Manage Counters

Create Counters and Register Readings

On an Asset Card, you can see and manage all actions related to Counters.

From the Counters tab > Counter Registration on the Asset Card, you can see the options for working with Counters. The following articles describe the actions you can make from the Counters tab. Refer to the screenshot below to view the actions you can make.

Work with Counters on the Asset Card.

Create and Mount a Counter

Counters can be created directly from the Asset Card. When creating counters from the Asset Card, counters are automatically mounted to the Asset as well.

An overview of created counters can be viewed from the Counters list which can be opened from the search bar.

1. Go to the Asset Card for which counter you want to create.
2. In the Counters tab, specify the counter category.
3. Go to Counter Registration from the toolbar and select Create Counter.
4. A window opens where you can specify if you want to create and mount the counter on the Asset's children. The counter no. is applied automatically based on the Asset number and the next available number, but you can change the number in the field.
5. Click Yes to finish.
6. The counter is now created and mounted. If you chose to mount on children, the counter is mounted on those as well.
   • If an Asset child already has a counter mounted, it will not be replaced but it's skipped instead.
   • If the Asset children don't have a counter category, the proper category will be added to the counter when mounting.
7. Repeat the steps 2-5 to create and mount more counters, if needed. If you add multiple counters to the same Asset, you can only use a specific Counter Category once.

Note: If the Asset has already been in use, and you want to register a counter value from a previous IT system, refer to the Off-Counter Usage article. An off-counter registration must be made before you mount a Counter.

Creating a Counter from the Counter Registration button on the Asset Card.

Creating and mounting a counter from the Asset Card.

Mount one or more Counters on an Asset

If you have created counters from the Counters list instead of the Asset Card, these counters are not mounted automatically. Mounting counters created from the Counters list can be done both from the Asset Card and Counters list. If you have not yet created counters, they can be created and mounted automatically by following the article above.

Mounting counters from the Asset Card

In case where you need to mount counters that are already created, you first need to specify a counter category code.

1. After specifying the category code in the Counters tab, select Counter Registration > Mount Counter.
2. A new window opens where you can specify the counter number.
   1. From here, you can also change the Asset number if needed.
3. Click yes to mount the counter.

Mounting Counters from the Counters List

Counters can also be mounted from the Counters list. When mounting a counter to an Asset from the Counters list that doesn't already have a category code specified, a category code will be applied automatically to the Asset.

1. Access Counters from the search bar and go to Register Reading from the toolbar > Mount Counter.
2. A new window opens where you can specify the Asset you want to mount it to. Here you can also change the counter number if necessary.
3. Click Yes to mount the counter.

Note that when you're mounting a counter with a category that is already applied to the Asset (but the counter is not yet mounted), the list Asset list is reduced to showing only the Assets that don't have a counter mounted yet.

If there are Assets without a category and without a counter, the list of Assets will show all Assets from the database.

Expected End of Lifecycle

You can define the Expected End Of Life Cycle for the asset in the Counters section on the Asset Card. The expected end of life cycle is determined on a Counter's Counter Category. This determines how long you're expecting the asset to operate.

1. Go to the Asset Card of the asset with a counter.
2. Scroll to the Counters section and on the counter line find the Expected End Of Life Cycle field, this field is not visible by default so you may have to show it using the Personalize option.
3. Enter the value that you expect to be the end of the life cycle for the asset.
4. You can check the actual usage of the asset in the Percentage Usage field (may be hidden), it's calculated based on actual usage and the expected end-of-life cycle.

You can modify how Percentage Usage is presented on the card by specifying thresholds for specific counter categories. To do this, you need to:

1. In Tell Me, look for Counter Category Percentage Usage Thresholds and define what ranges you would like to take into consideration for your thresholds,
2. Go to the Counter Categories and select the category you want to set the threshold setup for.
3. Select Threshold Setup.
4. Define the style for specific values on the selected counter category by selecting the Alert type.

Counter on the Asset Card with Expected End Of Life Cycle defined.

Look for Counter Category Percentage Usage Thresholds.

Define Counter Category Percentage Usage Thresholds.

Select Threshold Setup on the Counter Categories page.

Define the Counter Categories Percentage Usage Setup for the Counter Category and change the Alert type.

Register a Counter Reading on an Asset

There are a few ways which you can register a counter reading. This article describes how you can register a reading on a counter from an Asset Card or from the Counters list. A Counter reading is always added to all Assets that use the Counter. You can also register a counter reading through a Maintenance Task.

1. On the Asset Card from the Counters tab, select Counter Registration > Register Reading, or select the Register Reading button from the toolbar on the Counters list.
2. Select a Posting Date.
3. Enter the counter value in the Reading Value field.
4. Select Yes to save the registration.

Note: You can also create registrations on multiple Counters at the same time in the Counter Journal.

Register Relative Counter Readings

Counters can accept Continous/Absolute Counter Readings or Relative Counter Readings depending on which Counter Type has been set on each Counter.

1. Continous Counter Type (default) - The user needs to enter an equivalent or higher value (compared to the latest reading) and user-entered values are seen as absolute values on the aggregate (10, 20, 30 etc.) which is common when entering readings from a psysical counter.
2. Relative Counter Readings - User-entered values are seen as relative changes that add to the last Counter Reading (+10, +5, +7, +4 etc.). This can be useful when driving a car ("I drove 20 km/miles in the company car"); the system automatically calculates the current value on the counter.

Counter Type has two limitations:

1. Counter Type cannot be changed when it is used by one or more Counter Readings.
2. Counter Type cannot be set on the fly on the Counter Reading (only Asset Manager can determine the Counter Type, and only one Counter Type can be specified per Counter).

Dismount a Counter on an Asset

You can remove a Counter from an Asset if the Counter is no longer required.

1. On the Asset Card from the Counters tab, select Counter Registration > Dismount Counter.
2. Select Yes to confirm removal.
3. The Counter is removed, but information related to the counter is still shown on the Counter FastTab.

Off-Counter Usage

Before you mount a Counter on an Asset, it's possible to set a Counter value on the Asset, which is not related to a Counter in EAM-BC. This is useful if you want to add a Counter value to an Asset that is registered in a previous IT system without affecting the readings on a Counter in EAM-BC.

An off-counter value must be registered before you mount a Counter on the Asset.

Example: You created a new Asset (machine) in EAM-BC, which has already run 4,000 hours. You want to register those production hours on the Asset before you mount a Counter.

1. On the Asset Card from the Counter tab, select Counter Registration > Off-Counter Usage.
2. Select the Counter Category Code, for example "Running Hours".
3. Select the date for the registration in the Posting Date field.
4. In the Additional Usage field, enter the value you want to add to the Asset.
5. Select Yes to save the registration.

Edit, Reset or Delete a Counter

You can edit and delete Counters and Counter registrations. On the Counters list, select the Counter.

• Select Register Reading > Reset Counter and enter a new Reading Value if you want to reset the selected counter. Select Yes to save.
• Select Edit List from the toolbar if you want to edit the selected counter.
• Select Delete from the toolbar if you want to delete the selected counter.

Cancel or Reset Counter Reading

Resetting Counter Readings may be needed in case of typos and asset-related issues. It's possible to cancel or reset the latest Counter Reading. This is done by opening Asset Counter Entries, marking the latest and newest value, then pressing Cancel Entry. Only the last Counter Value can be cancelled.

Upon cancelling an entry, the user is asked what to cancel. It can either be:

• The Asset Counter - when the counter reading is correct but isn't needed on this Asset. This means that both the counter reading and the counter is removed, or
• The Counter Entry - when the counter reading is incorrect and you want to remove it. This will impact all Assets using this counter.

From the Counters list, you can also cancel counter entries. Note that if you remove all entries for a counter mounted on an Asset, the counter will be dismounted from the Asset.

Cancel Entry on Asset Counter Entries.

Connect a Counter to a Resource and Collect Usage

It's possible to connect a Resource specified as the 'machine' type, with a Counter of the type 'relative'. With this connection, you can capture counter data based on resource usage automatically. It streamlines the tracking of resource utilization and ensures accurate counter journal entries. View screenshot 01 for an example.

Connect Resource to Counter

1. On the Counters list page, select Edit List at the top.
2. In the field 'Connected to Type', choose 'Resource'. (Fields are shown in screenshot 01).
3. In the field 'Connected to No.', select the number of the resource.
4. In the field 'Resource Usage Type', select either 'Consumption' or 'Units' to specify the transaction type to be counted with this counter.
   • Consumption: Counts all quantities posted for this resource, regardless of the source.
   • Units: Counts the assembled quantities posted during assembly order processing.

Processing Counter Registrations

Set how counter registrations are processed in Asset Management Setup (see screenshot 02):

• Automatically Register Counters: Automatically posts all readings in the system.
• Counter Journal: Specify a Template and Batch to have readings posted to the counter journal, awaiting manual review and posting.

01: Example of counters that have connected resources set up.

02: Specifying how counter registrations are processed.

Inherit Asset Counter from Asset Parent

It's possible to set up counters to be inherited from the asset's parent. This ensures that whenever an asset's parent changes, all child assets will automatically inherit the counter. The inheritance continues down the hierarchy of asset children until there are no more assets to update.

Setup

1. On the Asset Card in the 'Counters' tab, select which Counter Cateogory Codes should inherit counter from parent in column 'Inherit Counter From Parent'. See screenshot 01.
   • The column can be shown through personalization.

Inheriting Counters

Once you have set up assets to inherit counters, the following behavior applies:

• When a parent asset’s counter is updated, all child assets will inherit this counter. This continues down the hierarchy of asset children until there are no more assets to update.

• If an asset is assigned a new parent, it will inherit counters from the new parent.

• If the new parent has no counters for a given category, the counter is dismounted from the asset.

Example of Use Case

Consider a company managing sets of trucks, parking places, and sets that are attached to the trucks. View the example in screenshot 02.

In this example, 'SET ON TRUCK' and 'PART' inherit the counter from the parent. 'SUBPART ON 5' has its own counters that are not inherited from the parent, and all 'SUBSUB PART' inherit the counter from their parent 'SUBPART ON 5'.

'PARKING 1' and 'PARKING 2' only have one counter. Below you can see examples of 'PARKING' counters (screenshot 03), 'TRUCK' counters (screenshot 04), and 'SET ON TRUCKS' counters (screenshot 05). In this example in screenshot 05, 'SET ON TRUCK' is set to inherit counters from 'TRUCK 2'. If we change its parent, it will inherit counters from a different parent. Also, its children will be updated - if they're set to inherit the counter from the parent.

The process will update asset after asset in the hierarchy until it detects an asset that is set to inherit counters from the parent. In screenshot 07 for 'SUBPART ON 5', the children are not set to inherit counter from parent (see screenshot 07). Children below this asset called 'SUBSUB PART 2' are not updated either - they might inherit the counter from the parent, but the parent was not updated (as seen from screenshot 07) meaning they're skipped in this process (see screenshot 08).

01: The 'Inherit Counter From Parent' column on an Asset Card.

02: Asset hierarchy of parking, trucks, and sets on trucks.

03: 'PARKING' counters.

04: 'TRUCK' counters.

05: 'SET ON TRUCKS' counters.

07: Children are not set to inherit counter from parent on 'SUBPART ON 5'.

08: Children are not set to inherit counter from parent on 'SUBSUB PART 5'.

Manage Counter Readings

Assets with Counter Report

You can create Assets with Counter Reports to get an overview of Assets and related Counter registrations.

Refer to the article Consumption Report on Work Orders for descriptions of how to work with standard report setup, such as

• Selecting the Send to... button to create a specific output type, for example, XML, Microsoft Excel Document (data only), or Schedule a report creation
• What to use the "Schedule" output type for.
• How to delete a report schedule that is no longer required.

The created report is a mostly dataset of values from the system. You can always use it to create your own personalized reports that will be used in your company.

Report dialog regarding Assets with Counter.

Counter Journal

Use the Counter Journal to make registrations on multiple Counters at the same time.

You can create templates and batches for managing Counter Journals.

Counter Journal Templates

Counter Journal Templates are used for managing Counter Journal Batches. One template may include several batches.

To create and view Counter Journal Templates:

1. Press Alt+Q on your keyboard to start a search.
2. Enter 'counter journal temp' in the search field.
3. Select Counter Journal Templates. In the list, you see at least one template, named 'Default'.
4. Select New to create a new template.
5. Enter a Name and a Description for the template.
6. In the 'Type' column, the type is automatically set to 'Registration'. The other two types are used for counter migration for system initialization. Read more in the Setup section.

Learn more about the general use of journals and templates in D365-BC in this Microsoft video: Working with journals.

In D365BC, you can set up reason codes as supplementary information to source codes. Refer to Microsoft documentation to learn more: Set Up Source Codes and Reason Codes for Audit Trails.

Counter Journal Batches

Counter Journal Batches are used for managing Counter Journals. One journal batch may include several Counter Journals.

• Example 1: You create two counter journal batches for two production halls.
• Example 2: You create two counter journal batches for two Assets Technicians.

We can specify many batches, each of them work as a "notepad". For instance, every Technician can have his own "Counter Journal Batch" when entering Counter Readings (he can only work on "his" batch).

To create and view Counter Journal Batches:

1. On your role center, select Counters > Counter Journal.
2. Select a Counter Journal Batch in the Name field at the top of the screen.
3. In the Counter Journal Batches list, select New.
4. Enter a Name and a Description for the batch.

In D365BC, you can set up reason codes as supplementary information to source codes. Refer to Microsoft documentation to learn more: Set Up Source Codes and Reason Codes for Audit Trails.

Counter Journal

In the Counter Journal, you can make registrations on multiple Counters at the same time.

To make registrations on multiple Counters, you have the option to fill out the lines on the Counter Journal page or open the page in Excel to edit it.

To open and edit the page in Excel, go to Counter Journal > share > Edit in Excel. The file will download and once you are finished working in Excel, you can publish the file into the Counter Journal.

To make registrations for Counters on the Counters page, follow the steps below.

1. On your role center, select Counters > Counter Journal.
2. For each Counter you want to create a registration for, select the Counter No.
3. Select the Reading Date for the Counter.
4. Enter the Reading Value.
5. If necessary, you can also enter an External Document No. or a Counter Type.
6. Repeat steps 2-4 for all the Counters you want to create readings for.
7. If you want to see the Counter Name, you can add the 'Counter Name' field by personalization.
8. When you have added all Counter readings, select the Register button.

Before you select the Register button, you can:

• Select a Counter line > Related > Counter > Assets to see a list of the Assets that use the Counter.
• Select a Counter line > Related > Counter > Ledger Entries to see details of all Counter readings created on the Counter.
• Select a Counter line > Manage > Delete to delete the line.

Create Standard Journals for Counters

Manage counter entries with the same efficiency and familiarity as you're used to with other journal entries, streamlining the process and improving accuracy.

It's possible to create standard journals for counters and then apply the standard journal to a counter journal.

1. On the 'Counter Journal' page, select Actions > Save as Standard Journal. See screenshot 01.
2. This adds all visible lines, or those that are selected on the Counter Journal, to the standard journal.
3. When saving the lines to the standard journal, you can choose:
   • You can select an already existing standard journal - records will be overwritten.
   • Save Relative Readings - select if you want to apply values from counters that are specified as a Relative counter type.
4. Once created, the standard journal can be used to add records to the counter journal list. To do this, select Get Standard Journals. See screenshot 02.
5. Then choose a journal from the list. From that list you can open existing standard journals to edit them and add records to them. See screenshot 03.
6. When selecting your standard counter journal, you can specify a Default Reading Value for each line. This value will be applied to the lines when the standard journal is applied. For continuous counters, the default reading value will be added to the last counter reading.

01: Save Counter Journal lines as a standard journal.

02: 'Get Standard Journals' action on the 'Counter Journal' page.

03: An open 'Standard Counter Journal'.

Counter Entries

You can get an overview of Counter registrations in the Counters List or on the Asset Card.

Entries List

You can get an overview of all Counter registrations or the Counter registrations for a specific Counter.

• On the Counters list, select the Counter. Select the Show Entries button to see a list of all Counter registrations for the selected Counter.
• On an Asset Card > Counter FastTab, select the value in the Total Used field to see a list of all Counter registrations for the selected Counter.
• On your role center, select Counters > Counter Entries. The Counter Entries list contains all Counter registrations for all Counters.

If you want to cancel a Counter registration, select the line in a list and select the Cancel Entry button.

If you want to see the Counter Name in the Entry list, you can add the 'Counter Name' field by personalization.

If you created a work order based on a counter entry, you cannot cancel that entry.

Counter Chart

You can view counter registrations in a graphical presentation or as a list from the Counters list or from an Asset Card. You can use the graph to visually inspect counter readings, ensure that daily counter changes for the machine (e.g., changes in running hours) are as expected, and to spot unexpected patterns. Counter Chart information can also be seen from the list where you can view reading value and date, triggered orders, and type (see screenshot 01).

The 'Triggered Orders' in the 'Chart Values' list show how many Work Orders are or will be triggered by the reading. This value is calculated based on the number of created simulated instances for plans that are triggered by the reading higher than the previous value and equal to or lower than the value.

1. View the Counter Chart by going to the Counters list
2. Select the Counter.
3. Then, select Show Entries > Counter Chart to see the Counter Chart (see screenshot 01 for an example).
4. Or select Show Entries > Show Daily Registrations Chart to see the Counter Daily Chart (see screenshot 02 for an example).

Note: Simulated instances and trend line are calculated differently and the trend line may show that a Work Order will be triggered on a specific day, but the simulation may show another date. So keep in mind that these values must be treated as forecasts not as a sure occurrence of the Work Order.

You can also view the chart for a specific Asset.

1. On the Asset Card, select Related > Show Counter Chart.
2. On the Counter Chart screen, the latest registration as well as lines for actual counter registrations and the trend based on the registrations.
3. Hover over the lines with your mouse to view Counter details on a specific date.

01: Counter chart shown as a graph and a list overview in 'Chart Values'.

02: 'Show Daily Registrations Chart' on Counters.

Counter Chart - Specify Manual Trend

This functionality helps you to easier manage changing the usage of your assets and their needs for maintenance.

You can define manual trends on counters. The trend is calculated based on registered entries for the counter and you can enter your own trend for a specific time period. It allows you to adjust the simulation of work orders based on the planned production/usage of the assets.

For example, if there are 7 days of downtime planned for an asset, you can take them into account by setting the manual trend for those 7 days to '0'. If there are any Work Orders for this asset, you can simulate them, and simulations for those Work Orders will be calculated according to the manual trend.

1. On the Counters page, select one of the counters.
2. Search for a Manual Trend in TellMe.
3. After selecting it, you will see a page where you can enter a custom trend for a specific period of time for the selected counter.
4. The entered trend will modify the calculated one, you can check it by searching for Show chart from the Counters page.

In the screenshots below, you can see that the trend was modified according to entries in the manual trend, for 7 days the trend is '0', for the next 14 days the trend is '20' and then it comes back to the value calculated from actual counter entries. Based on this trend in the period when trend is equal to '0', there will be no Work Orders triggered and in the period, when the trend is '20', Work Orders will occur 2 times more often. You can see this by going to the Simulated instances page for this specific asset, or by finding this asset on Asset Activity Board and showing its Work Orders.

Search for Manual Trend.

Enter custom trend for specific period of time.

Search for Show Chart.

Counter chart with manual trend.

Simulations of the Work Orders calculated according to modified trend.