Asset Condition Monitoring

Overview

Asset Condition Monitoring is the complete workflow for tracking equipment health through structured inspections, measurements, and observations. It combines offline-first operator rounds, real-time asset readings, historical trending, and abnormal condition detection into a cohesive system designed for industrial environments.

Asset Condition Monitoring emphasizes continuous observation — capturing the current state of every critical asset, tracking how it changes over time, and identifying problems before they cause unplanned downtime.

What is Asset Condition Monitoring?

Asset Condition Monitoring answers three fundamental questions:

1. What is the current condition of this asset? → Last Known Value
2. How has this asset's condition changed over time? → Historical Readings
3. Is anything abnormal that requires attention? → Observations & Alerts (Phase 2)

This is accomplished through:

• Routes: Predefined inspection paths that specify which assets to inspect and what to measure
• Operator Rounds: The execution of routes by field operators who capture readings
• Asset Readings: Structured measurements (temperature, pressure, vibration, etc.) tied to specific asset attributes
• Last Known Value: The most recent reading for each attribute, providing instant visibility into current asset state
• Historical Data: Complete audit trail of all readings captured over time, enabling trend analysis
• Offline-First Design: All data captured on mobile devices works without connectivity, syncing automatically when available

The Complete Workflow

1. Setup: Define What to Monitor

Asset Types define categories of equipment (pumps, motors, boilers) and the attributes that matter for each type:

Example: Centrifugal Pump Asset Type

• Discharge Pressure (bar)
• Suction Pressure (bar)
• Bearing Temperature (°C)
• Seal Temperature (°C)
• Vibration (mm/s)
• Running Hours (counter)

Assets are specific instances of equipment assigned an asset type:

• Pump P-101 (Centrifugal Pump)
• Pump P-102 (Centrifugal Pump)
• Pump P-404 (Centrifugal Pump)

See Assets and Asset Attributes for details.

2. Create Routes: Define Inspection Paths

A Route (also called an Inspection Route or Round Template) is the template that specifies:

• Which assets to inspect
• In what sequence
• Which attributes to measure at each stop

Example Route: "Morning Shift - Pulping & Utilities"

• Estimated Duration: 45 minutes
• Route Stops:
  1. Digester D-101 → Check cooking temperature, pressure, H-factor, white liquor flow
  2. Pump P-404 → Measure discharge pressure, bearing vibration, motor amperage
  3. Steam Boiler B-01 → Record steam pressure, flue gas temperature, feedwater conductivity

Routes are reusable templates. The same route can be executed multiple times per day, week, or month depending on operational needs.

See Operator Rounds for more about route structure.

3. Execute Rounds: Operators Capture Readings

An Operator Round is the execution instance of a route. When an operator starts a round:

1. Mobile app loads the route from local storage (offline-first)
2. Operator walks the route stops in sequence
3. At each route stop, operator captures readings for all required attributes
4. Readings stored locally with timestamp, operator ID, and full context
5. Background sync uploads data when connectivity returns

Mobile UX Optimized For:

• Gloved hands: Large touch targets, simplified inputs
• Noisy environments: Visual feedback, minimal text entry
• Bright sunlight or dim lighting: High-contrast displays
• Offline operation: Works everywhere, syncs when possible

See Mobile Operator Experience for a detailed walkthrough.

4. Store Readings: Dual-Purpose Data Model

Every reading captured during a round serves two purposes:

Last Known Value (Current State)

Each asset attribute maintains its most recent reading:

• Provides instant visibility into current asset condition
• Displayed on dashboards, asset detail pages, and mobile views
• Operators see the last known value when they arrive at a route stop (for comparison)
• Automatically updated every time a new reading is captured

Example:

Pump P-404 → Bearing Vibration
Last Known Value: 7.2 mm/s (captured 2025-06-15 at 6:15 AM by John Smith)
Status: ⚠️ Above normal threshold (>6.0 mm/s)

Historical Record (Trending)

Every reading is also stored with full context:

• Timestamp (when captured)
• Value (the measurement)
• Operator (who captured it)
• Round & Route Stop (context)
• Device (which mobile device)

Example: Pump P-404 Bearing Vibration - Last 7 Days

Date	Time	Operator	Value (mm/s)	Status
Jun 15	6:15 AM	John Smith	7.2	⚠️ High
Jun 14	6:10 AM	Sarah Johnson	6.8	⚠️ High
Jun 13	6:20 AM	John Smith	5.5	✅ Normal
Jun 12	6:15 AM	Mike Chen	5.3	✅ Normal
Jun 11	6:18 AM	Sarah Johnson	5.1	✅ Normal
Jun 10	6:12 AM	John Smith	4.9	✅ Normal
Jun 9	6:22 AM	Mike Chen	4.8	✅ Normal

This historical data reveals a degradation trend — vibration has been steadily increasing over the past week, indicating a developing bearing issue.

See Asset Readings & Route Stops for technical details.

5. Analyze & Act: From Data to Decisions

The combination of current state (last known value) and historical trends enables:

Immediate Visibility:

• Supervisors see current asset conditions at a glance
• Dashboards show all assets with abnormal readings highlighted
• Mobile apps display last known values before operators arrive at each route stop

Trend Analysis:

• Plot readings over time to identify degradation patterns
• Compare readings across different operators, shifts, or time periods
• Identify gradual drift toward limits before failures occur

Audit Trail:

• Full traceability of who recorded what value and when
• Verify compliance with inspection schedules
• Review historical context when investigating incidents

Proactive Maintenance (Phase 2):

• Automated alerts when readings exceed thresholds
• Observations flagged for supervisor review
• Work items created automatically for abnormal conditions

Real-World Example: Blueprint Paper Mill

To illustrate the complete workflow, consider a typical morning at Blueprint Paper Mill, a mid-sized pulp and paper production facility.

Scenario: Morning Shift Inspection

Route: Morning Shift - Pulping & Utilities (RT-001) Operator: John Smith (Morning Shift, 6:00 AM) Device: iPad Mini with Blueprint app Connectivity: Variable (basement areas have no signal)

5:50 AM: Pre-Shift Sync (Online, Control Room)

John arrives early and opens Blueprint on his iPad while in the control room (good Wi-Fi):

App performs initial sync:

1. Downloads today's assigned rounds
2. Downloads asset data, routes, and route stops
3. Downloads last known values for all assets (so John can see previous readings)
4. Encrypts all data in local storage

Result: John's iPad now has everything needed for the entire round, even if he loses connectivity.

6:05 AM: Route Stop 1 – Digester D-101 (Offline, Basement)

John descends to the basement where Digester D-101 is located. No cellular or Wi-Fi signal.

App continues working normally:

• Loads route stop from local database
• Displays normal operating ranges for all attributes
• Shows last known values from yesterday's round for comparison

Readings Captured (all stored locally, encrypted):

• Cooking Temperature: 168 °C ✅ (normal: 165–172 °C, last was 167 °C)
• Digester Pressure: 5.5 bar ✅ (normal: 5.2–5.8 bar, last was 5.4 bar)
• H-Factor: 1150 ✅ (normal: 1100–1200, last was 1140)
• White Liquor Flow: 42 L/min ✅ (normal: 38–45 L/min, last was 41 L/min)
• Chip Level: 78% ✅ (last was 76%)

App response:

• Validates readings against local ranges (green checkmarks for normal values)
• Updates local last known values
• Adds readings to local historical records
• Queues data for sync when connectivity returns
• Shows indicator: "📶 Offline - Data saved locally (will sync when connected)"

6:15 AM: Route Stop 2 – Pump P-404 (Still Offline, Pump Room)

John moves to the pump room (still no connectivity).

Abnormal Reading Detected:

• Discharge Pressure: 12.5 bar ✅ (normal: 11–13 bar)
• Motor Amperage: 48 A ✅ (normal: 45–52 A)
• Bearing Vibration: 7.2 mm/s ⚠️ (above 6.0 mm/s threshold)
• Seal Temperature: 42 °C ✅ (normal: 35–50 °C)

App response (all offline):

1. Highlights vibration field in red 🔴
2. Shows alert: "Above normal threshold (>6.0 mm/s)"
3. Displays last known value: "Last reading: 6.8 mm/s (yesterday, trending up)"
4. Prompts John to add notes: "Please describe the condition"
5. Suggests taking a photo of the pump bearing

John adds observation:

Bearing vibration higher than normal and trending up over past week.
Audible knocking sound from drive end bearing.
Pump still operating but needs attention.

John captures a photo of the pump.

App creates observation (stored locally):

• Links observation to Pump P-404
• Includes reading values, notes, and photo
• Flags for supervisor review
• Queues for sync

6:23 AM: Route Stop 3 – Steam Boiler B-01 (Online, Ground Level)

John returns to ground level where Wi-Fi is available.

App detects connectivity and initiates background sync:

1. Uploads Digester D-101 readings (5 readings)
2. Uploads Pump P-404 readings (4 readings)
3. Uploads Pump P-404 observation (text + photo)
4. Server updates last known values for all attributes
5. Server stores historical records
6. Total sync time: ~3 seconds

John doesn't notice the sync — it happens in the background while he records readings at the boiler:

• Steam Pressure: 42.3 bar ✅
• Flue Gas Temperature: 405 °C ✅
• Feedwater Conductivity: 3.2 µS/cm ✅

These readings sync immediately (online mode).

6:42 AM: Round Completion

John completes all 6 route stops:

• Duration: 42 minutes
• 30 readings captured
• 1 observation created (Pump P-404 high vibration)
• All data synced to server

Supervisor Maria Lopez (in office, online) sees:

• ✅ Completed round: Morning Shift - Pulping & Utilities
• ✅ All readings uploaded
• ⚠️ Observation flagged: "Pump P-404 - High Bearing Vibration (trending up)"
• 📷 Photo of pump bearing available for review

Maria reviews the observation and historical vibration trend (showing gradual increase over 7 days). She creates a work item:

Work Item WI-127: Inspect and replace bearing on Pump P-404
Priority: High
Due: Today (before afternoon shift)
Assigned to: Mike Chen (Day Shift Mechanic)

Outcome: Proactive Maintenance

Because of Asset Condition Monitoring:

1. Degradation detected early: Vibration trending up before failure
2. No downtime: Pump still operational, maintenance scheduled proactively
3. Full context: Historical trend + operator notes + photo provide complete picture
4. Accountability: Work item created immediately, assigned, tracked
5. Offline operation: No connectivity issues delayed detection

Without Asset Condition Monitoring, this bearing would likely have failed during production, causing unplanned downtime and potentially damaging the pump.

Key Benefits

For Operators

• Fast data entry: Optimized mobile UI, large touch targets, smart defaults
• Works everywhere: Offline-first design means no "dead zones" on the plant floor
• Immediate feedback: See last known values, validation errors, abnormal readings instantly
• Less paperwork: No clipboards, no manual logbooks, no data re-entry

For Supervisors

• Real-time visibility: See current asset conditions across the entire plant
• Instant alerts: Abnormal readings flagged automatically (Phase 2)
• Historical context: Understand trends when reviewing observations
• Shift handover: Complete record of what happened during the shift

For Reliability Engineers

• Trend analysis: Plot readings over time to identify degradation patterns
• Predictive insights: Catch issues before they cause failures
• Data integrity: Structured readings with full audit trail
• Root cause analysis: Historical context when investigating incidents

For Maintenance Teams

• Prioritization: Work on assets showing degradation trends
• Planning: Schedule maintenance based on actual condition, not fixed intervals
• Parts inventory: Order parts before failures occur
• Efficiency: Reduce unplanned downtime and emergency repairs

Offline-First Architecture

Asset Condition Monitoring is designed for industrial environments where connectivity is unreliable:

Offline Capabilities:

• Load routes and asset data while online
• Capture all readings without connectivity
• Store photos and observations locally
• Update last known values locally
• Display validation errors and warnings
• Complete entire rounds in zero-connectivity areas

Automatic Sync:

• Background sync when connectivity returns
• No user intervention required
• Resilient to network interruptions
• Encrypted data in transit and at rest

Security:

• All local data encrypted on device
• Lost devices don't expose operational data
• JWT authentication with token refresh
• Scoped access by facility/plant

All local data is encrypted on device and syncs securely when connectivity is available.

Key Features (December 2025)

Route Stop Attributes

Routes now define which specific attributes to capture at each stop. This provides:

• Structured Checklists: Operators see only relevant attributes
• Consistent Data Collection: Same attributes captured across shifts
• Reduced Cognitive Load: No scrolling through irrelevant options
• Compliance Ready: Documented procedure for each route stop

See Operator Rounds for configuration details.

Visual Range Indicators

Real-time color coding shows operators when readings are within acceptable ranges:

• 🟢 Green: Value within normal range
• 🟡 Amber: Value approaching limit (within 10%)
• 🔴 Red: Value exceeds defined range

This immediate feedback helps operators identify abnormal conditions without memorizing thresholds.

Photo & Attachment Capture

Operators can attach photos and documents to individual readings:

• Camera Integration: Take photos directly from mobile app
• Gallery Selection: Choose existing photos from device
• Document Upload: Attach PDFs, text files, and other documents (web)
• Captions: Add descriptions to each attachment
• Cloud Storage: Pluggable storage (local dev, Azure Blob production)

Round Completion Summary (Mobile)

Before completing a round, mobile operators see a summary screen showing:

• Total readings captured
• Stops completed vs. skipped
• Flagged observations requiring attention
• Out-of-range readings highlighted
• Shift handover notes field

This ensures nothing is missed before finalizing the round.

Historical Trend View (Web)

The web interface includes a reading history page for each asset:

• Date Range Selection: View readings over custom time periods
• Attribute Filtering: Focus on specific measurements
• Trend Visualization: Line charts showing value changes over time
• Statistics: Min, max, average values for the period
• Export: Download data for further analysis

Phase 2: Adding Intelligence

While Phase 1 focuses on reliable data capture, Phase 2 adds intelligence on top of the same data model:

Automated Alerts:

• Define thresholds for each asset attribute
• Readings outside thresholds automatically flagged
• Alert dashboards for supervisors and engineers

Structured Observations:

• Free-form operator notes promoted to structured observations
• Severity levels (low, medium, high, critical)
• Triage workflow (acknowledge, escalate, create work item)

Lightweight Workflow:

• Query AI agent for recommendations
• Add comments and collaborate on observations
• Link observations to work items

Phase 2 builds on Phase 1 without changing how operators work or the underlying data model.

See Phase 2 Features for more information.

Technical Foundation

Asset Condition Monitoring is built on a clean domain model:

Core Entities:

• Route (Inspection Route / Round Template): Defines what to monitor and in what sequence
• RouteStop: Individual stops on a route where readings are captured
• OperatorRound: Execution instance of a route
• Asset + AssetType + AssetTypeAttribute: Equipment structure and attributes
• AssetAttributeValue: Readings (current + historical)
• FunctionalLocation: Where assets are located

Key Patterns:

• Clean Architecture (Domain, Application, Infrastructure)
• CQRS with MediatR
• Offline-first with background sync
• Encryption at rest and in transit
• Multi-tenant with data isolation

See Domain Model for entity details.

Getting Started

To implement Asset Condition Monitoring at your facility:

1. Define Asset Types: Identify equipment categories and the measurements that matter
2. Set Up Assets: Create asset records for critical equipment
3. Configure Attributes: Define what to measure on each asset type
4. Create Routes: Build inspection paths covering critical assets
5. Assign Rounds: Schedule routes for operators
6. Train Operators: Mobile app training (15-30 minutes)
7. Start Capturing Data: Begin rounds, collect baseline readings
8. Review Trends: Analyze data after 1-2 weeks to identify patterns
9. Refine Routes: Adjust based on operational needs

See Blueprint Paper Mill Tutorial for a complete walkthrough.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What makes Blueprint different from work order systems? A: Blueprint focuses on continuous observation — tracking the current state and trends of every asset through structured operator rounds. This proactive approach catches issues early, before they require reactive maintenance.

Q: Can operators use this without internet? A: Yes. Offline-first design means operators can complete entire rounds in areas with zero connectivity. Data syncs automatically when connectivity returns.

Q: How often should we run rounds? A: It depends on asset criticality and operational needs. Common patterns: critical equipment inspected daily, secondary equipment 2-3 times per week, non-critical equipment weekly.

Q: What happens if the same asset is inspected by multiple operators? A: Each operator's readings are stored separately with full context (timestamp, operator, round). You can see all readings and compare across operators/shifts.

Q: Can we customize what attributes to measure per asset type? A: Yes. Asset Types define which attributes are available, and you can assign different attributes to different asset types (pumps vs. boilers vs. motors).

Q: Does this require operators to change their existing workflow? A: Minimal change. If operators already walk rounds with clipboards and logbooks, this digitizes that workflow. The mobile app guides them through the same path, just faster and with validation.

Q: What if an operator forgets to complete a round? A: Rounds have due dates and statuses. Supervisors can see overdue or incomplete rounds and follow up.

Q: Can we generate reports from the historical data? A: Yes. All readings are stored with timestamps and full context. You can query and export data for trend analysis, compliance reporting, or root cause analysis.

See Also

• Operator Rounds - Round execution workflow
• Asset Readings & Route Stops - How readings are captured and stored
• Assets - Equipment and last known values
• Asset Attributes - Measurement point definitions
• Mobile Operator Experience - Detailed mobile UX walkthrough
• Phase 2 Features - Observations, alerts, and triage