With the most recent release of InfraLink (v3.5.38), we are happy to offer the following new features and functionality.

System Construction and Commissioning

The release of InfraLink v3.5.38 expands Production module capabilities to support evolving project scope while introducing additional methods of calculating and estimating labor needs. Learn more below.

Creating Tasks for System Elements created in "Future" Statuses

As projects evolve, it is common for the project scope to change, at times requiring the creation of additional System Elements. These new elements may be created in a variety of statuses, requiring the creation of additional Task Templates to ensure Task assignment.

To help ensure completion of the entire project scope, Work Package Templates now distinguish between Task generation for All SE Statuses or Future SE Statuses. The project administrator can create System Elements in the appropriate status and use a single Work Package Template to generate Tasks, and applying this new configuration option, the Work Package Generator will only generate Tasks for "future" statuses of the System Elements.

It is important to note that once a Task is created, it will not be deleted if the System Element transitions to other statuses. Tasks generated for a specific status will remain open until completed.

Enhanced Labor Estimation and Calculation for System Elements

In order to assist our project teams in accurately predicting and planning the necessary workload for project completion, we have implemented a feature where System Element details panels now shows hour values for both the estimated labor required for a System Element and the actual hours of labor recorded for that System Element. These hour values are presented in the following fields: estimated hours, earned hours, remaining est. hours, and actual hours. Currently, the system takes into consideration a few separate fields to estimate the values. For System Elements with Preventative Maintenance Tasks, InfraLink reviews the "Estimated Time To Complete" value per Work Form, aggregating the total amount based on how many PM Tasks the System Element contains. For System Elements with Device Tasks, InfraLink utilizes the "Est. Hours" value set in the Task Template configuration under the System Element Tab, aggregating the total amount based on how many Device Tasks the System Element is comprised of. To calculate the Actual Hours, InfraLink reviews all labor added to the PM Task, labor added to the Device Task, labor added to a Work Package when the Work Package is grouped by System Element, and labor added to a Problem-Type Case where that System Element is the only System Element associated to the Case. 

What You Will See in the User Interface:

• System Element Details Panels now display a "Hours (beta)" section for System Elements with Device Tasks. Within the section, four fields are displayed related to device labor. 
  • Estimated Values
    • Estimated Hours: Estimated Hours are populated dependent on the amount of Tasks configured for a System Element. 
    • Earned Hours: Earned Hours are populated dependent on task completion percentages. 
    • Remaining Est. Hours: The remaining estimated hours are calculated by subtracting the earned hours from the estimated hours. This field displays the remaining time required to complete work on that System Element.

• • Actual Values
    • Actual Hours: Actual Hours contain the total amount of time (in hours) spent on a System Element. 
• For System Elements that only contain PM Tasks, the estimated and actual values are displayed in the top section of the System Element Details panel. 

System O&M

The release of InfraLink v3.5.38 refines and expands existing operations and maintenance capabilities to improve the integrity and display of reporting data.

Problem Causes Help Ensure Accurate MTBF and Associated Downtime Calculations

Traditionally, InfraLink has calculated the mean time before failure (MTBF) for System Elements based on the duration of Cases that are defined as Functional Failures. When problem-type Cases ("Issues") are created, the user must select a value from an administrator-defined dictionary of Issue Types. The instance administrator, at the time of configuration, defined which Issue Types are considered Functional Failures and which are not.

After a problem is reported, the Case is typically assigned to a responsible user(s) for investigation and resolution. During problem investigation, a user may confirm the issue is a Functional Failure but discover the cause of the problem is not attributable to the asset, itself. For example, the issue may be caused by faulty installation, misuse or outside conditions, like weather. Such occurrences should not be included in MTBF calculations, which should summarize asset failures.

To help ensure the integrity of reporting data, MTFB calculations now rely on both the Issue Type and Problem Cause specified within Issue records. Again, the Issue Type identifies the problem as a Functional Failure, and the Problem Cause confirms whether or not the problem was attributable to an asset failure.

The release of v3.5.33 expanded failure reporting capabilities and introduced the categorization of Problem Causes. An instance administrator determines the appropriate category for each Problem Cause. Categories include: No Problem, External, Operation, Installation, and Internal. Only the Problem Causes categorized as Internal are attributable to asset failures and are included within the MTBF and Downtime calculations.

What You Will See in the User Interface:

• With this change, you will notice no changes within the UI. Rather, the change applies to how MTBF values are calculated for System Elements.

Total Activity Time Prominently Displayed in Work Ticket Details

With this InfraLink release, the Work Ticket Details panel now displays Total Activity Time, allowing users to quickly assess the total labor logged against a selected Work Ticket. 

What You Will See in the User Interface:

• The top section of the Work Ticket Details panel now displays a Total Activity Time field.
• Total Activity Time is displayed in hours and minutes.

General Scalability and Usability

The release of InfraLink v3.5.38 enhances our recently released details panels with new file and image displays while introducing an improvement to which Cases are displayed in the My Work (beta) view. 

Enhanced Display of Image and File Uploads

As we continuously work to enhance our users' experience, this release improves the way image and file uploads are displayed within the record (e.g., Case, Work Ticket, Device) details panel.

When a multi-instance Custom Field displays numerous file uploads or when multiple files are included within a general record update, these files or images are now displayed in a horizontal panel with more user-friendly navigation. Intuitive controls allow for previewing, downloading, or scrolling left and right through the file attachments. Please note, not all file types support file preview.

What You Will See in the User Interface:

• Files populated to Custom Fields or added during record updates/status transitions are displayed in a horizontal panel in the entity details panel. 
• The panel displays arrows to the left and right of the images/files to allow for easy navigation between the uploads.
• Hovering over an image/file will display the preview and download icons. 
  • The preview icon, when clicked, will open a larger window with all of the images.
  • The download icon, when clicked, will download the image/file to your devices download folder. 

My Work View (Beta Stage)  

The My Work dashboard is designed with our daily Users in mind. Formatted to be a convenient pre-filtered and pre-sorted view, My Work displays just that - my work. A User's open cases and associated entities (i.e., Work Tickets and Tasks) are displayed in three tabs

• Assigned to me - Displays all Cases where a User is assigned to that Case. The v3.5.38 release of InfraLink now also displays Cases where a User is assigned to the Work Ticket(s) even if you are not assigned to the Case itself. 
• Initiated by me - Displays the Cases a User manually created
  • Note, this does not include work automatically generated by InfraLink, such as Preventative Maintenance and Advanced Workflow/Work Package Cases
• Watching - Displays the Cases where a User is included in the Notify by Email list

Although the view is designed to be pre-filtered, it does come equipped with additional filters to allow further refinement of the records displayed. Similar to other InfraLink views, selecting a record will open the associated Details panel along the right side of the window. 

What You Will See in the User Interface:

• The My Work view is available from the Main Menu, under the Overview stack on the left-hand side.
• The My Work view has three tabs, all pre-sorted in ascending Due Date order and pre-filtered to include only Open work. See Tab Details below for additional information as to what each Tab displays. 
• Each Case record will consistently display the Case Category, Priority, Status, Case Number, Due Date, and Contract. Dependent on configuration, the Case record may also display the Location, Work Tickets, and User.
• Some items within the My Work view are represented by an icon, as described below.