How to add operational information to a system

Operational information is the notes that follow a technical system over time — what has been adjusted, what needs remembering, what was tried last.

Operational information is the notes that follow a technical system over time — what has been adjusted, what needs remembering, what was tried last. Where the system description says how the system is, operational information says what happens to it.

How to add operational information

  • Go to FDV > Building overview in the sidebar.
  • Find the system under Systems.
  • Go to Operational information on the system.
  • Write the note.
  • Click Save.

You get the confirmation FDV note created. The note appears with Created by {user}.

To discard what you've written, click Cancel.

How to change or delete a note

  • Open the note, edit it and click Save. The confirmation is FDV note saved.
  • To remove it, delete it and confirm Delete the operational information? The confirmation is FDV note deleted.

If the author is unknown to the system, it says Unknown user.

What's worth writing

Operational information earns its keep when it answers questions the next person is going to have:

  • Adjustments made — setpoint changed, why, when
  • Known quirks — "this valve has to be opened manually after a power cut"
  • What was tried — including measures that didn't work, so nobody tries them again
  • What's outstanding — but if somebody actually needs to act, create a task as well
Note: Operational information is documentation, not a task. Nobody is notified and nothing is followed up automatically. If something needs doing, create a task — see How to create a task.

Where the different kinds of notes belong

Properate has several places to write, and they're used differently:

Type

Attached to

Used for

Operational information

a system

what happens to the installation over time

System description

a system

how the installation is built

Notes

a point in time on a graph

explaining a movement in measured data

Comment on an incident

an incident

what was done in that particular case

To explain a jump in the energy graph, that belongs in notes — see How to add a note.

Frequently asked questions

Can several notes sit on the same system?

Yes. Operational information is a list, unlike the system description, which is a single text.

Do others see my notes?

Yes. Everyone with access to the building sees them — that's the whole point.

Do I get an error if saving fails?

Yes, Couldn't create FDV note or Couldn't save FDV note. Copy the text before retrying if the note is long.

Tip!

Write the note with the date and what was actually done, not just the conclusion. "Lowered supply air temperature from 21 to 19 degrees because the zone was overheating" is usable in a year's time; "adjusted temperature" isn't.