Using Limits & Warnings or the Equipment Category Question

Monitoring Equipment with Category Limits and Warnings

This handy feature lets you use one form question to record a numeric reading for a whole category of equipment in one go. Set your operating limits, and you’ll instantly get a heads-up if anything’s running outside its safe or optimal range—so you can jump in and fix it fast

Use Case: Monitoring Dewatering Pumps on a Construction Site

Picture this—you’ve got five dewatering pumps working across a big construction site to keep things dry. Each one needs to stay between 80 and 100 PSI to do its job without causing damage.

With the Equipment Category question type, you can add a single question to your Daily Site Inspection form—something like “Check Pump Operating Pressure.” It’ll automatically list all five pumps so your site supervisor can quickly record the PSI for each one.

If they log a reading of 75 PSI for a pump, your pre-set warning will pop up right away, and a note will be added to the form so they know the pump’s underperforming and can take action

Step 1: Setting Up Limits and Warnings

Before using the form question, you must first define the operational limits for your equipment. You can do this for a single item or, more efficiently, for an entire category.

Setting Limits for a Whole Category (Recommended)

This is the best way to apply the same limits to all similar items (like our dewatering pumps).

1. Log in to the Admin Console and navigate to Equipment.
2. Select the Settings tab at the top.
3. Choose the relevant Category from the side menu (e.g., "Dewatering Pumps").
4. Select Edit Category.
5. Scroll down to Limit Settings and toggle on "Set limits & warnings".
6. Select your unit of measurement (e.g., PSI, kPa, °C) or create a custom one.
7. Input the limit values (see definitions below).
8. Save your changes.

Understanding the Limit Types

• Maximum & Minimum Allowed: The absolute highest and lowest values a user can enter. Any reading outside this range is considered a major non-conformance.
• Upper & Lower Acceptable Values: The optimal, "safe zone" for the equipment. This is your target compliant range (e.g., 80 PSI to 100 PSI).
• Upper & Lower Auto-Reject Values (Optional): When enabled, these stricter limits can trigger automatic alerts if a reading goes beyond the acceptable range, helping to ensure immediate action.

Setting Up Warning Messages

In the same settings area, you can write custom warning messages. For example:

• Lower Acceptable limit message: "WARNING: Pump pressure is too low. Check for blockages or fuel issues."
• Upper Acceptable limit message: "WARNING: Pump pressure is too high. Risk of hose or equipment damage."

This message will appear on the mobile app if a user enters a value outside the "acceptable" range you defined.

Step 2: Using the 'Equipment Category' Answer Type in a Form

Now that your limits are set, you can add the question to your form.

1. Log in to the Admin Console and navigate to Forms.
2. Open an existing form (like a "Daily Plant Checklist") with the pencil icon.
3. Click "Add Question".
4. Set the Answer Type to Equipment Category.
5. From the picker, select the Category of equipment you want to monitor (e.g., "Dewatering Pumps").
6. Save your changes.

Step 3: How it Works in Practice

When your team fills out the form on the mobile app, they will see a list of every piece of equipment from the category you selected.

They can then enter the numeric value (e.g., the PSI reading) for each item.

• If the value is within the "acceptable limits," the data is saved normally.
• If the value is outside the "acceptable limits," the custom warning message you wrote will immediately pop up. A Blue Note will also be automatically added to the saved form, creating a record of the non-conformance. From this note, a Corrective Action or Task can be created to investigate and resolve the issue.