Overview
The Shorthand field lets you give a component type or PM program (asset template) a short abbreviation alongside its full name. Maintenance teams and Lubrication Management staff use shorthand codes to identify component types and programs quickly on mobile devices, in searches, and on exports, without needing to read the full description. The field is optional — leave it blank if your team doesn't need it.
Accessing Component Types and Programs
Component Types:
From the navigation, click Settings, then click Maintenance & Tasks, then click Component Types.
Programs (Asset Templates):
From the navigation, click Maintenance, then click PM Programs.
Click Setup, then click Asset Template Library.
How to Set a Shorthand on a Component Type
Add or update the shorthand when creating or editing a component type.
Steps:
From the navigation, click Settings, then click Maintenance Tasks, then click Component Types.
From the Component Types table, click Add Component Type (or click an existing row to edit it).
Enter the Name and Description as usual.
In the Shorthand field next to Description, enter up to 16 characters.
Click Create if you're adding a new component type, or Save Component Type if you're updating an existing one.
NOTE: Shorthand is not required and is not part of the duplicate-name check — two component types can share the same shorthand.
How to Set a Shorthand on a Program
Add or update the shorthand when generating or editing a PM program template, or when saving an asset as a template.
Steps:
From the Asset Template Library, click Generate Template (or select a card's ellipsis menu and click Edit).
In the Shorthand field (to the right of the template name), enter up to 16 characters.
Click Save Changes.
NOTE: When copying an existing program template, the copy keeps the source template's shorthand automatically — there is no separate shorthand field on the copy modal.
How to Search by Shorthand
Steps:
Use the existing search box on the Component Types table or the Asset Template Library.
Type a full or partial shorthand (for example, searching "BR" matches a component type with shorthand "BRG").
Matching results appear alongside results matched by name or description.
Understanding Where Shorthand Appears
Component Types table: Shorthand shows as its own column, sortable, to the right of Description. Component types with no shorthand show a blank cell.
Asset Template Library: Shorthand shows as a small tag next to the template name on each card. Templates with no shorthand show no tag.
Exports: The Component Types export includes a Shorthand column matching the table.
Dropdowns and pickers: Component type and program dropdowns elsewhere in the app continue to show name and description only — shorthand does not appear there.
Mobile: Shorthand set on web syncs to mobile, and a shorthand set on mobile syncs back to web, so either platform can be the source of truth.
Use Cases
A lubrication tech scanning a component tag sees a short code like "BRG-4" on mobile instead of a long description, making it faster to confirm they're working the right component.
An admin standardizing naming sets shorthand codes across all bearing-type components so field staff can search "BRG" and immediately narrow the list.
A planner building a PM program library adds a distinguishing shorthand to templates with very similar names, so techs picking a template from a card view can tell them apart at a glance.
Best Practices
Keep Shorthand Codes Consistent: Agree on a short-code convention (e.g., always 3-4 letters) across your team so codes stay recognizable.
Use Shorthand for High-Volume Areas: Prioritize adding Shorthand codes to Component Types and Programs you use most often.
Review After Bulk Import: After importing Shorthand values in bulk, spot-check a few records in the app to confirm they saved correctly.
Troubleshooting
Issue: A shorthand I set isn't showing up in search results.
Solution:
Confirm the shorthand was saved by reopening the component type or program and checking the field.
Make sure you're searching from the correct table — Component Types shorthand and Program shorthand are independent fields with separate search boxes.
Issue: Shorthand set on mobile isn't appearing on web (or vice versa).
Solution:
Confirm the device has synced since the shorthand was set.
Refresh the web table or reopen the mobile screen to pull the latest synced value.
Summary
The Shorthand field is a short, searchable identifier for component types and programs, visible on the Component Types table, the Asset Template Library, exports, and the Public API. It's optional and stays in sync between web and mobile.