidates Source
Select Activity Asset Team.
Drill down on the Name field.
In the Criteria view, and create a new criteria record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Rule Criterion
Select Asset Team Relation Type to define an asset service team assignment rule. Select Account Team Relation Type to define an account service team assignment rule.
Comparison Method
Select Compare to Person.
Scroll down to the list of criteria detail, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Score
Type the score for each account relationship type. For example, type 100 for the primary relationship, 50 for the secondary relationship, and 25 for the tertiary relationship.
Account Relation Type
Select the account relationship type. Create a record for the primary relationship, the secondary relationship, and the tertiary relationship.
Creating Asset Mapping Records
Administrators create asset mapping records to configure the information that is used to calculate the cost and value of assets. The asset mapping record with values in the Cost List, Condition, and Value Basis fields that match the values in the same fields in an asset value record is used in the calculation for the asset. Other fields in this asset mapping record, such as Cost Field, Cost Method, and Factor, determine the calculation result. For more information about costs lists and asset mapping, see Siebel Pricing Administration Guide.
This task is a step in Process of Administering Assets.
To create an asset mapping record
Navigate to the Administration - Pricing screen, then the Cost Lists view.
Select a cost list, and click the Asset Mapping view tab.
Create a new asset mapping record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Cost List
Select the cost list that applies to the asset for the calculation.
Product Line
Select the product line for the product that is associated with the asset for the calculation.
Cost Field
Select the asset field to populate with the calculation result. To calculate both an asset value and a replacement value for an asset, you must create an asset mapping record with a value of Asset Value in this field and another asset mapping record with a value of Replacement in this field. The fields that you select in the Cost Field appear in the Value view of the Assets screen.
Condition
Select the condition of the asset for the calculation.
Value Basis
Select the value basis of the asset for the calculation
Cost Method
Select the cost method in the cost list that applies to the asset for the calculation.
Factor
Type a percentage to use in the calculation. In the calculation, this percentage is applied to the cost or value of the asset. If you enter no value, then this field defaults to 100%.
The current condition of the asset determines this percentage. For example, a new asset in excellent condition might have a factor to indicate 100% of its cost or value, while a used asset in average condition, might have a factor to indicate 40% of its cost or value.
Setting Up Measurement Types for Products
The measurements types that you set up for a product can apply to the assets that are associated with the product, but users must manually associate measurement types with these assets. For more information, see Associating Measurement Types with Assets (End User).
This task is a step in Process of Administering Assets.
To set up a measurement type for a product
Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Products view.
Select a product record, and click the Service Information view tab.
On the link bar, click the Measurements.
Create a new measurement record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Type
Select the type of measurement. Values include Depth and Wear.
Name
Type the name for the measurement.
Location
Type the location of the product.
Use Plan Bill Method
Select the method of accumulating data in readings. Values include:
Incremental. The counter increments continuously with each reading (for example, 10, 20, 30, 40, and so on).
Absolute. The counter resets after each reading (for example, 10, 10, 10, 10, and so on).
Method
Select the method to collect the measurement. You might collect the measurement manually (for example, a gas meter reading from gas company employee), remotely, or automatically (for example, some type of electronic feed).
Frequency
Select the frequency with which you obtain readings for the measurement.
Maximum
Type the largest possible value for the measurement device.
Minimum
Type the smallest possible value for the measurement device.
Upper Limit
Type the value of the upper control limit for readings. This field value can indicate threshold values for an asset. For example, exceeding the upper limit might generate a preventive maintenance action. This field value must be less than or equal to the Maximum field.
Lower Limit
Type the value of the lower control limit for readings. This field value can indicate threshold values for an asset. For example, exceeding the lower limit might generate a preventive maintenance action. This field value must be greater than or equal to the Minimum field.
Units of Measurement
Select the units of the measurement.
Expected Usage
Type the value for the expected use. This field is used to bill for usage if readings of usage are unavailable and if the Estimate check box is selected in the Use Plans view of the Administration - Contracts screen.
Use Basis (Days)
Type the time period for the expected use. This field value must represent the value in the Frequency field.
Note: The Products screen has a read-only version of the Measurements view.
Process of Managing Assets
The following list shows the tasks that end users typically perform to manage assets. Your company might follow a different process according to its business requirements.
To manage assets, end users perform the following tasks:
Creating Assets (End User)
You can create an asset in Siebel Field Service.
The Customize button at the start of the Asset form is functional only if you use Siebel Configurator to customize products, and if the asset is associated with a configurable product. When you click this button, Siebel Configurator is launched for the selected asset. Configurable products have attributes, and you can change these attributes only if you use Siebel Configurator. The Attributes view of the Assets screen shows the attributes for an asset. For more information about configurable products and Siebel Configurator, see Siebel Product Administration Guide.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To create an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Create a new asset record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Serial #
Type the serial number, if any, for the asset.
Status
Select the status of the asset. An asset is automatically assigned a status value of Active when you create the asset from a quote or order. That asset is automatically assigned a status value of Inactive when you disconnect it. An asset is automatically assigned a status value of Available when you add a service point to a premise. For more information about registering a premise hookup, see Siebel Communications Guide and Siebel Energy Guide.
Operating Status
Select a status that indicates whether the asset is operational and the level of operation.
Contacts
Select the contacts associated with the asset. When you select a contact, the Account field is not populated with the account for the contact.
Account
Select the account associated with the asset. When you select an account, the Contacts field is not limited to the contacts for the account.
Parent Asset #
Displays the next higher level asset for the asset. For example, the parent asset of a disk drive is a computer. This field is read-only.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for the record.
Click the More Info view tab.
Complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Product Line
Displays the product line for the asset. This field is populated using the product for the asset.
Purchase Site
Type the location of the asset.
Serialized
Displays a check if the product is a serialized product. This field is read-only in the Assets screen.
Reference
Select this check box to indicate you can reference the asset for customers or other vendors.
Associating Other Records with Assets (End User)
Complete the procedures in this topic to associate other records with assets.
This topic contains the following related information:
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
Associating Change Requests with Assets
You can associate a change request with an asset. For more information about change requests, see Quality Management.
To associate a change request with an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Change Requests view tab.
Create a new change request record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Associating Backup or Dependent Assets with Primary Assets
You can associate backup or dependent assets with a primary asset. These assets depend on the operation of a primary asset.
For example, hospital medical equipment depends on a hospital power asset. In the relationships view, the field service engineer can see the other assets that a defective power asset affects. The engineer can then take steps to make sure that no unintended disruptions occur. In this example, the engineer switches the medical equipment to the backup power supply before disconnecting the primary power supply.
To associate a backup or dependent asset with a primary asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Relationships view tab.
Create a new relationship record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Associating Assets with Accounts
You can associate an asset with an account.
To associate an asset with an account
Navigate to the Accounts screen, then the Account List view.
Drill down on the Account Name field for a selected account record, and click the Assets view tab.
Create a new asset record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Associating Preventive Maintenance Plans with Assets
You can associate a preventive maintenance plan with an asset. If a PM plan is already associated with an asset through the All Assets check box in the Products view in the Preventive Maintenance List of the Preventive Maintenance screen, then completing the following procedure has no effect other than to show the association. If a PM plan is not already associated with an asset through the All Assets check box, then perform the following procedure to create the association. For information about running preventive maintenance plans for an asset, see Process of Managing Records with Barcode Readers.
To associate a preventive maintenance plan with an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Preventive Maintenance view tab.
On the link bar, click Plans.
Create a new preventive maintenance plan record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Name
Select the name of the preventive maintenance plan.
Active
Displays a check in the check box to indicate the Preventive Maintenance Engine can process the plan.
Creating Transactions for Assets (End User)
You can manually create transactions to add installed components to assets, to remove these components, to upgrade assets, and to downgrade assets. When administrators use the Parts Movement Administration view of the Administration - Service screen to commit part movements in the field, transactions are automatically created.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To create a transaction for an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Transactions view tab.
Create a new transaction record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Some fields are described in the following table.
Field Comments Type
Select the type of transaction. Values include Install, Uninstall, Downgrade, and Upgrade.
If you select a value of Install, the values for the status and installation date of the asset are set. If you select a value of Uninstall, the values for the status and installation date of the asset are cleared.
Create transactions with an Install value in this field to create a hierarchy of components for assets. To remove an installed component, you must create another transaction with an Uninstall value in this field. For more information, see Viewing Components for Assets (End User).
Note: Call Siebel Configurator to install the components of configurable products.Asset #
Select the asset that applies to the type of transaction. The Type field value determines the assets that you can select as follows:
Install. You can select only the assets that are not currently installed and that exist in the same inventory location, an external location, or no location.
Uninstall. You can select only the assets that are currently installed.
Upgrade. You can select all assets.
Downgrade. You can select all assets
Creating Hierarchical Assets from Product Bundles (End User)
You can generate a hierarchical asset from a product bundle. A product bundle is a group of products offered as a package. For more information about hierarchical assets, see Hierarchical Assets.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To create a hierarchical asset from a product bundle
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Create a new asset record, select a product bundle in the Product field, and complete the other fields as appropriate.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for the asset, and click the Components view tab.
The asset components for the child products in the product bundle appear in the Components view.
Defining Assignments for Field Service Engineers (End User)
You can assign teams of employees to assets and accounts. An asset service team is a group of service personnel associated with an asset. Set up this team for field service environments that contain large pieces of equipment. Possibly the same individuals must service a set of equipment. After you assign the appropriate field service engineers to an asset, you can then define primary, secondary, or tertiary role priorities for each engineer.
An account service team is a group of service personnel associated with an account or an account site. This team either works at the account site, or employees contact the team about breaks, fixes, preventive maintenance, or related tasks at the site. The service personnel are then ranked as primary, secondary, or tertiary to make sure that sufficient coverage is available. Employees consider these defined role priorities to assign activities to appropriate candidates.
When you assign teams of employees to an asset or account, you expedite service to customers for the following reasons:
Customers know the circumstances of the installation and how to allocate the activities between the team members.
Customers know the service team and the appropriate contact for a service requirement.
Customers can address special clearances and other entry requirements for secured locations once for the assigned team, instead of several times for different individuals.
This topic includes the following related information:
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
Creating Asset Service Teams
To create asset service teams, you associate employees with an asset. For more information about associating skills with employees, see Siebel Assignment Manager Administration Guide.
To create an asset service team
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Select an asset record.
Scroll down to the Asset form.
In the Employees field, select the appropriate field service engineers.
To view a list of the selected employees, navigate to the Employees view in the List view of the Assets screen.
Assigning Role Priorities to Asset Service Team Employees
You can assign different levels of role priority to employees associated with an asset. When dispatchers assign an activity relating to the asset, the primary, secondary, and tertiary candidates appear in ascending order of received assignment scores. For more information about using role priorities to assign activities, see Role Priorities.
Assignment rules can use role priorities to support prioritized assignment of primary, secondary and tertiary field service engineers. Primary engineers receive the highest score, then the secondary engineers, and finally, the tertiary engineers. For more information about defining candidates for assignment rules, see Defining Assignment Rules and Siebel Assignment Manager Administration Guide.
Perform the steps in the following procedure to assign roles to asset service team employees.
To assign role priorities to asset service team employees
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Employees view tab.
In the Role field, select a primary, secondary, or tertiary role for each employee.
Creating Account Service Teams
After you configure the applets and views so that Siebel Field Service includes an Employees view in the Accounts List view for the Accounts screen (similar to the Employees view in the List view of the Assets screen), you can create the account service team. The procedure for creating account service teams is similar to the procedure for creating asset service teams. For more information, see Creating Asset Service Teams.
Assigning Role Priorities to Account Service Team Employees
Role priorities for an account service team identify the primary, secondary or tertiary engineer who can assist the account with a service activity.
After you create an account service team, you can assign role priorities for each employee. The procedure for assigning role priorities to account service team employees is similar to the procedure for assigning role priorities to asset service team employees. For more information, see Assigning Role Priorities to Asset Service Team Employees.
You can use role priorities when defining assignment rules in Assignment Manager. For more information, see Defining Assignment Rules. For more information about using role priorities to assign activities, see Role Priorities.
Viewing Other Records Associated with Assets (End User)
You can view other records that are associated with assets, such as change requests, repairs, activities, entitlements, actions for preventive maintenance, and plans for preventive maintenance.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To view other records associated with an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset.
To see more information about the asset, complete the following steps:
Click the Repairs view tab to view repairs for the asset.
For more information about repairs, see Repairs.
Click the Activities view tab to view activities for the asset.
For more information about activities, see Service Activities.
Click the Entitlements view tab to view entitlements for the asset.
For more information about entitlements, see Agreements and Entitlements.
Click the Preventive Maintenance tab, and on the link bar, complete the following steps:
To view the actions for preventive maintenance, click History.
The scheduled and completed actions appear in the view. You can select the completion date for an action in the Completed field.
To view the plans for preventive maintenance, click Plans.
Viewing Components for Assets (End User)
The Components view of the Assets screen shows the immediate child components of the parent asset in the Asset form. The child components of these child components (or grandchild components) do not appear in the Components view for the parent asset. To view these grandchild components, drill down on the Asset number (#) field in the Components view, and, if necessary, click the Components view tab again.
For example, asset A has an asset B child component, and asset B has an asset C child component. The Components view for asset A shows only asset B. To view asset C, drill down on the Asset number (#) field for asset B in the Components view, and, if necessary, click the Components view tab again. Asset C appears in the Components view for asset B.
You can build a hierarchy for an asset by creating the components in each level of its hierarchy. You can create components with a Type field value of Install in the Transactions view of the Assets screen. These components automatically appear in the Components view of the Assets screen.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To view the components for an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Components view tab.
The assets with a Type field value of Install in the Transactions view appear in the Components view.
You can view the hierarchy of an asset to see the components for the asset.
To view an hierarchical asset
Navigate to the Assets screen.
On the link bar, complete one of the following steps:
To view assets associated with your organization, click Assets Explorer.
To view assets associated with all organizations, click Assets Explorer Across Organizations.
In the explorer list in the side pane, click the arrow in front of each asset to see a hierarchical list of its components.
An arrow appears next to each component that has more subcomponents at a lower level.
Viewing Changes to Assets (End User)
You can access the Audit Trail view to see changes for an asset. When any of the following fields in an asset record change, the change is automatically recorded with a time stamp in the Audit Trail view:
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The following changes are also recorded in Siebel Audit Trail:
Changes to the asset components (when you install or remove the components)
Changes to the asset value
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To view the changes to an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Audit Trail view tab.
Viewing the Operating Statuses of Assets (End User)
The Uptime Data view shows a time stamp that indicates when the Operating Status field of the asset changes, the old value, the new value, and the employee who changed the status. This view also displays the Operating Status Over Time chart. This chart plots the Operating Status value on the y-axis over time on the x-axis.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To view the operating status of an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Uptime Data view tab.
Calculating Adjusted Cost of Assets (End User)
You can calculate the adjusted cost of an asset. In the calculation, the value of enhancements is added to the original cost of the asset and the value of depreciation, write-downs, and so on is subtracted from the original cost of the asset.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To calculate the adjusted cost of an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Value view tab.
In the form, complete the following fields:
In the Original Cost field, enter the original cost, if necessary.
In the Value Basis field, select Adjusted.
In the Condition field, select a value to designate the condition of the asset.
In the Asset Valuation list, create at least 1 new record for the action that affects the cost of the asset, and complete the fields as appropriate.
On the form, click Recost.
The Adjustment and Adjusted Cost fields in the form are populated with the result of the calculation. The Adjusted Cost field is calculated as follows:
(Original Cost field plus or minus the sum of the values in the Amount field of the Asset Valuation list) multiplied by the Factor field in the appropriate asset mapping record.
If asset mapping is not set up for the asset, then a factor of 100% is used in the calculation. For more information, see Creating Asset Mapping Records.
Calculating Value and Replacement Cost of Assets (End User)
You can calculate the value and replacement cost of an asset. Value and cost of assets allows businesses to accurately report the value of inventory and to make decisions about repairs and replacements of assets.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To calculate the value and replacement cost of an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Value view tab.
In the form, complete the following fields:
In the Cost List field, select a cost list.
Note: The product for an asset determines the cost lists that you can select. If no cost lists are available for selection, then you must associate the product with a cost list. You can add a product to a cost list in the Cost List Line Items view in the Cost Lists view of the Administration - Pricing screen. To view the cost lists that are associated with products, navigate to the Cost Lists view of the Products screen.In the Value Basis field, select a value other than Adjusted.
In the Condition field, select a value to designate the condition of the asset.
On the form, click Recost.
The Asset Value and Replacement Cost field in the form are populated with the result of the calculation. The Asset Value field is calculated as follows:
Original Cost field multiplied by the Factor field in the appropriate asset mapping record.
The Replacement Cost field is calculated as follows:
Cost list value of the product multiplied by the Factor field in the appropriate asset mapping record.
If asset mapping is not set up for the asset, then a factor of 100% is used in the calculation. For more information, see Creating Asset Mapping Records.
Associating Measurement Types with Assets (End User)
When you create an asset, you select a product for the asset. However, the measurement types for the selected product are not automatically associated with the asset. You can manually associate measurement types with assets.
The Measurements view and the Readings view of the Assets screen include the following functionality:
Capture asset usage and compare actual to expected usage.
Capture data needed to generate actions for preventive maintenance.
Automate meter reading, fee-for-each-use, and other usage-based service models.
Capture performance and quality data.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To associate a measurement type with an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Measurements view tab.
Create a new measurement record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Note: You can select only measurement types that are set up for the product that is associated with the asset. For more information, see Setting Up Measurement Types for Products.
Recording Readings for Assets (End User)
Follow the procedures in this topic to record readings of measurements for assets.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To record a reading for an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the List view.
Drill down on the Asset number (#) field for a selected asset, and click the Readings view tab.
Select the record for the measurement type of the reading.
In the Readings list, create a new reading record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Select the check box in the Done field to indicate that the reading is complete.
When the reading is complete, the reading record is read-only. You must select the check box in the Done field so that the reading charts.
You can record the reading for an asset that is associated with an activity.
To record a reading for an asset associated with an activity
Navigate to the Activities screen, then the Activity List view.
Drill down on the Type field for a selected activity with an associated asset, and click the Readings view tab.
Select the record for the asset.
In the Asset Measurements list, select the record for the measurement type of the reading.
In the Readings list, create a new reading record, and complete the fields as appropriate.
Select the check box in the Done field to indicate that the reading is complete.
When the reading is complete, the reading record is read-only. You must select the check box in the Done field so that the reading charts.
Analyzing Readings for Assets (End User)
After you record the readings for an asset, you can view the readings in a chart so that you can analyze those readings.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To analyze the readings for an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen.
Select an asset.
On the link bar, click Charts.
In the Charts list, select a measurement type record.
For the Measurement Analysis chart which appears after the Charts list, select the type of chart that you want to view, and then click Go.
Managing Information Display in Gantt Chart of Asset Dispatch Board (End User)
You can change the way that information appears in Gantt chart of the Asset Dispatch Board.
This topic includes the following related information:
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
Changing the Date for Gantt Chart Information
The date that appears in the field at the start of the Gantt chart is the date that applies to the information currently in the chart. You can select a new day in this field to change the date of the information in the chart.
To change the date for Gantt chart information
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the Dispatch Board view.
In the date drop-down list, select the starting day for the gantt chart.
Click Go.
The Gantt chart refreshes to display the specified date.
Changing Time Zoom Intervals for Gantt Chart Information
You can change the time intervals that appear on the Gantt chart using the time zoom interval buttons.
The time zoom intervals are as follows:
1/4. The time axis on the Gantt chart is divided into quarter-hour intervals.
1/2. The time axis on the Gantt chart is divided into half-hour intervals.
1. The time axis on the Gantt chart is divided into 1-hour intervals.
2. The time axis on the Gantt chart is divided into 2-hour intervals.
4. The time axis on the Gantt chart is divided into 4-hour intervals.
To change the time intervals for Gantt chart information
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the Dispatch Board view.
Click the appropriate button for the time zoom interval.
The Gantt chart changes to display the time axis divided into the appropriate time intervals.
Querying for Assets on the Gantt Chart
You can use the query assistant to display only the required assets on the Gantt chart.
To query for an asset on the Gantt chart
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the Dispatch Board view.
On the Gantt chart, click Query.
Click Query Assistant.
The Query Assistant dialog box appears.
To enter the query parameters, complete the following steps:
Select Asset number (#) from the first drop-down list.
You can enter query parameters only for the Asset number (#) field.
Select an operator in the second drop-down list.
Select a value in the third drop-down list.
Click Go.
The assets that met the query parameters appear on the Gantt chart.
Viewing a Summary of Activity Details on the Gantt Chart
You can view a summary of asset activity details through the Tooltip feature. These details include:
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To view a summary of activity details on the Gantt chart
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the Dispatch Board view.
Position the mouse pointer over the activity on the Gantt chart.
In the Tooltip that appears, review the details.
Scheduling Activities for Assets (End User)
In the Asset Dispatch Board, you can schedule activities by selecting an activity record from the Unscheduled Activities list and then moving the record to the Gantt chart.
This task is a step in Process of Managing Assets.
To schedule an activity for an asset
Navigate to the Assets screen, then the Dispatch Board view.
In the Date field, enter the date that you want to schedule activities.
Make sure that the asset for which you want to schedule activities appears on the Gantt chart.
In the Unscheduled Activities list, select an activity record and (without releasing the selection) then move the activity to the Gantt chart and place the activity on the appropriate asset and time interval.