Mass mutation

In Asset Strategy Optimization, the mass mutation functionality allows you to add, delete, or edit multiple objects in one go. You can initiate mass mutation from the menu bar by selecting:

Edit > Edit Objects

Delete

The screenshot below shows the Delete window. In layout and structure, the other two windows are similar to this window.

Deleting multiple options takes two steps:

• Step 1: Find a number of objects to be deleted, by filling in specific search criteria in the screen above and pressing the Search button

• Step 2: In the result list, select one or more (or all) results and delete them by pressing the button Delete

Step 1: Searching

First, you must select an object type. This is a pull-down menu, from which you can select those objects that are available within the selected system. Basically, when selecting the menu option, it all depends which are the child objects of a particular object. These, then, become selectable. In Figure 1, Maintenance Action has been selected, and all the fields in the window have been populated. When you select Parts, only those search fields and object search fields will be displayed, which in the hierarchical structure are at parent level in relation to the relevant part. As regards the selected object type, you can now search on the basis of Part, Component, Failure Cause and Maintenance.

Note: Using the "Search in" pull-down menu, you can now specify whether to search in the selected object only or in all systems.

Step 2: Select and delete

After you have populated one or more criteria, clicking the "Next" button will open the Search Results window. The criteria by which you can search, are the criteria that are present in the Properties windows of the objects

The window below lists the objects that have resulted from a search action with specific criteria as entered in the window above. One or more found objects can now be selected for deletion with the Delete button.

Note: Select more than one element in the list using the  <Ctrl>-Left-Click combination.

Search results, ready to be selected for deletion

Inspecting objects before deleting them (pass-through)

The mass-mutation function is very powerful, and removing objects is final. To be sure that the right elements are selected for deletion, you may double-click an element, which will lead you to its location in the FMECA tree. There, you may inspect every detail of the element to confirm your choice.

Editing

When you choose the Edit option, you can perform edit operations on the results found. You can then open the window below with the "Next" button which has now become available. What you can and cannot change, is dependent on your selected object, and match the parameters that you can specify in the Properties windows of the objects themselves. In the screenshot below, the Change window refers to Parts.

For all elements selected in step 2, new values can be entered here

Now you can use the Change window to populate a number of fields. These fields are only available if you have selected (checkbox) the parameter to be changed. When you close the window by clicking OK, any specified changes will become effective for all objects selected in the Search window at the moment you selected the Edit option.

Change Options

The figure below shows the change options available for changing/editing an FBM.

When you check the various editable parameters, their related fields and options also become available. These check marks prevent you from implementing any unwanted changes. Using the pull-down menus, you can specify how changes must be implemented, and on the basis of which criteria.

From left to right, these are:

•  =, +, -

  This is to indicate the required value (=), or what must be added to or subtracted from the current value (+ and -).

• The field for specifying the change value.

• Your selection in relation to the change value.

  Here, you can select from Hours, Weeks, Months, and Years.

• Choice between Absolute and Percentage.

  When selecting Absolute, the specified change value as in option field 1 will be processed. When selecting Percentage, the operation will be in terms of percentage based on the change value vis-a-vis the current value.

• Calculation in relation with [Current value, Other value]

  The latter selection box provides an option which is dependent on the parameter that needs changing. In the case of MTTR (Mean Time To Repair), only the current value is available. In the case of Deviation, you can choose between the current value and a value vis-a-vis the MTTR, because there is a direct relation between the MTTR and the deviation.

Other tabs

The same goes for the Corrective and Preventive tabs. These tabs are always available, even when there is no tab for the object to be changed. This is related to the fact that also a mix of objects can be the result of a search action, for example FBM, UBM and CBM maintenance. With such a mix, changes are possible in all tabs where such changes apply.

Result

After you click "Apply" or "OK" the changes will be processed. After you click "OK" the mass mutation and results windows will be closed

Important: Mass mutation is a powerful tool for changing huge numbers of objects within Asset Strategy Optimization at once. Mass mutation can greatly impact a system when incorrect values are used by accident in the Change window. Asset Strategy Optimization does not have an Undo function to undo the changes implemented. Any incorrect change will have to be undone manually. We advise users to make timely backups of the database in order to avoid this kind of problem.