Campaign phases: stepping, gate signatures and interruptions

An approved campaign moves through phases: Planned → Start-up → (Ramp-up) → Production → Shutdown → Closed; between campaigns the plant is Idle. The Phase tab of the campaign drawer shows where the campaign is, what the next step is, and what it is waiting for.

The campaign controls the operating mode

On a campaign plant the phase writes the operating-mode timeline automatically (e.g. Start-up → “Start-up”, Production → “Normal operation”, Closed → “Planned standstill”). Manual operating-mode entries in the shift log are not possible on that plant — saving is refused with “the campaign controls the operating mode”. The same time is never recorded twice, and analytics sees the phases on the existing operating-mode keys.

Before you start

• The campaign is approved (a draft or a plan awaiting approval does not move).
• Permissions: manual stepping needs campaign:approve; each gate has its own right — “Ready to start”: campaign:gate_ready, “Start approved”: campaign:gate_approve, “First good product”: campaign:gate_first_good, “Close”: campaign:gate_close; interruptions are recorded by a writer of the unit’s shift log (e.g. the shift leader assigned to the unit — not a shift leader of another unit).
• Which gates are on and what steps automatically is set on the Campaign settings page (a site can only tighten).

Steps

1. Start-up. Depending on the settings, the campaign enters Start-up by itself before the planned start (24 hours by default) — or manually with the Step to: Start-up button. Only one campaign runs on a unit at a time: until the previous one is closed, the next one stays Planned, and it starts once the previous one is closed.
2. Sign the gates. In Start-up the shift leader signs Ready to start, then the production manager signs Start approved. With different signer on, the second gate cannot be signed by the person who signed the first. The last required signature steps the campaign to Production (or Ramp-up). With the gates off, stepping is manual — or, if configured, automatic when the list is complete.
3. Interruption during production. On a breakdown or stoppage, pick the reason with Record interruption. The phase stays Production, the operating mode becomes the reason. When it is fixed, Back to Production.
4. Shutdown. Once the planned end has passed, the tab suggests Shutdown; by default the step is a manual button.
5. Close. In Shutdown, signing the Close gate moves the campaign to Closed; the plant is then Idle.

A plan change invalidates the signature

If the approved plan is changed after a gate was signed, the signatures become invalid — the impact preview says so beforehand. The phase does not step back: during Production the tab shows “Re-signing required”, and the gate must be signed again.

If you did it right

The Phase tab’s stage–gate diagram shows the current phase, signed gates get a green tick with the signer’s name, and the Phase history lists every change, signature and interruption — the Chain intact badge shows that the hash chain of the entries is unbroken. In the shift log the operating-mode timeline follows the phase.

Common errors

What you see	Why	What to do
“The gates must be signed first”	An enabled gate stands before the step.	Have the authorised person sign the gate.
“A different signer is required…”	You signed the “Ready to start” gate.	Another authorised person signs the second gate.
“This step is triggered by the gate or the automatic condition”	Stepping is not manual.	Sign the gate or wait for the condition.
“Cannot step during an interruption”	An interruption is running.	Back to Production first.
“Another campaign is still running on this unit…”	The previous campaign is not closed yet.	Close the previous one — this campaign can start afterwards.
“You cannot write this unit’s diary…”	You are not a writer of the unit’s shift log.	The shift leader assigned to the unit records the interruption.
“The change is recorded… written in the next log’s shift”	The plant has no current shift log.	Nothing to do — the mode is written when the next log is created.
In the shift log: “the campaign controls the operating mode”	Manual operating-mode entries are blocked on campaign plants.	Step the phase on the Campaigns page; use Interruption for breakdowns.

Related

Campaigns: production planAdding, approving and changing a campaign plan.

Campaign settingsGates, automatic stepping, interruptions, phase ↔ operating-mode mapping.