One small topic, 10 questions on Rotating Items (part 2):

Q1 – What happens when you update the specification attribute values on an item marked as rotating?

Answer – The attribute value is updated on all locationsA physical place where assets exist and where work can be performed. More and assets that reference the rotation item and that have the same attribute. 

This is one of the characteristics of a rotating asset in that the specification is controlled from the rotating item. It can be stopped for either locations or assets at the item level.

Q2 – Can you change the classification of an asset that references a rotating item?

Answer – No, the classification field on the rotating asset is read-only. 

Q3 – What is the purpose of the two YORN fields on the Asset Specification which are normally hidden, but which are associated with the asset’s rotating item?

Answer

Inherited from Item – This field defaults to 0 when a new attribute is created in the asset specification, its value is therefore not updated from the rotating item. When the attribute is added on the rotating item and then added to all associated rotating assets this field is set to 1. The attribute is then a candidate for being updated from the rotating item.

Item Specification Value Changed – This field defaults to 0 and is set to 1 if you enter or override the attribute value on the asset specification. When set to 1 it tells Maximo not to update this attribute if the value of the same attribute on the item specification is changed.

Q4 – A rotating item has an image, what happens when I create a new location and a new asset and associate them both with the rotating item?

                  A – Nothing related to the image on the location or asset

                  B – The asset image is copied from the item’s image, nothing happens on the location

                  C – The location image is copied from the item’s image, nothing happens on the asset

                  D – The location and asset images are both copied from the item’s image

Answer – B, a rotating asset inherits its image from its rotating item, this is not the case with a location that is referenced against a rotating item.

Q5 – What is the purpose of the “Add as Spare Part” field on the Item Master application and is it applicable to rotating items, non-rotating items or both?

Answer – When “Add as Spare Part” is set (=1) and you issue an item to an asset then the item will be added to the Spare Parts table window for the asset. It is only applicable if the item being issued is non-rotating. Rotating items will not be found in the Spare Parts table window. The field will be empty and read-only if the item is set to be rotating.

Q6 – What happens when you issue a rotating item and the “Attach to Parent Asset on Issue” on Item Master application is not enabled?

Answer – When you issue a rotating item you need to select a rotating asset to issue. If “Attach to Parent Asset on Issue” is set (=1) then the asset being issued will be added as a subassembly to the asset referenced in the issue dialog and its location will be the same as its parent. Otherwise, if there is no asset to attach to or this field is not set (=0) then it will be issued to the referenced operating location. 

Q7 – What two financial transactions occur when you issued a rotating item?

Answer – A material usage transaction (MATUSETRANS) occurs for the issue from storeroom and an asset movement transaction (ASSETTRANS) occurs when you move the asset from the storeroom to the operating location.

Q8 – What is the purpose of the “Maximum Quantity Issued” field on the Item Master application and what field found on the Asset Spare Parts is it closely associated with?

Answer – When issuing a non-rotating item to an asset if the item is referenced as a spare part to the asset then the Issued Quantity field is incremented by the quantity of the item being issued. If the quantity to be issued added to the value of the Issued Quantity for the spare part on the asset exceeds the Maximum Quantity Issued field set for the item, then you will receive an error message.

A good example of why you might use this field, is for installing software on an asset, you do not need multiple copies, and so if the Maximum Quantity Issued is set to 1.00, the error will occur if you try to issue a second copy. A return transaction reduces the Issued Quantity by the quantity returned.

Q9 – If the Maximum Quantity Issued field on the Item Master application was set to 1.00 and you issued a second motor to a pump, the motor and pump are both set to be rotating, would the issue create an error? 

Answer – No. The second motor would be issued to the same operating location as the pump, perhaps as a child asset if “Attach to Parent Asset on Issue” was set, in which case it would appear in the Subassemblies table window for the pump asset. The Maximum Quantity Issued field only has effect on non-rotating items.

Q10 – What is the purpose of the Item field on the Job Plans application – Work Assets tab, when used in conjunction with the fields in the Purchasing Details section? 

Answer – It can trigger the creation of a work order when the item is received. The item can be of any type, rotating or non-rotating, service item or tool. Issue on Receipt must be set on the purchase order for the work order to be created.