> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.oncanary.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Core concepts

> Understand how Canary connects work, equipment, inventory, and operational history.

Canary works best when every operational fact has a clear owner. Equipment records describe what and where you maintain; work records describe what happened; inventory and meter records capture the resources and conditions around that work.

## The resource model

| Record         | What it represents                                    | Common relationships                                       |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Location       | A site or direct area within a site                   | Assets, parts stock, meters, work, identifiers             |
| Asset          | A maintainable machine, system, vehicle, or component | Parent asset, location, parts, meters, documents, work     |
| Work request   | An issue proposed for review                          | Requester, asset or location, attachments, approver team   |
| Work order     | Authorized maintenance work                           | Asset or location, assignees, procedure, parts, time, cost |
| Procedure      | A reusable checklist or inspection standard           | Templates, work orders, assets, locations                  |
| Meter          | A numeric counter/value or on/off condition           | Exactly one asset or location, readings, automations       |
| Part           | A catalog item used for maintenance                   | Stock by location, compatible assets, vendors, work orders |
| Vendor         | A supplier or service provider                        | Contacts, parts, assets, locations, purchase orders        |
| Purchase order | A purchasing workflow and receipt ledger              | Vendor, part or one-off lines, receiving locations         |

```mermaid theme={"theme":"github-light"}
flowchart LR
  Request[Work request] -->|reviewed into| WO[Work order]
  Plan[Maintenance plan] -->|generates| WO
  Procedure -->|attached to| WO
  Part -->|planned or issued| WO
  WO -->|performed on| Asset
  WO -->|performed at| Location
  Meter -->|belongs to| Asset
  Meter -->|belongs to| Location
  Identifier -->|opens| Asset
  Identifier -->|opens| Location
  Identifier -->|opens| Part
  Part -->|fits| Asset
  Part -->|stocked at| Location
```

## Work flows through connected records

1. A request, maintenance plan, or person identifies work.
2. A work order defines the job, schedule, ownership, and required resources.
3. The assignee records execution facts such as procedure responses, time, parts issued, comments, and attachments.
4. Completion preserves those facts for audit and analysis.

## Equipment structure

Locations answer **where**. Assets answer **what**. Location membership and asset hierarchy are independent. Parent and sub-assets describe equipment composition, such as a packaging line with a motor and gearbox.

Meters always belong to one asset or one location. Parts can be stocked across several locations and linked to the assets they fit. Identifiers can open assets, locations, and parts from a scan.

## Master data and history

Assets, parts, vendors, teams, templates, and procedures are master records used in future workflows. Operational facts include completed work, meter readings, stock movements, receipts, approvals, and audit events.

Archive obsolete master records so they leave active selectors while their historical references remain useful. Some resources have stricter rules: deleting a location is permanent and requires every dependent record to be moved or detached first.

## Feature boundaries

Administrators can turn optional modules on or off. Turning a module off prevents new activity in that module while preserving existing records and recovery paths. Dependencies are enforced; Automations requires Meters, and Maintenance Plans requires Work Orders, Assets, and Work Order Templates.

## Related pages

* [Set up Canary](/help/getting-started/quickstart)
* [Manage equipment](/help/managing-equipment/overview)
* [Parts and purchasing](/help/parts-purchasing/overview)
* [Features and recovery](/help/admin/features-and-recovery)