Availability
Packages: Premium, Enterprise
User roles: All user roles
What are Status Signals?
Status signals are an extension of the system status system in remberg. You cannot only see the current status of a machine (Running, Warning, Stopped, Inactive), but status signals enable complete documentation of all status changes over time.
This feature solves a key problem in everyday maintenance: you can now track exactly when a problem occurred, how long it lasted, and what was done to fix it.
Every Status Change Becomes a Signal
When you change the status of a machine, a “Signal” is automatically created – an entry in the plant's history. This signal contains:
The status (e.g. “Stopped”)
The time
The duration (how long this status was active)
The source (who or what triggered the change)
All signals are displayed in the new “Signals” tab of the Asset. There you will see a timeline of all past status changes.
Multiple Processes Simultaneously
Status signals can manage several active problems in parallel.
An example from everyday maintenance:
A milling machine breaks down (signal “Stopped” is created)
During repair, you notice an oil leak (signal “Warning” is also created)
You fix the oil leak (signal “Warning” is canceled)
The Asset remains at “Stopped” because the main fault has not yet been fixed
Only when you also fix the main fault does the system status jump to “Running”
The system therefore detects that several things are wrong and always displays the most critical problem as the Asset status.
Understanding the Fallback Logic
This is the most important concept: the displayed Asset status always corresponds to the most critical active signal.
The priority is: Stopped > Warning > Inactive > Running
When you resolve a problem, the Asset status does not automatically revert to “Running”, but to the next most critical open signal. This prevents Assets from being incorrectly displayed as “Running” even though problems are still open.
Linking to Work Requests
Depending on your system configuration, a Work Request is automatically created when a signal is created. This ensures that work is scheduled for every problem.
When the Work Request is approved, converted into a Work Order, and completed, the system automatically resolves the associated signal. This creates a direct link between status change and resolution.
Benefits for Your Daily Maintenance Routine
Status Signals offers you concrete advantages:
Precise downtime recording: You can see exactly how long a machine has been idle, down to the minute. This is the basis for reliable KPIs.
Traceability: Every status change is documented. If you have questions about failures, you can refer to the timeline.
Manage parallel problems: You won't lose track of things when several things need to be repaired on one machine at the same time.
Automation through IoT: When your machines send error messages via an interface, automatically documented signals with the respective error codes are generated.
Link to work processes: Each problem is directly linked to the corresponding Work Request or Work Order.
How to Work With Status Signals
Making a Status Change
If you notice a problem with a machine:
Open the Asset and click on the status drop-down menu on the left-hand side.
Select the new status (e.g., “Stopped” or “Warning”).
What happens next depends on your system configuration:
With Work Request link (default): A window opens for creating a Work Request. Fill in the description of the problem and select a failure type. When you click “Create,” both the Work Request and the signal are created.
Without Work Request link: A simple comment field appears. Enter a brief reason for the status change (optional) and confirm. The signal is created with your name as the source.
Reading the Signal Timeline
In the “Signals” tab of the Asset, you will see a list of all status changes. The most recent signal is at the top. Each entry shows:
The status (colored)
How long the status was or is active
A comment (if available)
The source: either a user name or a Work Request
Active signals (not yet resolved) are displayed normally. Resolved signals are grayed out and marked with a check mark.
Manually adjusting a signal's start and resolution time
By default, the system sets a signal's start and resolution time automatically — the actual completion time when resolved via a Work Order, or the time of the status change otherwise. In exceptional cases, you can still correct these times manually, for example if they were captured incorrectly or you need to record a past incident retroactively.
Open the signal in the timeline and click Edit signal.
In the Start and resolution section, you'll find the Today toggle:
Today off: You can freely set the start date, start time, resolution date, and resolution time.
Today on: The start and resolution date are automatically set to today's date. You only enter the start time and resolution time.
The Asset status, creator, and "Created at" / "Updated at" timestamps are shown above but cannot be edited.
Click Save to apply the changes.
💡 Note: Use this manual correction only as an exception — normally, the automatic completion time from the Work Order already ensures accurate timing.
Resolving a Signal Manually
Sometimes you may want to mark a signal as resolved without completing the associated Work Order:
Move the mouse pointer over the signal in the timeline.
A check mark icon will appear on the right.
Click on it to mark the signal as resolved.
The signal remains visible in the history, but no longer counts as an active problem. If it was the only active signal, the Asset status jumps to “Running”.
Working With Multiple Simultaneous Problems
You can create multiple signals for the same Asset without resolving previous signals. Example: A machine is stopped (signal 1). You also discover a warning (signal 2). Both signals exist in parallel. The Asset status shows “Stopped” because this has the higher priority.
If you now resolve the “Warning” signal, the plant status remains “Stopped” until this signal is also resolved. This allows you to resolve problems step by step without losing sight of the big picture.
Resetting Status
Sometimes you have to manually set a machine to “Running” even though there are still open signals. This can happen if signals are outdated or you need a reset for other reasons:
Select “Running” from the status drop-down menu.
The system displays a warning: “There are X unresolved signals.”
Confirm the action.
All active signals are automatically resolved.
However, the associated Work Orders remain open and must be completed separately.
Note: This function is an overwrite - use it with caution!
Setting Inactive Status
The “Inactive” status works in the same way as the other statuses. Use it for machines that are temporarily out of use (e.g., seasonal equipment, stored goods).
Set the status to “Inactive” and enter a comment (e.g., “Winter storage”). To reactivate the machine, cancel the inactive signal or set the status to “Running”.
Understanding Configuration
System administrators can configure two key settings that affect the behavior of status signals. It is helpful to be aware of these settings to understand why the system in your organization responds the way it does.
Setting 1: Work Request Creation
This setting determines when the Asset status is actually changed.
Location: Settings > Notifications > Automatically set Asset Status at Work Request approval
Enabled (default): The Asset status only changes when the Work Request is approved/accepted. So you create a Work Request for “Stopped,” but the asset still shows “Running” until someone accepts the Work Request.
Disabled: The Asset status changes immediately when the Work Request is created.
💡 The first option gives your organization more control, but can be confusing at first (“Why is the machine still green even though I just reported a stop?”).
Setting 2: Work Request Requirement
This setting determines whether a Work Request must be created for each status change.
Location: Settings > Assets > Disable Work Request creation when creating a signal
Disabled (default): Status changes force the creation of a Work Request. When you change the status, you will see the “Create Work Request” window.
Enabled: Status changes can be made freely. You will only see a comment field and can change the status without creating a Work Request.
💡The second option is more flexible, but you lose the automatic link between the problem and the Work Order.
IoT and Interfaces
Status signals can also be controlled by external systems. If your machines are connected via an MES or IoT solution, they can automatically generate signals.
For example, a CNC machine reports an error code via API. The system automatically creates a “Warning” signal with the error code as the description. In the timeline, you will then see the machine name as the source instead of a user name.
This automation is particularly valuable for systems that can already diagnose errors themselves. The signals appear immediately in remberg without anyone having to change the status manually.
FAQs
Why doesn't the Asset status change immediately when I report a stop?
Check the Work Request settings. If “Automatically set Asset Status at Work Request approval” is enabled, you or a supervisor must first approve the Work Request.
What happens to open Work Orders when I manually set the status to “Running”?
The orders remain open. The status overwrite only clears the signals, not the orders. You must complete the orders as usual.
Can I delete a signal?
No, signals can only be resolved, not deleted. This ensures the integrity of the history.
How far back does the signal history go?
By default, the timeline shows the signals from the last 60 days. Older entries remain stored in the system.
Can multiple people create signals for the same Asset at the same time?
Yes, the system supports any number of parallel signals. The fallback logic ensures that the Asset status always reflects the most critical problem.