How Everything Connects
This is the most important page in the guide. Every action in Vigil depends on something else existing first. If something doesn't seem to work, it's usually because a prerequisite is missing. Use this page as your map.
The hierarchy at a glance
Organization (your company/account)
└── Site (a physical building — "Store")
├── Systems (groups of equipment: HVAC, Refrigeration…)
│ └── Assets (individual equipment: Compressor Unit 3…)
│ └── PM Schedules (recurring maintenance tasks)
├── Spaces (named areas: Walk-in Cooler, Sales Floor…)
└── Service Providers (contractors you hire — org-level, not per-site)
└── Technicians (individuals at that contractor)
└── Site Access (which sites they can work at)
Issues (problems recorded against an asset, space, or site)
└── Work Orders (tasks to fix the problem)
└── Sessions (a technician checks in → does work → checks out)
└── Evidence (photos, notes, invoices attached to the job)What you need before you can do anything
Work through these in order when setting up a new site from scratch.
Step 1 — The Site
A Site is a physical building. Every single thing in Vigil — assets, issues, work orders — belongs to a Site. Nothing else can exist without one.
Required to create a Site: Organization account (you already have it), Site name, Timezone.
Step 2 — Systems, Spaces, and Assets
Once you have a Site, you build out the equipment inside it.
- A System groups related equipment. Examples: HVAC, Refrigeration, Electrical. Requires: a Site + a name.
- A Space is a named physical area. Examples: Walk-in Cooler #1, Sales Floor, Rooftop. Requires: a Site + a name. Spaces are optional but help you anchor issues to a location.
- An Asset is a single piece of equipment. Examples: Rooftop Unit 3, Scroll Compressor A. Requires: a Site + a System + a name. Assets can optionally be placed in a Space.
You cannot create an Asset without a System. You cannot create a System without a Site.
Step 3 — Service Providers
A Service Provider is the contractor company you hire to do repair work. You need one before you can assign a Work Order to anyone.
Required to create a Service Provider: A name. That's it. Everything else (technicians, site access, contact info) is added after.
After creating the provider you'll want to:
- Add Technicians — the individuals who do the work.
- Grant Site Access — specify which of your sites this provider can work at.
- Invite the SP Admin — send an invite so the contractor company can sign in to the Service app.
A Work Order can be created and saved without an assigned provider, but someone needs to be assigned before any technician can check in and do the work.
Step 4 — Users & Roles
Invite your own staff (org users) and optionally your service providers' admins. Every person needs a role before they can sign in.
Required: An email address + a role to assign.
Step 5 — Create an Issue
An Issue is a recorded problem. It doesn't have to start with an asset — you can file against a Space or the whole Site — but if you have assets set up, attaching it to a specific asset gives you better history and reporting.
Required to create an Issue: A Site. A description of the problem. At least one piece of evidence (a photo is the most common). A severity level.
Optional but useful: A specific Asset, a Space, a due date.
Issues are the most common origin for a Work Order. If something is broken and needs a contractor, the flow is: Issue → Work Order → assign to provider → technician checks in.
Step 6 — Create a Work Order
A Work Order is the actionable task. It must have exactly one origin — the thing that triggered it.
| Origin type | What you need first |
|---|---|
| Issue | An existing open Issue |
| PM Schedule | A PM Schedule set up on an Asset |
| Project | A site Project (Open Book) in scope |
| Early Detection | An active Vigil AI detection signal |
Required to create a Work Order: A type (Repair, Inspection, etc.) + one of the origins above.
To assign it to someone: A Service Provider with Site Access for this Site.
Step 7 — The contractor does the work
Once a Work Order is assigned, the contractor sees it in the Vigil Service app. They:
- Check in (starts a session, records time).
- Do the work.
- Collect the required photo evidence.
- Check out — automated review validates the evidence.
- Submit for your review.
You then approve or reject from the Work Order detail page (Web or Mobile). Approved → moves toward payment.
The full dependency chain (one-liner per entity)
| To create this… | You need… |
|---|---|
| Site | Nothing. This is your starting point. |
| System | A Site |
| Space | A Site |
| Asset | A Site + a System |
| PM Schedule | An Asset |
| Service Provider | Nothing. Org-level. |
| Technician | A Service Provider |
| SP Site Access | A Service Provider + a Site |
| Invite (org user) | Nothing beyond the org. |
| Invite (SP user) | A Service Provider |
| Issue | A Site (asset/space optional but recommended) |
| Work Order (from Issue) | An Issue |
| Work Order (from PM) | A PM Schedule |
| Evidence | An Issue or a Work Order session |
Now that you have the map, pick the page for the task you're doing. Everything links back here.