Frequently Asked Questions

Below are frequently asked questions we've received from users in the past. For more general information see the relevant help files or the Utility Cloud Glossary. If you still can't find an answer for your question, please contact Utility Cloud support or file a Technical Support Ticket.

General

Question

When I left Utility Cloud and came back, I was no longer logged in. What's happening?

Answer

Utility Cloud has a session timeout set for users at 120 minutes, and if you're logged in for longer than that without any activity, then you'll automatically be logged out of Utility Cloud.

Accounts

Question

Why can’t I change my account ID?

Answer

Account IDs can be  set as configurable on create or edit, or they can be set to automatically generate. This is set for your entire billing account and you must contact Utility Cloud support in order to change this setting.

Assets

Question

Why can’t I change my asset ID? The asset class I chose doesn't have automatically-generated asset IDs.

Answer

Asset IDs can be set to automatically generate at the billing account level, just like account IDs. This doesn't prevent setting up custom automatically-generated IDs per asset class (which will override the billing account setting), but it will prevent a user from entering an asset ID manually, even if an asset class does not have IDs set to automatically generate. You must contact Utility Cloud support in order to change this setting.

Question

Why can't I view my asset? I keep getting an unauthorized access message.

Answer

You may be trying to view an asset you don't actually have access to. If your security role or right exceptions don't include the right "Billing Account Admin" then you only have access to assets in account you're assigned and if you try to access them through a direct link or other location then you'll receive an unauthorized access message.

This may also happen if you're impersonating a user with different levels of access than your user. To ensure you're able to see the same assets as the user you're impersonating, make sure to first sync from the My Work page.

Google Reporting/Excel Add-in

Question

Why are numbers displaying and behaving as text in Excel and Google Sheets?

Answer

A possible reason for this is the "Use String Literal for Reports" option on the Asset attribute or Workflow field is checked.

1. Open the Asset Class or Workflow Class in question
2. Locate and open the number type field displaying as text
3. Select the pencil to edit the field
4. On the Advanced tab, uncheck the "Use String Literal for Reports (i.e. Excel, Google)" option
5. Save the field and Save the Asset Class or Workflow Class
6. Re-run the report

Import/Export

Question

Why is my export taking a long time when I’m only exporting a small amount of data?

Answer

Most imports and exports in Utility Cloud are run on jobs that are both queued and time-based. If a large number of users are attempting to import or export at the same time then it may be queued, or if the job is time-based then the job may not have started yet. For most jobs, please allow at least an hour to pass for it to complete.

Landing Page

Question

Why are my tiles no longer showing on the Landing Page?

Answer

The security right "View Tile Tools" may have been removed from your user. If the role was added again and you still do not see tiles on the Landing Page, you can reset your Dashboard by selecting the Default Dash icon (

Login

Question

Why am I seeing an Account Deactivated message when I try to log in?

Answer

This message shows when either someone tries to log in with an email address belonging to an inactive user or if that email address doesn't belong to any user in Utility Cloud.

Map

Question

Why is my asset showing in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?

Answer

The asset’s longitude and latitude may have been unintentionally overwritten at some point, possibly through an import or from changing an asset that previously had no location data to instead have location data. An either case, location data is assumed to be longitude 0, latitude 0.

My Work

Question

Why can't I see my work on the 'My Work' page when it is scheduled and assigned to me?

Answer

There are several reasons why you may not see work on the My Work page:

1. The work does not meet the criteria of any assigned work queues.
2. All of your assigned and synced work queues total over the limit of 2500 work items.

3. The work isn't due yet and you are filtering by due work.

Question

Why is syncing taking a long time for me?

Answer

The more work in a user’s work queues, the longer it takes to sync or submit work. Users can download a max of 2500 work items, but doing so considerably slows down syncing and submitting.

Question

Why do I see the "Workflow report is missing required workflow field" message when all required fields are filled in?

Answer

It's possible that a Heading type field  is configured as required in your workflow.  This will prevent the workflow report from being saved since there's no way to enter data for a Heading type field, and the field will have to be edited to not be required. For more information on editing your workflow fields see Workflow Classes.

Routes

Question

Why can't I find my assets when creating a Route?

Answer

There may be no workflows associated with the asset class of those assets.  Routes require at least one workflow to be assigned to an asset's asset class for that asset to be included in a route.  If the asset class doesn't have at least one workflow, it won't appear in the route search results. For adding a workflow to an asset class, see Asset classes. For adding an asset class to a workflow, see Workflow Classes.

Question

Why is the wrong workflow being assigned when creating a route?

Answer

When creating a route, a default workflow is used if you don't make any changes to which workflow should be used. When adding an asset to a route when creating or editing a route, the default is always used. For more information on setting a default workflow for an asset class, see Asset classes.

Triggers

Question

Why am I seeing an audit that an error occurred on my asset/workflow trigger?

Answer

There are two likely scenarios a trigger would fail:

1. There might be a mismatch between field types in an asset update trigger. If a trigger tries to update a field to a value that that field wouldn't normally support, like updating a text field to a number field, then that trigger will fail.
2. The trigger’s configuration might no longer be valid or the trigger is incomplete. This can happen when, using the asset update trigger example again, the trigger attempts to update a field that is no longer active on the asset.

In both scenarios, the triggers will need to be updated in either the asset class or workflow. For more information on updating triggers, see Asset classes or Workflow Classes.

Users

Question

Why am I getting a message that an email is already in use when I try to create a new user? No users are showing in the search with that email address.

Answer

The email address may already be in use in another billing account, or in use with an inactive user. In either scenario, if the email address had been in use by another user but been since removed, the new email will show on the user but the old email address will not be available until the old user verifies the new email address first.

Question

Why is my admin user unable to edit their security roles or role exceptions? I have all of the right security rights.

Answer

The security right "Access Admin Only" allows a user to edit any other user’s security roles or right exceptions but prevents them from editing their own. If you've added all rights to your user, you may have unintentionally added this one as well. You will need another administrator with the ability to edit right exceptions to remove this right from your user.

Workflow Report Editor (Completing Work)

Question 

When completing work, why is the save button grayed out, not allowing me to save my work?

Answer

You might not be able to complete your work if "Enable Proximity Verification" is enabled on the workflow and you are not close enough to the asset. To complete the work in this scenario:

1. Ensure location services are enabled in your browser. See Resetting Location Services for more information.
2. Move closer to your asset if you are out of range.
3. Turn off proximity verification if it should not be enabled. For more information, see Workflow Classes.
4. Add the right exception "Override Proximity Verification" if proximity verification should be enabled but your user needs to ignore that setting.

Question 

Why am I getting an unauthorized access error on a work order that I am assigned when I try to complete it?

Answer

You may have been assigned a work order on an asset outside of your accounts you wouldn't normally be able to view. You won't be able to complete this work order until you're assigned to the account its asset belongs to.

This may also happen if you're impersonating a user with different levels of access than your user. To ensure you're able to see the same work as the user you're impersonating, make sure to first sync from the My Work page.

Work Orders

Question 

Why do I still see my work order on the Asset Details page after I completed it?

Answer

The work order you completed may be set to reoccur on complete date. If it was, then it will immediately create a new work order scheduled on that asset once it's completed. There may also be scheduled work created from the Work Scheduler against that asset. Scheduled work is always present on an asset but won't show if a work order of the same workflow is also scheduled on that asset.

Question 

Why is my workflow not showing as an option when I try to create a work order on an asset?

Answer

Workflows need to be set as “Available for use in work orders” in the Advanced options of a workflow. Otherwise they'll only be available in the Work Scheduler and won't show up when creating a work order or route.

Question 

How can I change the priority and type for all my work orders?

Answer

Priority and type are set for an entire billing account and you must contact Utility Cloud support in order to add, remove, or change your priorities and types.

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