Operational Guide - 4. Understanding Alerts
This chapter explains how GreaseBoss generates alerts, how alert criticality and notifications work, and how alerting can be configured to suit each operation. It then describes each alert type in turn — what the alert means, what it may indicate and the recommended action — so that alerts can be interpreted quickly and investigated in a consistent way.
In this chapter:
- How Alerts Are Generated
- Alert Criticality Levels
- Alert Notifications
- Alert Configuration
- No Grease Activity Alert
- Compliance Alert
- Endpoint Offline Alert
- Gateway Offline Alert
How Alerts Are Generated
Each monitored lubrication point has a configured “Requirement” that defines how much grease should be delivered and how often it should be delivered.
These requirements are determined by the customer and should reflect the lubrication needs of the asset.
GreaseBoss continuously measures grease activity and compares actual grease delivery against the configured lubrication requirement.
When actual grease delivery does not align with the requirement, an alert may be generated.
Alerts may also be generated when abnormal pressure conditions are detected or when monitoring devices stop communicating.
Alerts provide early indication that further investigation may be required.
Alert Criticality Levels
Alert criticality is configured by the customer and reflects the importance of the alert within their operation.
Criticality levels should align with site maintenance practices, asset criticality and operational requirements.
Typical criticality levels include:
| Alert Criticality | Recommended Response |
| Critical | Requires immediate attention. |
| High | Requires prompt investigation. |
| Medium | Could potentially be reviewed during normal maintenance activities. |
| Low | Provides visibility of conditions that may require monitoring. |
The response required for each criticality level should be determined by the customer’s own maintenance and operational processes.
Alert Notifications
When an alert is generated, a notification is sent to the users or groups configured to receive that alert.
Notifications provide information about:
- The affected asset
- The affected monitoring point
- The alert type
- Alert time
- Alert criticality
Alert notifications should be reviewed promptly to determine whether further investigation is required.
Alerts with the same Criticality Level can be configured to be sent at once in a single email notification at certain time periods. These notifications will include the alerts triggered and/or resolved within the specified time period.
Alert Configuration
GreaseBoss provides a flexible alerting system that can be configured to suit the requirements of each operation.
Alert conditions, criticality levels and notification recipients are configured by the customer within the GreaseCloud Dashboard.
This allows organisations to align alerts with:
- Asset criticality
- Operational requirements
- Maintenance practices
- Risk management processes
Users can configure:
- Alert types
- Alert conditions
- Alert criticality levels
- Alert Summary and/or Instructions
- Notification recipients
- Notification frequency
Alert settings should be reviewed periodically to ensure they continue to meet operational requirements.
Detailed instructions for configuring and managing alerts are available in the GreaseBoss Knowledge Base.
No Grease Activity Alert
What It Means
No grease activity has been detected when grease delivery was expected.
What It May Indicate
- Empty grease tank or reservoir
- Pump issues
- Blocked grease line
- Failed injector
- Asset not operating
Recommended Action
Review the affected monitoring point and investigate the lubrication system.
Compliance Alert
What It Means
Actual grease delivery is not matching the configured lubrication requirement.
Compliance measures how closely actual grease delivery aligns with the expected grease delivery for the monitoring point.
What It May Indicate
- Reduced grease delivery
- Excessive grease delivery
- Lubrication system restrictions
- Pump performance issues
- Changes in operating conditions
Recommended Action
Review compliance trends and investigate the lubrication system if required.
Endpoint Offline Alert
What It Means
An Endpoint has stopped communicating with the monitoring system.
What It May Indicate
- Battery issues
- Signal strength issues
- Device fault
- Asset shutdown
Recommended Action
Review device health and communication information.
Gateway Offline Alert
What It Means
A Gateway has stopped communicating with the GreaseBoss Cloud.
This may affect monitoring visibility for multiple lubrication points or the entire asset.
What It May Indicate
- Loss of power
- Communication issues
- Gateway fault
- Asset shutdown
- Issues with the communications network used by the Gateway
Recommended Action
Review Gateway health and communication status.
When investigating a Gateway Offline Alert, it is important to understand how the Gateway normally communicates with the GreaseBoss Cloud.
Depending on the installation, this may be via:
- 4G LTE
- Satellite
- WiFi
- Site OT Network
- Site IT Network
- Other customer-provided communications infrastructure
Understanding the communication method can help identify the most likely cause of the issue and determine the appropriate investigation path.
For example:
- A 4G LTE Gateway may be affected by cellular coverage or SIM-related issues.
- A satellite-connected Gateway may be affected by satellite service availability or antenna issues.
- A WiFi-connected Gateway may be affected by local network connectivity.
- A Gateway connected through site OT or IT infrastructure may be affected by network outages, firewall changes or site communication issues.
Review the communication method being used and investigate any associated network or communication issues before assuming the Gateway itself has failed.