Attributes Configuration

Attributes allow you to add custom fields to assets based on their industry and classification level - without writing code.

Understanding Attributes

What Are Attributes?

Attributes are user-defined custom fields that extend Asset Pro beyond the standard fields.

Built-in Fields (always available):

• No., Description, Status, Serial No., etc.

• Same for all assets regardless of industry/classification

Attributes (configurable):

• Industry-specific fields

• Classification-specific fields

• Customized per business needs

• Examples: "Cargo Capacity", "MRI Field Strength", "Engine Hours"

Enable Attributes Feature

Attributes are controlled by a feature toggle in Asset Setup.

To enable/disable:

1. Choose the 🔎 icon, enter Asset Setup, and choose the related link

2. Go to Features FastTab

3. Toggle Enable Attributes

   • ☑️ Enabled (default): Attribute system is active

   • ☐ Disabled: Attribute tables hidden, performance optimized

When to Disable Attributes

Disable if:

• You only need standard fields

• Performance is critical (large databases)

• You don't need industry-specific customization

Most organizations should keep it enabled for flexibility.

Attribute Structure

Attributes use a two-part structure:

1. Attribute Definitions

Purpose: Define what custom fields are available

Structure:

• Industry Code + Level Number + Attribute Code

• Defines: Name, Data Type, Options, Validations

• Applies to: Assets in that industry at that level (or all levels if Level 0)

Example:

Industry: FLEET Level Number: 2 (Vessel Category level) Attribute Code: CARGO-CAP Attribute Name: Cargo Capacity (TEU) Data Type: Decimal

2. Attribute Values

Purpose: Store actual values for specific assets

Structure:

• Asset No. + Attribute Code

• Stores: The actual value in appropriate field (Value Text, Value Integer, etc.)

Example:

Asset No.: MV-001 Attribute Code: CARGO-CAP Value Decimal: 5000

Meaning: "Vessel MV-001 has Cargo Capacity of 5000 TEU"

Creating Attribute Definitions

Accessing Attribute Definitions

1. Choose the 🔎 icon, enter Attribute Definitions, and choose the related link

2. Click New to create a new attribute definition

Attribute Definition Fields

Industry Code (required)

• Which industry this attribute belongs to

• Must be defined in Asset Industries

• Examples: FLEET, MEDICAL, IT

Level Number (required)

• Which classification level this attribute applies to

• 0 = All Levels (applies to all assets in industry)

• 1, 2, 3... = Specific level only

Examples:

Level Number: 0 = Attribute available for ALL assets in FLEET industry Level Number: 2 = Attribute available only for assets classified at Level 2 Level Number: 3 = Attribute available only for assets classified at Level 3

Attribute Code (required)

• Short identifier for the attribute

• Max 20 characters

• Examples: CARGO-CAP, MRI-FIELD, ENGINE-HRS

• Cannot be changed after creation

• Must be unique within Industry + Level

Attribute Name (required)

• Display name of the attribute

• Max 50 characters

• Examples: "Cargo Capacity (TEU)", "MRI Field Strength", "Engine Hours"

• This is what users see on forms

Data Type (required)

• Type of data this attribute stores

• Options:

  • Text - Free text up to 250 characters

  • Integer - Whole numbers

  • Decimal - Decimal numbers (up to 5 decimal places)

  • Date - Date values

  • Boolean - Yes/No, True/False

  • Option - Dropdown list with predefined choices

Option String (for Option type only)

• Comma-separated list of allowed values

• Required when Data Type = Option

• Must have at least 2 values

• Example: "Excellent,Good,Fair,Poor"

Option String Format

• Separate values with commas: Value1,Value2,Value3

• No quotes needed

• Spaces around commas are trimmed

• Example: "Red, Green, Blue" → Three options: "Red", "Green", "Blue"

Mandatory

• ☑️ Checked: Users must enter a value

• ☐ Unchecked: Optional field

• Used for required industry-specific data

Default Value (optional)

• Pre-filled value when creating new assets

• Must match the Data Type

• Examples:

  • Text: "Not Specified"

  • Integer: "0"

  • Decimal: "0.0"

  • Date: "01/01/2024"

  • Boolean: "true" or "false"

  • Option: Must be one of the Option String values

Display Order (optional)

• Numeric value controlling display sequence

• Lower numbers appear first

• Example: 10, 20, 30, ... (allows insertions)

• Leave at 0 for alphabetical order

Help Text (optional)

• Descriptive text explaining the attribute

• Max 250 characters

• Displayed as tooltip or help text

• Example: "Total cargo capacity measured in Twenty-foot Equivalent Units"

Blocked

• ☑️ Checked: Attribute cannot be used for new assets

• ☐ Unchecked: Active attribute

• Use when phasing out an attribute

Attribute Definition Example: Fleet Management

Attribute 1: Cargo Capacity

Industry Code: FLEET Level Number: 2 (Vessel Category level) Attribute Code: CARGO-CAP Attribute Name: Cargo Capacity (TEU) Data Type: Decimal Mandatory: Yes Default Value: (blank) Display Order: 10 Help Text: Total cargo capacity measured in Twenty-foot Equivalent Units

Attribute 2: Vessel Flag Country

Industry Code: FLEET Level Number: 0 (All levels) Attribute Code: FLAG-COUNTRY Attribute Name: Flag Country Data Type: Text Mandatory: Yes Default Value: (blank) Display Order: 20 Help Text: Country under which the vessel is registered

Attribute 3: Vessel Condition

Industry Code: FLEET Level Number: 0 (All levels) Attribute Code: CONDITION Attribute Name: Vessel Condition Data Type: Option Option String: Excellent,Good,Fair,Poor,Critical Mandatory: No Default Value: Good Display Order: 30 Help Text: Overall condition assessment

Attribute 4: Last Survey Date

Industry Code: FLEET Level Number: 0 (All levels) Attribute Code: SURVEY-DATE Attribute Name: Last Survey Date Data Type: Date Mandatory: No Default Value: (blank) Display Order: 40 Help Text: Date of most recent vessel survey/inspection

Attribute Applicability Logic

Level Number = 0 (All Levels)

Attribute applies to all assets in the industry, regardless of classification level.

Example:

Attribute: FLAG-COUNTRY (Level 0) Industry: FLEET

Applies to:

• Assets classified at Level 1 (Fleet Type: Commercial) ✅
• Assets classified at Level 2 (Vessel Category: Cargo Ship) ✅
• Assets classified at Level 3 (Vessel Model: Panamax) ✅
• Assets with NO classification in FLEET industry ✅

Use Cases:

• Common fields across all asset types

• Industry-wide attributes

• Examples: "Flag Country" (all vessels), "Manufacturer Warranty" (all equipment)

Level Number = Specific Level

Attribute applies only to assets classified at that specific level or deeper.

Example:

Attribute: CARGO-CAP (Level 2) Industry: FLEET

Applies to:

• Assets classified at Level 2 (Cargo Ship) ✅
• Assets classified at Level 3 (Panamax) ✅ (inherits from parent level)
• Assets classified at Level 1 (Commercial) ❌ (not deep enough)
• Assets with NO classification ❌

Use Cases:

• Category-specific fields

• Fields that only make sense for certain classifications

• Examples: "Cargo Capacity" (only for cargo vessels), "MRI Field Strength" (only for MRI machines)

Working with Attribute Values

Viewing Attribute Values

Phase 1 MVP: Attribute values are stored but not yet displayed on Asset Card UI.

Current Access:

• Values stored in Attribute Value table

• Direct table access: Choose 🔎 icon, enter Attribute Value, choose the related link

• Filter by Asset No. to see all attributes for an asset

Future Enhancement:

• FactBox on Asset Card showing attributes

• Inline editing of attribute values

• Attribute filters in asset lists

Data Storage by Type

Attribute values use separate fields based on data type:

Data Type	Storage Field	Example
Text	Value Text	"Panama"
Option	Value Text	"Good"
Integer	Value Integer	5000
Decimal	Value Decimal	5000.50
Date	Value Date	01/15/2024
Boolean	Value Boolean	true

Single Value Storage

Only ONE value field is populated based on the Data Type:

• Text/Option attributes → Value Text

• Integer attributes → Value Integer

• Decimal attributes → Value Decimal

• Date attributes → Value Date

• Boolean attributes → Value Boolean

Other value fields remain empty/zero.

Validation Rules

Option Type Validation

For attributes with Data Type = Option:

• Value Text must match one of the Option String values

• Case-sensitive match

• Trimmed spaces

Example:

Attribute: CONDITION Option String: Excellent,Good,Fair,Poor

Valid Values: "Excellent", "Good", "Fair", "Poor" ✅ Invalid Values: "excellent", "GOOD", "Average" ❌

Data Type Validation

System validates that stored value matches the data type:

Integer:

• Must be a whole number

• Example: "5000" ✅, "5000.5" ❌, "abc" ❌

Decimal:

• Must be a number

• Up to 5 decimal places

• Example: "5000.12345" ✅, "5000.123456" ⚠️ (rounded), "abc" ❌

Date:

• Must be a valid date

• Example: "01/15/2024" ✅, "2024-01-15" ✅, "abc" ❌

Boolean:

• Must be true/false or yes/no

• Example: "true" ✅, "false" ✅, "yes" ✅, "maybe" ❌

Complete Setup Example: Medical Equipment

Scenario: Hospital Equipment Management

Industry: MEDICAL

Classification Structure:

Level 1: Department (Radiology, Surgery, Lab) Level 2: Equipment Category (MRI, CT, X-Ray, Ultrasound) Level 3: Device Model (1.5T MRI, 3T MRI, 64-slice CT, etc.)

Step 1: Create All-Level Attributes

Attributes that apply to all medical equipment:

Attribute 1: Manufacturer Warranty Expires

Industry Code: MEDICAL Level Number: 0 (All Levels) Attribute Code: WARRANTY-EXP Attribute Name: Manufacturer Warranty Expires Data Type: Date Mandatory: No Default Value: (blank) Display Order: 10

Attribute 2: Requires Specialized Training

Industry Code: MEDICAL Level Number: 0 (All Levels) Attribute Code: SPEC-TRAINING Attribute Name: Requires Specialized Training Data Type: Boolean Mandatory: Yes Default Value: false Display Order: 20

Attribute 3: Maintenance Contract Status

Industry Code: MEDICAL Level Number: 0 (All Levels) Attribute Code: MAINT-STATUS Attribute Name: Maintenance Contract Status Data Type: Option Option String: Active,Expired,No Contract,Pending Renewal Mandatory: Yes Default Value: No Contract Display Order: 30

Step 2: Create Level-Specific Attributes

Attributes that apply to specific equipment categories:

Attribute 4: MRI Field Strength (Level 2: MRI equipment only)

Industry Code: MEDICAL Level Number: 2 Attribute Code: MRI-FIELD Attribute Name: MRI Field Strength (Tesla) Data Type: Decimal Mandatory: Yes Default Value: (blank) Display Order: 100 Help Text: Magnetic field strength measured in Tesla (e.g., 1.5T, 3T)

Attribute 5: CT Slice Count (Level 2: CT scanners only)

Industry Code: MEDICAL Level Number: 2 Attribute Code: CT-SLICES Attribute Name: CT Slice Count Data Type: Integer Mandatory: Yes Default Value: (blank) Display Order: 110 Help Text: Number of detector rows (e.g., 16, 64, 128, 256)

Attribute 6: Ultrasound Frequency Range (Level 2: Ultrasound only)

Industry Code: MEDICAL Level Number: 2 Attribute Code: US-FREQ Attribute Name: Ultrasound Frequency Range Data Type: Text Mandatory: No Default Value: (blank) Display Order: 120 Help Text: Frequency range in MHz (e.g., "2-5 MHz", "5-12 MHz")

Result: Intelligent Attribute Application

Asset 1: 3T MRI Scanner

Classification: MEDICAL → Radiology → 3T MRI (Level 3)

Available Attributes: ✅ Manufacturer Warranty Expires (Level 0 - applies to all) ✅ Requires Specialized Training (Level 0 - applies to all) ✅ Maintenance Contract Status (Level 0 - applies to all) ✅ MRI Field Strength (Level 2 - MRI category) ❌ CT Slice Count (Level 2 - only for CT scanners) ❌ Ultrasound Frequency Range (Level 2 - only for ultrasound)

User enters: MRI Field Strength: 3.0

Asset 2: 64-Slice CT Scanner

Classification: MEDICAL → Radiology → 64-slice CT (Level 3)

Available Attributes: ✅ Manufacturer Warranty Expires (Level 0) ✅ Requires Specialized Training (Level 0) ✅ Maintenance Contract Status (Level 0) ❌ MRI Field Strength (only for MRI) ✅ CT Slice Count (Level 2 - CT category) ❌ Ultrasound Frequency Range (only for ultrasound)

User enters: CT Slice Count: 64

Best Practices

Attribute Design Principles

Start Simple:

• Begin with 3-5 key attributes

• Add more as needs become clear

• Don't over-engineer initially

Use Level 0 for Common Fields:

• Fields that apply across all asset types

• Examples: Warranty dates, condition ratings, notes

• Reduces repetition

Use Specific Levels for Specialized Fields:

• Fields that only make sense for certain categories

• Examples: "Cargo Capacity" for vessels, "MRI Field Strength" for MRI machines

• Prevents clutter on irrelevant assets

Choose Appropriate Data Types:

• Text: Use for codes, names, free-form descriptions

• Integer: Use for counts, whole numbers

• Decimal: Use for measurements, capacities, ratings

• Date: Use for dates (not text!)

• Boolean: Use for yes/no flags

• Option: Use for predefined choices (better than free text)

Naming Conventions

Attribute Codes:

• Short, descriptive, uppercase

• Use hyphens for readability

• Examples: CARGO-CAP, MRI-FIELD, MAINT-STATUS

• Avoid: ATTR1, FIELD_X, A123

Attribute Names:

• Clear, user-friendly labels

• Include units if applicable

• Examples: "Cargo Capacity (TEU)", "MRI Field Strength (Tesla)"

• Avoid: "Capacity", "Field", "Value"

Option Strings:

• Use title case for consistency

• Keep values concise

• Examples: "Excellent,Good,Fair,Poor" not "EXCELLENT, GOOD, FAIR, POOR"

Mandatory Attributes

Use sparingly:

• Only for truly required business data

• Example: "MRI Field Strength" is critical for MRI assets

• Avoid: Making everything mandatory "just in case"

Impact:

• Users cannot save asset without entering mandatory attributes

• Can slow down data entry if overused

• Balance completeness vs usability

Default Values

When to use:

• Common starting values

• Industry standards

• "Not Specified" for optional text fields

When NOT to use:

• Fields that vary significantly

• Measurements that must be looked up

• Dates (usually asset-specific)

Display Order

Recommended pattern:

• Use increments of 10: 10, 20, 30, 40...

• Allows inserting attributes later (e.g., 15, 25)

• Group related attributes: 10-19 (basic info), 20-29 (technical specs), etc.

Example:

Display Order: 10 - Manufacturer Warranty Expires Display Order: 20 - Maintenance Contract Status Display Order: 30 - Requires Specialized Training Display Order: 100 - MRI Field Strength (technical specs start at 100) Display Order: 110 - Coil Type Display Order: 120 - Bore Size

Attributes vs Other Extensibility Options

When to Use Attributes

✅ Use Attributes when:

• Field is industry-specific or classification-specific

• Different asset types need different fields

• You want users to configure without coding

• 5-20 custom fields needed

• Values are simple data types (text, numbers, dates, options)

Examples:

• Vessel cargo capacity

• MRI field strength

• Engine hours

• Warranty expiration dates

When to Use Standard Fields

✅ Use Standard Fields when:

• Field applies to ALL assets universally

• Field is part of core asset management

• Field needs complex business logic

• Field requires deep system integration

Examples:

• Status, Blocked (already built-in)

• Current Holder (universal tracking)

• Parent Asset No. (core functionality)

When to Customize Code

✅ Customize Code when:

• Need complex validations

• Need integration with other modules

• Need calculated fields with business logic

• Need workflow automation

• Attributes are insufficient for complexity

Examples:

• Auto-calculating depreciation

• Integration with Fixed Assets module

• Complex approval workflows

• Real-time IoT sensor integration

Troubleshooting

Cannot Create Attribute Definition

Error: "Level Number must have a value in Classification Lvl"

• Cause: Level Number references non-existent classification level

• Solution: Create the classification level first, or use Level Number = 0 for all levels

Option String Validation Errors

Error: "Option String must contain at least 2 values separated by commas"

• Cause: Option String has fewer than 2 values

• Solution: Add more comma-separated values: "Value1,Value2"

Error: "Option String can only be set for Option data type"

• Cause: Set Option String for non-Option data type

• Solution: Change Data Type to Option, or clear Option String

Default Value Validation Errors

Error: "Default Value must be a valid integer/decimal/date/boolean"

• Cause: Default Value doesn't match the Data Type

• Solution: Enter a value that matches:

  • Integer: "100"

  • Decimal: "100.5"

  • Date: "01/15/2024"

  • Boolean: "true" or "false"

Attribute Value Errors

Error: "Value X is not in the allowed options: Y"

• Cause: Trying to set Option attribute to value not in Option String

• Solution: Choose one of the predefined options from the Option String

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