Overview
Automation helps reduce erroneous input and supports best practices. It also saves valuable time. A rule is the sequence of input and output you set for automating operational activities. You can create rules that will generate automatic alerts (notifications), messages, service calls, maintenance tickets and tasks.
You have the choice of basing rules on various triggers such as scheduled time intervals, machine stop events and parameter deviations.
The Rules module provides an easy-to-follow wizard, in which you start by selecting the trigger and continue to choose the users/machines affected, and the action that will be carried out.
It's accessed from the main menu:
Rule types
Rules based on scheduled time intervals
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "At scheduled time intervals".
Select the type of interval: monthly, weekly or daily.
If monthly, the day(s) of the month and the time.
If weekly, the day(s) of the week and the time.
If daily, the time.
Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a notification, send a message, create a service call, or create a task.
If choosing to create a task for the machine level, you can select multiple machines that this task will apply to.Click Next.
Click Save rule.
TIP
You can select multiple days in weekly and monthly intervals.
Rules run at recurring intervals from a specific time
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "Event-based recurring intervals - specific time".
Enter a value for the recurring interval and the interval's time unit.
Set the start date by clicking the calendar control and in the date picker select the date and time from which this rule will run and then click OK.
Click Done. The summary of the recurring pattern is presented.
(If this wasn't what you wanted you can either edit it, or delete it and start anew.Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a message, send a notification, create a task, open a maintenance ticket, or run a QC test.
Click Next. The rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Rules run at recurring intervals from job activation
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "Event-based recurring intervals - job activation".
Enter a value for the recurring interval and the interval's time unit.
Click Done. The summary of the recurring pattern is presented.
(If this wasn't what you wanted you can either edit it, or delete it and start anew.Click Next.
(optional) Click Add condition to limit the triggering of the rule per specific criteria:
Select the condition(s):
Machine - select the machines this rule applies to.
Product - select the products this rule applies to.
Mold - select the molds this rule applies to.
Job definition - select to which job definitions this rule applies to.
Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a message, send a notification, create a task, create a service call, open a maintenance ticket, or run a QC test.
Click Next. The rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Rules based on stop event reasons
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "When machine stops".
Select the category of the machine stops ('Stop event group').
Select the stop reason(s). You can select multiple stop reasons.
Click Done.
If needed, add conditions.
Specify which machines this rule applies to.
If you don't use this condition, the rule will apply to all machines.Stop event duration: specify whether there should be a threshold duration for applying the rule. If you don't use this condition, the rule will be applied regardless of how long the machine was in this event state.
Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a message, send a notification, create a task, create a service call, open a maintenance ticket, or run a QC test.
Click Next. The rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Rules based on shift start (with optional recurrence)
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "Once after shift start".
Select the target shift(s) for each department.
In this type of rule, the shift start is the anchor point. In the trigger details fields enter a value for how long after the shift started should the rule be triggered and the respective time unit for that value.
(Optional) Click Recurring trigger to add a layer of logic for recurring triggering of this rule following the initial trigger. For example, if the initial trigger is 30 minutes after the shift begins, here you can set that the rule is thereafter triggered every 2 hours, until the end of the shift.
Click Done.
Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a message, send a notification, create a task, or run a QC test.
Click Next. The rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Rules based on parameter deviations
Automate workflows, routines, and other activities when a machine's parameter deviates from its set upper and lower limits.
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "Parameter deviation".
Select the parameter and the machine(s) (you can multi-select).
Set the time-related conditions that should be fulfilled to fire the rule.
NOTE: If nothing is set the rule is fired incessantly when the machine's parameter deviates.Set for how long the parameter deviation needs to persist in order to trigger (fire) the rule.
(optional) Set the interval that must elapse before the rule is fired again.
Determine whether the rule will be fired if:
the deviation happens when the machine is in stop state.
the deviation happens when the machine is in setup.
Click Done.
(Optional) Click Add another parameter / condition to add more parameter deviation conditions that will trigger this rule and repeat steps 4 to 7.
Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a message, send a notification, create a service call, create a task, open a maintenance ticket, or run a QC test.
Click Next. The rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
EXTRA INFO
Whether or not a parameter deviation impacts the machine's status color in Online dashboards and the machine page is determined by its configuration.
Rules based on SPC prediction
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "SPC prediction".
Select the machine and the parameters.
Click Done.
(Optional) Click Add another parameter / condition to add another process control parameter that this rule applies to and repeat steps 4 to 6.
Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a message, send a notification, create a task, create a service call, open a maintenance ticket, or run a QC test.
Click Next. The rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Rules based on QC test failure
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "When QC test failed".
If needed, add conditions. If conditions aren't applied, the rule will run for all QC tests that fail on any machine, product, or material.
Click Next.
Select what action the system will do when the rule is triggered: send a message, send a notification, create a task, create a service call, open a maintenance ticket, or run a QC test.
Click Next. The complete rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Rules based on mold maintenance standard
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "Mold maintenance standard".
(Optional, yet recommended) Filter the list of molds.
Select those molds to which the rule will apply.
If needed, change the cycles per maintenance value that was set for the target mold(s). This value is the standard set for the mold's maintenance.
If you changed the standard, after you save the rule, the value set here will automatically update the mold's cycles per maintenance value in the mold's configuration record.Click Done.
You most likely want to trigger the rule's mold maintenance action before reaching the value of the mold's maintenance standard. If indeed you do, click Percentage of mold maintenance standard that will trigger rule.
In the Percentage of mold maintenance standard that will trigger rule slider, slide the circle to the percentage value. For example if you want to trigger the rule when the mold has reached 90% of the mold's maintenance standard, you'd slide it to 90:
Click Done to confirm the percentage.
Click Next.
The relevant action for this rule is opening a maintenance ticket. Select the maintenance reason, and if applicable enter informative notes.
Click Done.
Click Next. The complete rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Rules based on a job's production count
This type of rule is addresses the need to automate actions and workflows after a certain quantity is produced for the current job. You can also automate these actions and workflows on a recurring basis if necessary. For example, trigger the running of a QC test when the count of good units reaches 1000, and enable the cyclic option to trigger this action each time the number of good units increases by 1000 throughout the job's duration.
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "Job counter parameter".
Select the counter(s) to use for this rule. Multiple counters are available to enable you to trigger the same rule for different conditions in parallel. Each time any of the conditions is met, the rule will run.
The counter parameters offered are:Units produced
Units produced OK
Rejects
For each of the counters you selected, set the corresponding quantity of units that will trigger the rule.
If you want to trigger the rule every time the count increments by this quantity, select the Cyclic check box for the condition you are setting.
Click Done to complete setting the conditions that can trigger this rule and continue to configure conditions (optional) and actions before saving the rule.
EXTRA INFO
Each condition of counter parameter + quantity (+ cyclic) is an independent condition, running concurrently with the other conditions.
For example, triggering the rule might be suitable for when the count of
good units = 2000 is reached and also when the number of rejects = 45 is reached, meaning the rule could be triggered twice during the job's duration.
Rules based on the target of stop event groups
This type of rule is similar to the mold maintenance standard rule. Its standard is the target percentage that was set as an acceptable or desired maximum downtime percentage for that stop event group from the general time, for example for that time in the shift.
Click Create new rule.
Enter a name for the rule (up to 30 characters).
In the Set trigger list select "Stop events group target percentage".
Select to which stop event groups the rule will apply.
Click Done.
You most likely want to trigger the rule's mold maintenance action before reaching the value set for the group(s) target. If indeed you do, click Percentage of stop events group target that will trigger rule.
In the Percentage of stop events group target that will trigger rule slider, slide the circle to the percentage value. For example if you want to trigger the rule when the downtime has reached 85% of the stop event group's set target, you'd slide it to 85:
Click Done to confirm the percentage.
Click Next.
There are three relevant actions for this rule (sending a notification, creating a service call, or creating a task). In the actions section below there's information about each of these actions. Choose the relevant action and fill in what's needed for that action.
Click Done.
Click Next. The complete rule summary is presented.
(By default the rule is activated, but you can click the toggle to deactivate it.)Click Save rule.
Actions
Send a notification
If sending a notification, choose the recipient--either individual users, or groups of users as defined by their roles. Afterwards compose the notification text. Notification texts can include variables, see below.
Create a task
If creating a task, choose the task subject from the list and elaborate the task in the description box. Descriptions can include include variables, see below.
Set the task's level: Factory | Machine | Department | Job | User Group.
If the level is machine or department, you'll need to choose which department or which machine will do this task. If the task is assigned to a group you'll choose the group and if the task is assigned to a user, select the assigned user.
Optional task settings:
Priority. Priority tagging can be used in task management and in the task report to filter tasks by their priority.
Estimated duration. How long you estimate it will take to complete the task.
Sub-tasks. It can be useful to break down complex tasks to subtasks. This will generate check boxes that the person performing the task will have to mark as complete in order to close the task.
Attachments. To make the task very clear you can attach a file explaining how to perform the task, such as a clip, a document and so forth.
Create a service call
If creating a service call, select the technician or technician group from the list of users and groups, and compose the message that will be sent when opening the service call. Message texts can include variables, see below.
Send a message
If sending a message, compose the message that will be sent. Message texts can include variables, see below.
Open a maintenance ticket
If opening a maintenance ticket, select the type of resource and the actual resource that requires maintenance. Choose the maintenance reason, and it can be helpful for others when they address this ticket if you add some information in the note box.
Run a QC test
If running a QC test:
Select the sub-subject, since this determines the type of QC tests available.
Select the QC test that will be run.
Compose a message that will reach the machine with information related to this test.
Message texts can include variables, see below.Select the type of assignee--user or group--and then the actual group or user.
Tag this QC test with its priority.
Click Done.
Variables in free-text content
Variables can be integrated in free-text content that's part of the rule. For example inserting the Product variable will insert within the text the name of the applicable product per the triggered rule's context. This increases the accuracy of the text by pointing to the exact entity the action applies to.
Which variables are available for use?
The variables available for insertion depend on the type of rule and the action to perform:
Rule type | Action (s) | Variables |
At scheduled time intervals | Message |
|
Recurring intervals - from a specific time | Message |
|
Recurring intervals - from job activation | Message Notification Service Call Task Maintenance QC test |
|
Based on stop event reasons | Message Notification Service Call Task QC test |
+ The |
Based on shift start, optional recurrence | Message |
|
Parameter deviation | Message Notification Service Call Task Maintenance QC test |
+ The |
SPC prediction | Message Notification Service Call Task Maintenance QC test |
+ The |
QC test failure | Message Notification Service Call Task Maintenance QC test |
|
Inserting variables
In the message (or description) text box, click Add variable.
The variables available for insertion will be presented beneath the text box.Click to select and insert the variable.
Click within the text box to resume composing the message.
Rule creation walkthrough example
Rules management page
The Rules management page lists all the rules, active and inactive. It provides the following options:
 | Create new rule |
| Display rules in tile view |
 | Display rules in list view |
| Sort by date created |
 | Filter by trigger type, or other criteria |
 
| Activation toggle: Rule is active (purple) Rule is inactive (gray)
|
| Open the actions menu |
 | Edit rule |
 | Duplicate rule (useful for saving time when creating new rules that are similar to existing rules) |
| Delete rule |