Managing System Templates

Use the Template page to view and manage generic system configurations that identify the types of parts that may be included in a system (e.g., "Bill of Materials") or the steps in a process. If applicable, you can use these templates to create separate serialized configurations for the specific parts in a particular piece of equipment. Permissions required to access this page: Access Admin Tab and Manage Template Systems.

To open the page, choose System > System > Template.

Template

If your implementation has more than one entity, the system templates are managed separately for each. The drop-down list at the top of the page determines which entity's templates you are currently managing.

Creating a New Template

To create a new system template, choose System > Template > Create Template.

Create Template

In the Create Template utility, enter at least the part number and part name.

To import a system configuration from XFMEA or RCM++, choose System > Template > XFMEA Import.

Import XFMEA

This command appears only if the database has at least one desktop project that has a system hierarchy. You must also have permission to access this project. (See Import or Sync from XFMEA.)

Viewing an Existing Template

To view or edit an existing system template, choose System > Template > Find Template.

Find Template

In the Find Template utility, you can search by part name or part number. Alternatively, if you want to see a list of all system templates in the current entity, leave the value blank and click Search.

Viewing Hierarchy and Part Properties

When you are working with an existing system template, the left side of the page shows the hierarchical configuration and the right side shows the properties for the part that is currently selected.

If you are working with a large system configuration, the Part Search utility provides a quick way to find the part you want to view or edit. Click the Find part on system... link at the top of the hierarchy, then search based on part number, name or version.

Editing an Existing Part

To edit an existing part, select the part in the hierarchy and choose System > Part > Edit.

Edit Part

Creating or Associating Parts

When adding parts to a template, you can create a new part (with a new unique Part ID) or add an instance of an existing part (with the exact same Part ID used multiple times in the same template and/or in multiple templates).

To add a new part, or to add an existing part when you know the part number and version, choose System > Part > Create.

Create Part

In the Create Template Part utility, enter at least the part number and part name and click Save. The behavior depends on whether the Use Existing Part if Found check box is selected and whether there are any existing parts with the same part number and version:

Not selected - creates a new part with a unique Part ID.
Selected and no matching parts - creates a new part with a unique Part ID.
Selected and at least one matching part - opens the Associate Template Parts utility where you can select an existing part to add.

To add an existing part when you don't know the part number and version, or to add multiple existing parts at the same time, choose System > Part > Associate.

Associate Parts

In the Associate Template Parts utility:

When you click a part in the Available Items List, the area at the bottom of the utility shows where that part is used, and whether it has subitems (aka children).
The Selected Items Lists shows the existing part(s) that will be added to the current template when you click OK. If the Associate Children check box is selected, any subitems/children will also be associated at the same time. Note that the save process may take several minutes if you are associating a large number of existing parts.

Deleting, Retiring or Disassociating a Part

When removing parts from a template, the behavior depends on the command you choose and the location(s) where the part is used.

To remove a part that you don't want to use again, select the part in the hierarchy and choose System > Part > Delete.

Delete Part

If the part is not used anywhere else, it will be permanently deleted.
If the exact same Part ID is used in another location within the current template or in a different template, it will be removed from the current location and remain unchanged in the other location(s).
If this is the only location where the part is used in a template, and the part has been used in at least one incident, problem or serialized system, it will be "retired." A retired part continues to show in the system hierarchy, identified by an icon, with the retirement date shown in brackets.

Tip: The application provides a warning when you attempt to delete a part that will have to be retired because it is used in at least one incident, problem or serialized system. In addition, if a part has already been retired, the Part in Use area will display in the part properties panel. If you want to permanently delete the part, you must first remove it from all locations where it is used.

Also note that if a part has ever been saved as the Responsible Part for an incident, it will remain in the Responsible Part History for that record, and therefore cannot be permanently deleted.

To remove a part that may be used again in another template or in a different location in the current template, select the part and choose System > Part > Disassociate.

Disassociate Parts

This will remove the part from the current location and create a new top-level part that you can later associate in a different location.

Defining Failure Modes

The potential failure modes and root causes defined for a template part will be available for selection in failure mode detail fields (if any) in the incidents, problems or failure analysis reports.

	Add Failure Mode adds a new failure mode for the part.
	Add Existing Failure Mode copies failure mode(s) and root cause(s) that were defined for another part.
	Add Root Cause adds a new root cause for the selected failure mode.

To edit or delete an existing failure mode or root cause, select it and click Edit, Edit , or Delete, Delete .

If you are using ReliaSoft XFMEA or RCM++ for failure modes and effects analysis, you also have the option to import and/or synchronize system templates and failure modes. (See Import or Sync from XFMEA.)

Assigning an Owner

Each template part can be associated with an owner. Parts that have an owner are indicated in the template by Owner .

When users create new incidents, if they do not specify an incident owner, it will be set automatically to the owner of the first responsible part. Depending on the configurable settings for the entity, the incident owner may receive e-mail notifications when the incident is created, when actions are created for the incident, etc.

Note: If the incident page is configured to require users to select a single responsible part from a drop-down list (i.e., if the "Incident - Use Tree to Select Responsible Part" preference is false), users will not be able to create incidents until there is at least one template part with an owner assigned. The following warning will be displayed in the incident page: "Incomplete System Setup: Responsible Part not configured correctly. Please contact your XFRACAS administrator."