Project Connected Work Orders—Exercises

Main Exercise

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to understand how CBS can be used in conjunction with work orders that are connected to projects.

IMPORTANT !
When performing the exercises below please replace all occurrences of X with your site ID. This is to ensure that you work with your own data.

Create a Project
 

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to create a project plan that can be used to connect work orders.

Windows:
Projects

Create a project header

  1. Open the Projects window and create a new record.
  2. Enter values in the Project ID, Project Name and Project Description fields according to the table below:
    Project ID Project Name Project Description Planned Start Planned Finish Customer ID
    X-INSTALL Installation of RFID Equipment Installation of RFID Equipment Monday Next Friday two weeks from Planned Start Any customer
  3. Save the information. Do not change the values or the company and manager.
  4. Select the project you just created, right-click and click Project Details.
  5. In Project/General tab, enter the Planned Start and Planned Finish dates according to the table above. Save.
  6. Click the Site tab and create a new record.
  7. Enter your site ID and save.
  8. Click the Customer Info tab, enter a customer ID and save.
  9. Close the window. You now have a project header.

Create sub projects and activities

Now we will create a number of sub projects and activities to work with.

  1. In the Projects window, select the project you created, right-click and click Project Info.
  2. Click the Project Navigator/Sub Project tab and create a new record.
  3. Create the two sub projects outlined in the table below and save:
    Sub Project ID Sub Project Name Activity ID Activity Name Requested Start Total Workdays
    1 PREINST Pre Installation Activities 10 Preparation Next Monday 3
    2 INSTALL Installation Activities 20 Installation Next Monday 3
        30 Functional Test Next Monday 3
  4. Click the Activity List tab and enter the activities for the relevant sub projects according to the table above.
  5. Save the information.

Add dependencies

Next we will add dependencies between the activities.

  1. Click tab Gantt tab.
  2. Select the main project node (top node) from the project tree, the Gantt tab will show all three activities entered for the project.
  3. Right-click on the Gantt tab and click Create Dependencies Mode.
  4. Draw a dependency line between activity 10 and 20 then another between 20 and 30 and save.
  5. Right-click on the Gantt tab and click Pointer Mode.
  6. Right-click again and click Schedule Project and save.
  7. Select the main project node (the top node), right-click, point to Status and click Approve.
  8. In the dialog box that appears, select a Project Group using the List of Values.
  9. Click OK. You now have a project to which you can connect work orders.

Create Project Connected Work Orders
 

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to create a number of work orders connected to the project.

Windows:
Prepare Work Order
Project Navigator

Create Work Orders

  1. Open the Prepare Work Order window and create a new record.
  2. Enter the first work order according to the table above below and save. Repeat for the rest of the entries:
    Work Order Site Directive Object Site Object ID Late Start Requested Finish Maintenance Organization
    X RFID Preparation X Any object on the site Tomorrow Tomorrow X-1000
    X RFID Mechanical Installations X Any object on the site Tomorrow Tomorrow X-1000
    X RFID Electrical Installations X Any object on the site Tomorrow Tomorrow X-2000
    X RFID Functional Check X Any object on the site Tomorrow Tomorrow X-2000

Connect operations to each work order

  1. Click the Operations tab and enter the operations for the relevant work orders according to the tables below:

Work order directive = RFID Preparation

Operation No Description Maint. Org. Craft ID Planned Men Planned Hours
10 Prepare for concrete X-1000 101 1 16
20 Pour concrete X-1000 101 2 8
  1. Create an operation dependency where operation 10 is the predecessor of operation 20.

Work order directive = RFID Mechanical Installations

Operation No Description Maint.Org Craft ID Planned Men Planned Hours
10 Drill hole X-1000 101 1 1
20 Mount pole X-1000 101 2 4
  1. Create an operation dependency where operation 10 is the predecessor of operation 20.

Work order directive = RFID Electrical Installations

Operation No Description Maint. Org. Craft ID Planned Men Planned Hours Predecessor
10 Install IP65 secured box X-2000 201 1 4  
20 Connect 220V wiring X-2000 201 2 2 10
30 Install RFID reading device into IP65 secured box X-2000 201 2 2 20
  1. Create operation dependencies according to the table above.

Work order directive = RFID Functional Check

Operation No Description Maint. Org. Craft ID Planned Men Planned Hours Predecessors
10 Enable RFID tag X-2000 401 1 0,5  
20 Drive by installation at 55 mph X-2000 401 1 0,5 10
30 Verify reading after 30 seconds on the RFID web site X-2000 401 1 0,5 20
  1. Create operation dependencies according to the table above.

Connect the work orders to a project

  1. Click the General tab, right-click, point to Project Connection and click Connect To Activity.
  2. Using the List of Values, enter the project, subproject and activity connections for the first work order:
    Directive Project ID Subproject ID Activity ID
    RFID Preparation X-INSTALL 1 PREINST 10
    RFID Mechanical Installations X-INSTALL 2 INSTALL 20
    RFID Electrical Installations X-INSTALL 2 INSTALL 20
    RFID Functional Check X-INSTALL 2 INSTALL 30
  3. Click OK.
  4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the remaining three work orders.
  5. Switch back to the Project Navigator window.
  6. In the Connections tab, verify that the work orders are connected for all activities.

You are now ready to schedule the project connected work orders!

Schedule Project Connected Work Orders
              

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to schedule a set of project connected work orders.

Windows:
Active Work Orders
Work Order Simulation Client

  1. Open the Active Work Orders window.
  2. Query for work orders that are connected to your site and the project you created above.
  3. Select the records, right-click, point to Work Order Status and click Prepared. 
  4. In the dialog that appears, accept the default values and click OK. The entire project is now sent to the CBS Server for scheduling. Check the value of the Scheduling Constraints field for all project connected work orders. All work orders should be Resolved.
  5. Switch over to the IFS Scheduling/Simulation Client (if you have closed it open it through the Work Order Simulation Client).
  6. Query for the schedule from the CBS Server.
  7. In the Data Tree tab, there is now a node that has your project ID. Expand the project node. The four work orders that belong to the project should now be visible.
  8. Clear the Gantt Chart.
  9. Click Settings on the menu bar and click Plot Settings. In the Plot Settings dialog box that appears select the Precedence Line check box.
  10. Close the dialog box.
  11. Drag and drop your project onto the Gantt Chart.
  12. Drag the project item onto the Drag & Drop Auto Timescale icon in the Gantt Chart ( ). The dependencies between the work orders should now be visible.
  13. Right-click on the project node and click Show. The Need Date field contains the Planned Finish date from the project.
  14. Click the Show Contents tab. The EPST (Earliest Possible Start Time) field contains the Planned Start date from the project.
  15. Close the dialog box.

Reschedule Project Connected Work Orders
              

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to understand the available rescheduling options and how to perform rescheduling.

Windows:
Project Navigator
Work Order Simulation Client

  1. Switch back to the Project Navigator window.
  2. Right-click the main project node (top node) and click Project Details.
  3. Change the Planned Start and Planned Finish dates to one month ahead.
  4. Save the information.
  5. Switch over to the Active Work Orders window.
  6. Select a project connected work order, right-click and click Reschedule Work Order Structure/Project.
  7. Accept default values and click OK. The project is now rescheduled.
  8. Switch back to the IFS Scheduling/Simulation Client.
  9. Query the schedule from the CBS Server.
  10. Right-click on the project node and click Show. The Need Date should now have been moved to one month ahead.
  11. Click the Show Contents tab. The EPST date should now have been moved one month ahead as well.
  12. Close the dialog box.
  13. Clear the Gantt Chart.
  14. Drag and drop your project onto the Gantt Chart. Verify that the project has been rescheduled.

Enforcing Dependencies Between Work Orders
              

Purpose: The purpose of this exercise is to understand how to work with the dependencies between work orders in a project environment.

Windows:
Active Work Orders
Work Order Simulation Client

  1. In the Active Work Orders window, query for the RFID Mechanical Installation (directive) work order.
  2. Right-click, point to Work Order Status and click Released. This work order should now be released.
  3. For the same work order, change the status to Started. You should now get an error message saying that work orders must be done in a dependency order.
  4. Perform step 3 for the RFID Preparation (directive) work order. This work order should now be Started.
  5. Right-click and click Report In.
  6. Enter the Actual Start and Actual Finish dates for this work order.
  7. Right-click, point to Work Order Status and click Work Done.
  8. Switch over to the IFS Scheduling/Simulation Client (Work Order Simulation Client).
  9. Query for the schedule from the CBS Server.
  10. Clear the Gantt Chart.
  11. Drag and drop your project onto the Gantt Chart. The RFID Preparation work order should now have been removed from the project structure. You should now also be able to start the RFID Mechanical Installation work order.
  12. Switch back to Active Work Orders window and set the status of the RFID Mechanical Installation work order to Started.
  13. Report in this work order and set the status to Work Done. Continue with starting the next work order until you are done with the entire project. Note: When the last work order has been reported in and the status set to Work Done, the project should now be entirely removed from the CBS Server.