Actual Dates

Actual Dates are used to record when work actually started and progressed, rather than when it was planned. They apply to both Work Orders and Events and are used to measure real performance, downtime, and execution accuracy in Samurai CMMS.

Actual Dates provide the system with a clear record of what happened, not just what was scheduled.

What Actual Dates are

Actual Dates capture the real start and progress timing of maintenance work.

They are different from Schedule Dates:

• Schedule Dates represent planned timing
• Actual Dates represent real execution timing

Actual Dates are set when work moves into a status of In Progress.

How Actual Dates work

Actual Dates are driven by Work Order / Event status changes.

When work begins:

• The Work Order / Event moves from Open / Pending to In Progress
• Scheduling fields are hidden
• Actual date fields become visible
• The system begins recording performance data

Actual Dates cannot be set manually without moving the record into progress.

Actual Date fields

The following fields are displayed when a Work Order or Event is in progress.

Some fields are automatically populated by the system when the status changes.

Recording Actual Dates on Work Orders

Actual Dates for Work Orders are recorded when work begins. To record Actual Dates on a Work Order:

1. Navigate to Work Management → Work Orders.
2. Open the Work Order.
3. Change the Status to In Progress.
4. The Scheduled Start and End fields are hidden.
5. The Started and Estimated Completion fields are displayed.

The Started date is automatically set when the status changes.

Recording Actual Dates on Events

Actual Dates for Events are recorded when the maintenance window begins. To record Actual Dates on an Event:

1. Navigate to Work Management → Events.
2. Open the Event.
3. Change the Status to In Progress.
4. The Scheduled Start field is hidden.
5. The Start Date field is displayed.
6. The Scheduled End field remains visible.

Once in progress, the Event begins recording downtime and appears in In Progress views and dashboards.

How Actual Dates are used

Actual Dates are commonly used to:

• Measure actual maintenance duration
• Compare planned versus actual performance
• Track asset downtime for Advanced Assets
• Support reliability and availability reporting
• Improve future scheduling accuracy

Actual Dates form the basis of performance metrics and KPIs.

Pre-requisites

Before Actual Dates can be recorded:

• The Work Order or Event must be Scheduled
• Users must have permission to change status
• The Asset must be correctly configured

Actual Dates cannot be recorded for completed work without re-opening the record.

Example of Actual Dates in use

A Work Order is scheduled to start at 08:00.

The technician:

• Changes the status to In Progress at 08:30
• The Started date records 08:30
• Estimated Completion is set to 12:00

An Event scheduled to start at 06:00:

• Is marked In Progress at 06:15
• The Start Date records 06:15
• Downtime tracking begins from that time

These differences are used to analyse delays and execution accuracy.

Important considerations and best practices

• Change status to In Progress as work actually begins
• Avoid starting work without updating status
• Use Estimated Completion to support coordination and handover
• Do not edit Actual Dates unless correcting genuine errors
• Actual Dates drive downtime and KPI reporting
• Completed records retain Actual Dates for historical analysis

Actual Dates provide a reliable record of real maintenance activity and are critical for accurate performance measurement and continuous improvement.