Skip to main content

Smart Tag Mapping for OT Data

availability
Platform:WebMobile
Plan Type:BasicEssentialPremiumEnterprise
User Type:RequesterFull UserAdministrator

This article explains how to use smart tag mapping to automatically connect Operational Technology (OT) data signals from your facility to assets in MaintainX®. The MaintainX smart tag mapping system uses AI to analyze data tags you make available through OT data connectors configured for your organization.

For each tag, the mapping system suggests a meter name, a unit of measurement, and an asset to assign the meter to. Using the MaintainX tag management tool, you can:

  • View the tags (e.g., Ignition tags or MQTT topics) that are available through OT data connectors configured for your organization.
  • Review MaintainX's suggestions for mapping tags to assets in your organization.
  • Automatically create meters for your tags and associate them with the correct assets.

Why Use Smart Tag Mapping?​

Smart tag mapping brings your OT data into MaintainX faster and more easily than setting it up manually. It automatically connects your OT data to MaintainX data in meaningful ways, so technicians and maintenance managers can understand it.

After you bring your OT data into MaintainX, you can use it to set up automations that:

  • Monitor asset status: Track downtime automatically based on machine state signals.
  • Set up usage-based preventive maintenance: Trigger PMs based on run hours or cycles, rather than time.
  • Enable condition-based maintenance: Create work orders when assets show signs of wear.

Requirements​

This article assumes that your organization uses a supported OT data solution (e.g., Ignition, MQTT, Kepware, etc.) and has a MaintainX OT data connector configured for that solution.

caution

If you have an existing OT connector instance that uses the auto-create meters feature, smart tag mapping will not be available for that instance. For more information, contact your MaintainX representative.

The Tag Management Tool​

The tag management tool is where you review smart tag mapping suggestions, and create meters to map your OT data tags to assets.

Screenshot of the tag management tool interface showing the connector selector, tabs for AI suggested tags, mapped tags, and skipped suggestions, search and filter options, and the tag details table
The tag management tool
Options
1Choose the OT connector instance whose tags you want to manage.
2Switch between suggested tag mappings, completed mappings, and skipped suggested mappings.
3Use the search and filter options to narrow the list of tags so you can review and edit them more easily. For example, use a filter to find all the high confidence matches, or search to find all the tags for a specific machine.

The search can use the full path in the Tag Name field, which can be helpful for isolating specific groups of tags.
4The Tag Details table lists tags from the selected instance. You review and edit tag mappings here.

To open the tag management tool:

  1. From the sidebar, select Settings, then select Integrations.

    The Integrations page opens.

  2. On the Integrations page, select the Connectors tab.

  3. In the Configured Connectors section, locate the connector you want to manage tags for.

  4. Select Manage. The connector details dialog opens.

  5. In the connector details dialog, do one of the following:

    • Select Manage Tags.

    • In the Instances list, select an instance. The Manage Instance dialog opens.

      Navigate to the banner that notifies you about matching tags, and select Manage Tags.

tip

You can also get to the Tag Management page from the Meters page (sidebar: Meters). Locate the banner that notifies you about matching tags, and select Review suggestions.

Screenshot of a banner notification on the Meters page with Review suggestions button indicating available tag matches

If you dismiss the banner (), it reappears after 24 hours.

AI Suggested Tags​

The MaintainX smart tag mapping system uses AI to analyze the OT data tags you make available through your organization's OT data connectors.

Screenshot of a Tag Details table row showing AI-suggested meter name, unit, asset assignment, confidence rating badge, and edit/action buttons

For each tag, the AI suggests:

  • A meter name and unit 1 to represent the data in MaintainX.
  • An asset 2 in your MaintainX organization to associate the meter with.

Every suggestion has a confidence rating 3. Lower rated suggestions require more careful review.

Confidence LevelDescription
HighStrong confidence in the mapping. Minimal uncertainty.
MediumModerate confidence. The mapping is likely correct but there might be alternatives.
LowSome confidence, but significant uncertainty exists.
Not ScoredNo confidence. Minimal evidence for mapping. MaintainX won't suggest a meter or asset for these items.

If you need to, you can edit a suggestion before you accept or skip it 4. For more information, see Review Suggested Tags.

If MaintainX can't provide a confidence rating, it marks the suggestion as Not Scored and doesn't suggest a meter or associated asset. You can edit unscored suggestions to add that data yourself.

Mapped Tags​

When you accept a suggestion on the AI Suggested Tags tab, MaintainX creates the meter and associates it with the suggested asset. The tag is now mapped, and appears on the Mapped Tags tab. You can edit mapped tags from this tab, for example, to rename their meters, or associate them with different assets. For details, see Edit Tags and Suggestions.

Skipped Tags​

When you skip a suggestion, MaintainX moves it to the Skipped Tags tab. You can edit and accept skipped suggestions any time to map the tags. For details, see Edit Tags and Suggestions.

Choose a Connector Instance to Manage​

Your organization might have more than one OT connector set up—for example, an Ignition connector and an MQTT connector. Each connector might have more than one instance. Each connector instance has its own set of tags that you can map to assets.

If you have multiple connector instances set up, choose the one you want to work with by first selecting a Connector and then selecting an Instance.

The Tag Details table updates to show the tags for that specific instance.

Review Suggested Tags​

In the tag management tool, do the following:

  1. Select the Connector and Instance whose tags you want to map to assets in MaintainX.

  2. Select the AI Suggested tags tab.

  3. In the Tag Details table, review the suggestions. For each tag make sure that:

    • The tag is mapped to the right Asset.
    • The suggested Unit is appropriate for the data source.
    • The suggested Meter Name makes sense.

    You can edit suggestions individually or in bulk to correct any of those fields as needed. See Edit Tags and Suggestions.

  4. For each suggestion, select one of the following options in the Actions column:

    • (check icon) Create Meter: Accepts the suggestion, and moves the row to the Mapped Tags tab.

      MaintainX adds a new automated meter in the Meters module, and associates the meter with the selected asset. For more information about automated meters, see About Meters.

    • (x icon) Skip Suggestion: Moves the suggestion to the Skipped tab, where you can edit or accept it later.

    tip

    You can also accept or reject multiple suggestions at once. See Bulk Accept or Skip Suggestions

Bulk Accept or Skip Suggestions​

Screenshot of the Tag Details table with multiple tags selected via checkboxes and bulk action buttons for Create Meters and Discard Suggestions in the table header

You can accept or skip multiple suggestions at the same time.

  1. Select the checkbox 1 next to each suggestion.
  2. From the table header, select Create Meters 2 or Discard Suggestions 3.

Edit Tags and Suggestions​

You can change the following information for any suggested tag on the AI Suggested Tags and Skipped Suggestions tabs before you accept the suggestion and create the meter.

  • Meter Name
  • Unit
  • Asset

Update any of these values directly in the tag's table row. When you accept the suggestion and create the meter, MaintainX uses the updated information.

After you accept a suggestion, you can update the same information from the Mapped Tags tab.

Locate the tag you want to edit, and select the (pencil) icon in the Action column. Make the required changes and select the (check) icon to save them.

MaintainX updates the meter and associated asset to reflect your changes.

tip

If you update a meter that's mapped to an OT data tag from the Meters module, or change its associated asset, those changes are reflected in the tag management tool.

Bulk Edit Tags and Suggestions​

You can update multiple suggestions or mapped tags at the same time.

Screenshot of the Tag Details table with multiple tags selected and bulk edit options in the header including Rename, Update Unit, and Assign Asset buttons

  1. Select the checkbox 1 next to each suggestion or tag.

  2. From the table header, select one of the following options 2:

    ActionDescription
    RenameAdd a prefix or a suffix to the Meter Name for every selected tag.

    Selecting this option opens the Rename Meters dialog.

    1. Choose Add Prefix or Add Suffix.
    2. Type the prefix or suffix text.
    3. Select Apply Changes.
    You can't add a prefix and a suffix in the same bulk-edit operation.
    Update UnitChange the Unit that the meter for each selected tag uses.

    To bulk change the unit for mapped tags, all the selected tags' meters must use compatible units of measurement.

    Let's say you select 10 tags:

    • If their meters all use number values like distance or volume, you can bulk edit their unit.
    • If half of them use number values, and the other half use Boolean (on/off) values, you can't bulk edit them because their units of measurement aren't compatible.
    Assign AssetChange the asset assigned to the meter for every selected tag.

    When you confirm the operation, MaintainX updates the Tag Details table with your changes.

  3. Apply your changes:

    • For suggestions, you can select Create Meters to create the meters with the updated information.
    • For mapped tags, select Update Meters to apply the changes in your organization.