Once a maintenance plan is created, you need to decide which assets it applies to and whether FieldEx should automatically attach new assets that match certain rules. You can do this by manually adding assets to the plan, or by using automation rules that link assets based on their type and status.
This article covers:
How the Assets tab works in a maintenance plan
How to add assets manually to a maintenance plan
How to use filters, and bulk selection before adding
How to read asset maintenance cards (Last / Next Maintenance)
How to adjust next maintenance dates or generate a job immediately
How to set up basic automation for new assets
How to configure advanced automation rules
How to remove automation and understand what happens next
Understanding the Assets Tab in a Maintenance Plan
Every maintenance plan has an Assets tab that shows all assets currently linked to that plan, along with their last and next maintenance details.
Path: Maintenance > Asset PM > open a plan > Assets tab
The header includes Add Assets (to manually add assets) and Set Automation (to automatically apply the plan based on rules).
A Show active only slider lets you filter the list to only assets that are currently in an Active status.
Filters allow you to narrow down assets by Last Maintenance Date, Last Maintenance Status, Next Maintenance Date, Next Maintenance Status, and Asset Status.
If a plan has no assets and no automation configured, a notice is displayed explaining that this plan is not yet running against any assets, with shortcuts to Set Automation or Add Assets.
Tip: Think of the plan as the “schedule and rules” and the Assets tab as the “who this applies to.” A plan does nothing until at least one asset is linked manually or through automation. |
Adding Assets Manually to a Maintenance Plan
Use the Add Assets to Plan page to search, filter, and bulk-select assets that should follow this maintenance plan.
Path: Maintenance > Asset PM > open a plan > Assets tab > Add Assets
On the Assets tab of the maintenance plan, click Add Assets. This opens the Add Assets to Plan page.
Use the filters at the top to narrow down the assets list:
Search by name or serial number - find specific assets quickly.
Created Date - filter by when the asset was created.
Type - multi-select asset types (for example, Generator, Pump, Vehicle).
Status - multi-select asset statuses (for example, Active, On Hold).
Review the asset table. Each row shows Name, Serial No., Type, Created Date, and Status. A checkbox in each row lets you select that asset.
Use Select all to select every asset in the current filtered list. The total number of assets in the table is shown below the list.
In the page, a Selected Records bubble summarises:
Total records - the number of assets you have selected.
Clear Selected - removes all currently selected assets from your selection.
After confirming, you will be redirected back to the plan’s Assets tab where all newly added assets are listed.
Tip: Use filters first (for example, Type = “Generator”, Status = “Active”), then Select all to quickly add a large group of similar assets to the plan in one go. |
Reading Asset Maintenance Cards
Each asset linked to a maintenance plan is shown as an Asset Plan Record with its status and maintenance details.
The header shows the Asset Name and an Asset Status pill (read-only).
Buttons:
View Asset - opens the asset view in a new tab.
Remove Asset - opens a confirmation popup to remove this asset from the plan.
Beneath the header, the Asset Maintenance Record area shows:
Date - the last or next scheduled maintenance date.
Cycle Month - which cycle in the sequence this maintenance belongs to.
Maintenance Template - the job order template used for that maintenance.
Job Order - the job order name, once a job has been generated.
Status - the status of the job order (shown only when a job exists).
Available actions on each maintenance card:
View Job - opens the job order view page in a new tab. Visible once the job has been generated.
Adjust Date - opens the Adjust next maintenance date popup. Shown only when the job has not yet been generated and the maintenance plan is in Draft or Active status.
Generate Job - immediately generates the job order for the next maintenance visit. Once clicked, the job name appears, and the Generate Job and Adjust Date buttons are replaced by View Job.
Tip: Use Adjust next maintenance date if a customer delays access or you deliberately shift a visit. FieldEx will reschedule future jobs based on this new date, keeping the cycle aligned. |
Removing an Asset from a Maintenance Plan
If an asset should no longer follow a particular maintenance plan, you can remove it.
On the Assets tab, locate the asset and click Remove Asset.
The Remove Asset Confirmation popup appears, showing a message that the asset will be removed from the plan and that this action cannot be undone.
Confirm the removal. The asset is unlinked from the plan. Any job records that have already been generated remain in the system and are not deleted.
Setting Up Basic Automation for Assets
Automation lets FieldEx automatically apply a maintenance plan to new assets that match certain conditions, without you having to manually add them each time.
Path: Maintenance > Asset PM > open a plan > Assets tab > Set Automation > Basic
On the Set Automation page (Basic tab), you define:
1. Entry: Which assets should this plan automatically apply to?
Asset Type - multi-picklist. FieldEx will apply the plan to any new asset created with one of these types.
Asset Status - multi-picklist. Only assets whose status matches one of these selected values will be automatically linked.
Entry rules apply to new assets going forward. Existing assets are not automatically changed - you should use Add Assets for those.
2. Exit: When should assets be removed from the plan?
Configure When asset status is [Asset Status]. When an asset’s status matches this value (for example, Retired or Disposed), FieldEx removes that asset from the plan.
Buttons on the Basic automation page:
Remove - opens the Remove Automation confirmation popup.
Cancel - returns to the maintenance plan Assets tab without saving changes.
Save - saves the automation rules and returns to the Assets tab. A header then appears stating that automatic asset conditions are currently applied.
Tip: Use Basic automation when you have a simple rule such as “All Active Generators should follow this quarterly PM plan.” New generators will automatically be attached as they are created. |
Using Advanced Automation Rules
Advanced automation gives you more control, letting you build complex entry rules with multiple conditions and groups (similar to Workflows).
Path: Maintenance > Asset PM > open a plan > Assets tab > Set Automation > Advanced
In the Advanced tab:
Which assets should this apply to? - define a set of conditions that assets must meet to receive this plan.
Use the AND/OR toggle to control whether conditions within a group must all be met (AND) or whether any can be met (OR).
Click Add Rule to add a new condition (for example, Asset Type = “Chiller”, Asset Status = “Active”).
Click Add Group to build nested logic (for example, one group for “All Generators” and another for “All Compressors in Region A”).
Use Remove on a rule or group if it no longer applies.
As with Basic automation, Advanced rules apply to new assets that match the conditions. Existing assets must be managed using the Add Assets function or removed individually if they no longer qualify.
Once saved, the same Automatic asset conditions are currently applied header appears in the Assets tab, and you can return to Set Automation to review or update the logic as needed.
Tip: Use Advanced automation when different product lines or locations share the same plan. For example, you can apply one PM plan to “All chillers in Plant A or any asset with Status = ‘Critical’.” |
Editing and Removing Automation
Automation rules can be updated as your asset structure or operational rules change. You can either edit existing automation to adjust the conditions, or remove automation entirely if it is no longer needed.
Editing automation
From the maintenance plan’s Assets tab, click Edit on the Asset Auto-apply conditions header.
The current automation configuration opens (Basic or Advanced, depending on what was previously set).
Update the entry or exit conditions as needed, such as adding a new Asset Type, changing allowed Asset Status, or adjusting Advanced rule logic.
Click Save to apply the updated automation rules and return to the Assets tab.
Editing automation affects future behaviour only. Existing assets already linked to the plan are not retroactively removed or re-added unless their status later matches an exit condition.
Removing automation
From the plan’s Assets tab, click Set Automation.
On the Set Automation page, click Remove. The Remove Automation confirmation popup appears with a warning that this action cannot be undone.
Choose Back to keep the existing automation, or Remove to delete the automation rules and return to the Assets tab.
Removing automation stops new assets from being automatically attached to the maintenance plan. Assets that were already linked remain attached until you manually remove them or until their status changes in a way that triggers any exit rules that were previously applied.
Tip: Edit automation when your rules change gradually (for example, adding a new asset type). Remove automation only when you want full manual control over which assets follow the maintenance plan. |
Best Practices for Assets & Automation
Use separate plans for very different maintenance cycles (for example, monthly checks vs. annual overhauls) so that automation remains simple and easy to understand.
Start with Basic automation when trialling PM schedules. Move to Advanced rules only when you need to match more complex operational logic.
Periodically review the Assets tab and automation rules to confirm that the right assets are still covered and that retired or decommissioned assets are removed from active plans.