Asset Tree Connector

Overview

The Asset Tree Connector ensures alignment between asset locations in a CMMS (for example, SAP Functional Locations or FLOCs) and the asset locations in the NEXUS environment. This synchronisation is essential for the correct functioning of other workflow connectors that rely on accurate asset location data.

Functionality

In NEXUS, assets are organised within a hierarchical tree structure. Each asset’s location is represented by the Full Location field, which is derived from its parent assets. For example, an asset might have the following structure:

_images/integration.asset.hierarchy.png

In this case, the Full Location would be:

Company / Platform / System / Well

At this level within the asset tree, inspectable components (such as vessels, tanks, and piping corrosion circuits) must be mapped to the corresponding asset locations in the CMMS system.

The Asset Tree Connector ensures that a one-to-one relationship exists between each relevant CMMS asset location and a NEXUS Component_ID (the unique identifier in NEXUS). Every applicable CMMS asset location must be linked to a corresponding asset location in NEXUS.

Example: SAP Integration

The method for mapping NEXUS Full Locations to CMMS asset locations depends on the specific CMMS in use.

For example, when integrating with SAP, the connector maps NEXUS Full Locations to SAP FLOCs. NEXUS provides a custom Asset Information Group (AIG) form that includes fields for storing asset attributes retrieved from SAP. The connector populates these fields, which are then used to calculate the Full Location in NEXUS. This approach allows asset trees to be constructed in NEXUS from a vertical list of components, provided that the necessary parent attributes are available to define the hierarchy.

The mapping process typically involves the following steps:

  1. Data Synchronisation

    Populate designated fields in NEXUS with asset-level information from SAP FLOCs.

  2. Tier Mapping

    Use the populated fields to determine the hierarchical tier levels required to construct the Full Location in NEXUS.

  3. Asset Creation

    For any SAP FLOCs that do not yet have a corresponding NEXUS asset (specifically for asset types such as “vessel”, “tank”, or “corrosion circuit”), create the asset in NEXUS. Its location is derived from the tier structure defined in the previous step.