Initialize cumulative reading values and set due values
Two very common maintenance tasks are recording cumulative reading values for key components, such as engines, and performing maintenance routines that are scheduled based on reaching specific cumulative reading values for these key components. In Helm CONNECT, you can use maintenance templates to manage both of these important tasks. Building your templates and getting them ready for your crew to use is a multi-step process:
- Add components to Helm CONNECT.
- Build and publish checklists used to record cumulative readings, such as running hours or fuel used, for key components.
- Build and publish checklists for maintenance routines scheduled based on cumulative readings for those same key components.
- Record the initial cumulative reading values in the checklist used to record readings for key components in your Onboard > Logs > To Do List. See Initialize component cumulative reading values below.
- Adjust the due values in any templates for maintenance checklists that are scheduled based on cumulative readings for the tracked components so they are due in the correct number of units. See Set due values below.
This article focuses on steps 4 and 5 and assumes that you've already added components to the system (step 1) and built and published your checklists (steps 2 and 3). For more information about adding components, check out this lesson. For more information about building maintenance routine templates, check this lesson.
Initialize component cumulative reading values
When you first create a component, Helm CONNECT assumes its cumulative reading values start at zero. Since this value is unlikely to be zero, you must enter the correct value the first time you complete the checklist used to record readings for that component.
To initialize cumulative reading values
- Go to your Onboard > Logs > To Do list and complete the checklist used to record readings for the required component(s) for the first time.
Example In this example, let's say you enter running hours of 1200 and a fuel used value of 14000 for the starboard main engine component.
Important note As a best practice, when you do this, make sure you enter the component's current cumulative reading values into the Total fields and NOT the Add fields.
- Click Finish Now to complete the checklist. This will add the current cumulative reading values into Helm CONNECT.
Set due values
After you set the initial cumulative reading values for a component, you need to adjust the due values in the templates for the related maintenance checklists that are scheduled based on cumulative readings.
Example Let's say there is a Starboard Main Engine Maintenance checklist. As soon as you finish the checklist used to record readings for the starboard main engine, you will see in your Onboard > Logs > To Do list that the Starboard Main Engine Maintenance checklist appears to be overdue. In this example, this is because you recorded 1200 for the running hours and Helm CONNECT thinks the checklist is overdue by 700 hours, when it should actually be due in 300 hours, at the 1500 hour interval.
To set due values correctly
- Go to the Setup> Templates> Maintenance tab and click the maintenance template scheduled by cumulative readings for the component you just recorded the running hours for, in this case, the Starboard Main Engine Maintenance template.
Note Do not click Edit on the template.
- In the template header, click in each Due field, then, in the Set due window, type the actual number of units for that cumulative reading type until the maintenance checklist is due.
Example In this example, since you entered 1200 as the current running hours and 14000 gallons for fuel used in the checklist used to record readings, you would enter 300 in the Due (Running Hours) field and 1000 in the Due (Fuel Used) field to make sure the maintenance checklist is due at the correct interval for each cumulative reading type.
- Click Set due.
- View the maintenance checklist in your Onboard > Logs > To Do list; it now shows the correct number of cumulative reading units until it's due.
- If you have more than one maintenance checklist scheduled based on cumulative readings for a component, you'll need to set the correct due hours in the template for each one.
Troubleshooting
If you make a mistake when entering cumulative readings in the checklist used to record readings, don't use Correct History; it won't fix the actual cumulative reading values in the system. Use the following procedure instead.
To fix a mistake entering cumulative readings
- Complete another copy of the checklist used to record readings immediately and enter the correct cumulative reading values in the Total fields.
- In the "Finish this checklist?" window, select No period, then click Finish Now.
This will reset the cumulative reading values for the component to the correct value without affecting the schedule for the checklist used to record readings.
Important If you enter incorrect values into a checklist used to record cumulative readings, this can potentially cause a maintenance checklist scheduled based on cumulative reading values to become due at the wrong time. If you correct the cumulative readings using the above method before the maintenance checklist is completed, the checklist will be due as intended. However, someone could complete the maintenance checklist first and then correct the component cumulative reading values later. If that occurs, the due values in the maintenance checklist for the affected component will be incorrect. You'll need to edit the due values in the template for the maintenance checklist for any affected component as shown in Set due values above.