Features: Downtime Labeling Rules

Release Date: July 2022

You now have the ability to create Downtime Rules. This will let you schedule expected Downtime on a cadence of your choosing. You have the ability to decide which machines to include, length of time, and reoccurrence, and the downtimes will automatically be labeled by our system accordingly.

If you are interested in this feature please reach out to your CSM to enable this Module, and we can train you and your team as needed.

Open up your Settings page by going to your name in the far right hand corner and clicking the drop down.

Along the top of this page you will see all the setting modules. Click on Downtime Rules. If you get this page please contact your CSM to enable Downtime Rules for you.

If this is your screen, continue.

In the top right corner you will see a button that says “Add new rule”

When you click it, this form will open.

Here you will fill out all the information for your new Downtime Rule:

Name - Of the Rule, this will be displayed on the Operator view

Reoccurrence (Days) - Which Days of the week you would like this to effect

Time - The Start and End Time

Reason - The Downtime reason you want it to code

Machines - You can choose to check the box for “All Machines”, by “Groups”, or for specific “Machines”

Reoccurrence Ends - You can choose “Never” or “On” a specific Day. “Never” defined as the rule will be repeated forever. “On” meaning the rule will end on the selected date.

To Edit Existing click the Pencil

The original form will re-open and you can make any needed changes.

Once all the changes are made you can click the Blue check, and the changes will be committed.

To delete an existing rule click the Trashcan. A popup will appear and you can confirm or cancel.

When a Downtime Rule is being applied, this is what the Operator will see. There is a note from the Tablet view: “Labeled by Rule:”

The Operator can always override the Downtime rule by updating the reason. If the reason is updated, the Rule will not re-apply.

The system will start auto labeling your downtime based on rules as soon as it is input into the system. Be sure to check with your team and verify rule titles, days, start and end times before implementing into the system.

If a Downtime Event is occurring and it is time for a rule to apply, the Downtime Event will be split into separate events automatically. This will be the same if a downtime event runs for longer than a rule period of time, it will split into a separate downtime event.

Example:

Downtime Event Started at 9:30AM - Ongoing

Downtime Rule: “Lunch” - Scheduled from 11:00AM - 11:30AM

When it hits 11:00AM and there is still Downtime, the system will automatically split the time and label the Downtime as “Lunch” starting at 11:00AM.

If Production is running during a Downtime Rule, the rule will not label until after production has stopped.

Example:

Production is running 10:45AM - 11:15AM

Downtime Rule: “Lunch” - Scheduled from 11:00AM - 11:30AM

Since the system is still reading production at 11:00 it will not apply the Downtime Rule until the machine goes idle at 11:15, at which point the remaining 15 minutes will be labeled as “Lunch.”

If a downtime period exists before the start of the rule, is already labeled, and the timeline enters the rule’s time range, then the downtime period will be split and labeled as detailed above in the section Downtime Period Starts before the Rule.

However, if a rule has been applied to a downtime period and the user manually updates the Downtime Reason, the rule will not longer have any effect on this downtime period. This means that the rule will not re-apply its label and will not split the period at the end of the rule’s time range.

When the machine goes back into production, even if it is within a rule range, the Downtime period will automatically end like normal.

If a downtime keeps going after a rule has ended, the time will spilt and the time within the rule will be labeled accordingly. Any time after the event will be unlabeled until it is labeled by an operator or another rule is applied.

If you have a Machine with multiple Rules associated with it, and there is a Downtime Event that causing overlapping or conflicting rules, the software will follow this logic:

The Downtime Rule that is set to occur first by time will be applied for the entirety of that Downtime Event.

Example:

Rule A: From 10:45AM - 11:45AM, Labeled Meeting

Rule B: From 11:00AM - 11:30AM, Labeled Lunch

If a Downtime event starts at 10:15AM, then Rule A will be applied to the Downtime Event, at 10:45AM. Even at 11:00 when the downtime is still occurring, Rule A will still apply.

The rules created for individually selected machines have priority over rules created with the “All Machines” box checked.

Example:

Rule A: From 2:00PM - 3:00PM, applied to “All Machines”

Rule B: From 2:15PM - 2:30PM, applied to Machine X, Y, & Z

If my downtime event starts at 2:20PM, which is within the range of both Rules, Rule B will be applied.

The Downtime rule that was created first will be selected if they meet the same criteria.

Example:

Rule A: From 6:00AM - 8:00AM, applied to “All Machines”, created 7/22/22

Rule B: From 6:30AM - 7:00AM, applied to “All Machines”, created 7/26/22

If my downtime event starts at 6:45AM, in range of both of the rules, Rule A will be applied.