What this is
What is the difference between commissioning and acceptance testing?
What is the difference between commissioning and acceptance testing?
Factory Acceptance Test and Site Acceptance Test confirm the equipment performs to specification before and after installation. Commissioning is the broader handover step that follows: it confirms the tests passed, the documentation arrived, the baseline data was captured, and the asset is set up to be maintained, not just that it runs.
Why does a commissioning record need a baseline reading at all?
Condition-monitoring techniques such as vibration analysis and thermal imaging only work by comparison against a known-good state. Without a reading taken while the asset was new and correctly installed, every later inspection is compared against nothing, and early degradation looks the same as normal operation.
What does "handover accepted" actually commit the receiving team to?
Handover Accepted is production and maintenance jointly confirming they will take ownership of the asset going forward, including its warranty tracking, its PM plan and its risk assessment. A conditional acceptance should carry a documented list of what remains outstanding, not just the word "conditionally".
Scope
When is an asset commissioning record required?
This record closes out a specific asset's installation and handover. Using it to track an asset's ongoing condition, or to log a change made after it already entered service, produces a record that duplicates data other templates already own.
Use this template when
- A new or rebuilt asset has completed installation and testing and is about to be handed to operations
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form COM-2026-000
- You are running the Planned Maintenance programme and this record is the entry point onto it for a new asset
- A linked record needs this one to exist: it links the asset register and the vendor record
- The asset's warranty period, PM plan or criticality assessment needs a documented starting point
Do not use it for
- Asset Criticality Assessment, which rates how important the asset is once it is in service, rather than recording the handover itself.
- Asset Transfer Record, which covers an existing asset moving between locations, departments or sites, not its first commissioning.
- Asset Modification Record, which covers a change made to an asset after commissioning, not the original handover.
- Preventive Maintenance Plan, which sets out the ongoing PM schedule that this record should trigger, not duplicate.
- Anything outside KnowMaintain, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Compliance mapping
Which ISO 55001 cl.8.1 requirements does this satisfy?
The clause references below map ISO 55001 clause 8.1 to the section of the form that actually carries the corresponding evidence.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Plan, implement and control the processes needed to meet asset management requirements | Testing and acceptance |
| ISO 55001 cl.7.6 | Retain documented information as evidence that processes were carried out as planned | Handover documentation |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Establish criteria for the control of the processes, and implement control in accordance with the criteria | Baseline data |
| ISO 55001 cl.6.1 | Address risks and opportunities associated with the asset before it enters service | Setup for operation |
| ISO 55001 cl.7.2 | Determine the competence of persons who will operate and maintain the asset | Setup for operation |
| ISO 55001 cl.4.4 | Include the new asset within the scope of the asset management system | Setup for operation |
| ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Keep documented information to have confidence the processes were carried out as planned | Header |
What it does not cover
- Baseline Settings Recorded, which allows "Partly" as an answer with no field describing which settings were actually skipped.
- Handover Accepted, which allows "Conditionally" with no linked list of what conditions remain outstanding or who owns closing them.
- Recommended Spares Purchased, which allows "Partly" without recording which recommended spares were left out and why.
- Operator Training Delivered and Maintainer Training Delivered, which both allow "Partly" with no record of which named individuals were trained.
- PM Plan Created, which can be marked Yes on the strength of a plan existing, whether or not that plan reflects the criticality assessment done on this same asset.
Global
Asset Commissioning Record requirements by country
Commissioning sits at the intersection of an asset-management standard and the machinery, food-safety and workplace-safety rules that already govern the asset being installed.
Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC and EU Regulation 2023/1230
Conformity Declaration Received and the CE-marking evidence behind it are what commissioning is meant to check before an asset is accepted into service.
Handover Accepted without a valid conformity declaration on file is accepting an asset the directive says should not yet be placed into service.
PUWER 1998 reg.5 and LOLER 1998 (where lifting equipment applies)
Work equipment must be maintained in efficient working order, and that duty starts at handover; Machine Risk Assessment Done and Energy Control Procedure Written are the documented start of discharging it.
A commissioning record with those fields left No but Handover Accepted marked Yes is evidence the duty was not met from day one of service.
EHEDG guidelines and 3-A Sanitary Standards
Hygienic Design Certification is optional on the form because not every asset is product-contact, but where it is, a supplier declaration is a materially weaker position than independent EHEDG or 3-A certification.
Accepting a product-contact asset on a supplier declaration alone shifts hygienic-design risk onto the buyer with no third-party verification behind it.
How to complete it
How to complete an asset commissioning record, step by step
The tick-boxes are quick to complete. The judgement calls below decide whether the resulting record is actually a usable baseline or just a signed form.
Baseline Vibration Taken, Baseline Thermal Images Taken and Baseline Settings Recorded are only valid if taken before the asset has run long enough to develop normal wear. A baseline captured weeks into operation is not a baseline, it is a snapshot of an asset that has already started to age.
Handover Accepted marked Conditionally should never be the end state. It needs a specific list of outstanding items and an owner, otherwise "conditional" quietly becomes "permanent" the moment attention moves to the next project.
Criticality Assessed and PM Plan Created are adjacent fields for a reason: a plan written before the criticality assessment, or never revisited after it, is not actually informed by how important the asset turned out to be.
Operator Training Delivered and Maintainer Training Delivered marked Yes should mean specific individuals were trained and can be identified later, not that a session happened and attendance wasn't tracked.
What auditors find
Most common asset commissioning record findings
The patterns below are the ones that let a commissioning record close cleanly while leaving the plant without the baseline or controls the form exists to establish.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Handover Accepted is Yes while both baseline vibration and thermal fields are No | ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Do not permit Handover Accepted at Yes until baseline fields are resolved, or require a documented reason none was practicable. |
| Factory Acceptance Test Done is "Yes, not attended" and Site Acceptance Test Done is also No | ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Treat an unattended FAT with no SAT as unverified performance and hold handover until a site test is completed. |
| PM Plan Created is Yes but Criticality Assessment ID is blank | ISO 55001 cl.6.1 | Sequence the fields so criticality is assessed before the PM plan is treated as finished, and link the assessment ID. |
| Machine Risk Assessment Done is Yes with no Risk ID entered | ISO 55001 cl.7.6 | Require the linked FDN-012 Risk ID whenever the risk assessment is marked complete. |
| Energy Control Procedure Written is "Generic only" on an asset with multiple isolation points | ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Require an asset-specific procedure and Procedure ID before Handover Accepted. |
| Outstanding Punch List Items is greater than zero while Handover Accepted is Yes with no conditional flag | ISO 55001 cl.8.1 | Force Handover Accepted to Conditionally whenever punch list items remain open, with an owner and closure date. |
Case in point
Case in point: the pump with no starting point
A dairy plant commissioned a replacement CIP pump under schedule pressure, with production pushing to restart the line. The commissioning record was signed complete: FAT attended, SAT passed, manuals received, Handover Accepted marked Yes. Baseline Vibration Taken and Baseline Settings Recorded were both left at No, with no note explaining why, because nothing in the sign-off chain required one.
Eight months later the pump began showing intermittent cavitation. The reliability engineer pulled the commissioning record expecting a baseline vibration reading to compare against and found none. Without it, there was no way to tell whether the current reading represented developing wear or had been present, and un-investigated, since day one. The plant now blocks Handover Accepted from reaching Yes while either baseline field sits at No, with an explicit override that requires the maintenance manager's second signature.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
5 sections
- Reference
- MNT-042
- Archetype
- Record
- Record ID
- COM-2026-000
- Scoring
- Complete or not
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- ISO 55001 cl.8.1
- Links
- Links Asset, Vendor
- Tags
- Maintenance, Lifecycle
- Sections
- 5
- Fields
- 58
- Follow up fields
- 3
- Repeating sections
- 0
- Links out
- 12
Header
14 fieldsRecord ID*
Auto sequence. Format COM-2026-000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Raised By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Area
The area within the site.
Exact Location
Drop a pin for anything hard to find.
Asset*
Asset ID*
Format AST-0000.
Links to FDN-002 Asset ID
Project Reference
Supplier*
Vendor ID*
Links to FDN-005 Vendor ID
The Baseline For Everything After
What you record here becomes the reference every later inspection compares against. Capture settings, readings and photographs while the equipment is new.
Handover documentation
9 fieldsOperating Manual Received*
- Yes3 pts
- Partial1 pt
- No0 pts
Maintenance Manual Received*
- Yes3 pts
- Partial1 pt
- No0 pts
Drawings Received*
- Yes3 pts
- Partial1 pt
- No0 pts
Spare Parts List Received*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Recommended Spares Purchased*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Conformity Declaration Received*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Hygienic Design Certification
EHEDG or 3-A certification where product contact is involved.
- EHEDG or 3-A4 pts
- Supplier declaration2 pts
- None0 pts
Food Grade Material Certificates
- Yes3 pts
- Partial1 pt
- No0 pts
Manual Record ID
Links to MNT-047 Record ID
Testing and acceptance
6 fieldsFactory Acceptance Test Done*
- Yes, attended4 pts
- Yes, not attended2 pts
- No0 pts
FAT Record ID
Links to MNT-068 Record ID
Site Acceptance Test Done*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
SAT Record ID
Links to MNT-069 Record ID
Pre-Commissioning Checklist ID
Links to MNT-067 Checklist ID
Outstanding Punch List Items
Baseline data
6 fieldsBaseline Vibration Taken*
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Baseline Thermal Images Taken*
- Yes3 pts
- Not applicable3 pts
- No0 pts
Baseline Settings Recorded*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Photographs Taken*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Nameplate Photograph
Initial Meter Reading
Setup for operation
23 fieldsAdded To Asset Register*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Criticality Assessed*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Criticality Assessment ID
Links to MNT-043 Assessment ID
PM Plan Created*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
PM Plan ID
Links to MNT-021 Plan ID
Energy Control Procedure Written*
- Yes3 pts
- Generic only1 pt
- No0 pts
Procedure ID
Links to MNT-055 Procedure ID
Machine Risk Assessment Done*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Risk ID
Links to FDN-012 Risk ID
Operator Training Delivered*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Maintainer Training Delivered*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Cleaning Instruction Written*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Warranty Period Months
Warranty Expiry
Handover Accepted*
- Yes3 pts
- Conditionally1 pt
- No0 pts
Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- No2 pts
- Yes0 pts
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Engineering*
Signature*
Production Manager*
Second Signature*
MNT-042 · record IDs look like COM-2026-000 · Links Asset, Vendor
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
Signing the form is the easy part. Making sure the baseline is actually captured before handover, and that the PM plan reflects the criticality just assessed, is the work that actually slips.
Holds the commissioning record against the asset register and vendor file, blocks Handover Accepted while baseline fields are outstanding, and carries the criticality link into the new PM plan.
Tracks the conformity declaration and hygienic design certification as documents against the asset, and raises a CAPA automatically when a punch list item stays open past its target date.
Confirms the recommended spares from the vendor's handover pack were actually purchased and received, rather than leaving 'Partly' as an unexplained final state.
Coordinates engineering, maintenance and production sign-off, rolls outstanding baseline and training gaps into one view per asset, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowMaintain — asset maintenance. Work orders, planned maintenance, calibration, reliability and shutdowns.
Meet KnowMaintain→Glossary
Asset Commissioning Record definitions and key terms
- Baseline reading
- A vibration, thermal or settings measurement taken while an asset is newly installed and known to be correct, used as the reference point for every later condition check.
- FAT / SAT
- Factory Acceptance Test and Site Acceptance Test: pre-delivery and post-installation checks confirming equipment meets specification, run at the vendor's works and at the plant respectively.
- Punch list
- The list of outstanding defects or incomplete items identified during commissioning that remain to be closed before full handover.
- Conformity declaration
- A supplier's formal statement, often tied to CE marking, that the equipment as supplied meets the essential requirements of the applicable machinery regulations.
- Energy control procedure
- The documented lockout/tagout steps specific to an individual asset's isolation points, distinct from a generic site-wide LOTO policy.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about asset commissioning record
What is the asset commissioning record template based on?+
It is built against ISO 55001 clause 8.1, which requires planned, controlled processes for bringing an asset into the management system, backed by documented evidence that those processes were actually followed.
What sections does the commissioning record contain?+
Five sections: Header, Handover documentation, Testing and acceptance, Baseline data, and Setup for operation. Together they hold 58 fields, 36 of which are required, moving from installation identity through test evidence to the controls needed for ongoing maintenance.
When should a commissioning record be raised?+
At the moment of handover, once installation and acceptance testing are complete, rather than reconstructed afterwards from memory. Each record gets an ID in the form COM-2026-000.
Why does the form ask about hygienic design certification separately from general documentation?+
Because it only applies where the asset has product contact, and a supplier declaration carries materially less assurance than independent EHEDG or 3-A certification. The form keeps that distinction visible rather than folding it into a single generic documentation tick.
What triggers the Action Required fields on this record?+
Any outstanding punch list item, missing certification, or incomplete training that the commissioning team decides needs formal follow-up. Setting it to Yes exposes Priority, CAPA ID and Action Owner.
Can the asset commissioning record template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to the asset register and vendor record come with it. Most teams install it as it is, then tighten the baseline-data requirements once they have felt the cost of missing one.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in Planned Maintenance
Asset Register
Holds every piece of equipment, machine, vehicle and tool you track
Tool and Equipment Register
Holds portable tools, gauges, lifting accessories and small equipment that sit below asset level but still need control
Maintenance Request
Asks maintenance to look at a problem or carry out a job
Work Order
The main record for a planned maintenance job, covering what, where, who and when
Corrective Work Order
Covers a repair to fix something that has already failed or degraded
Emergency Work Order
Covers urgent work where equipment has stopped or become unsafe
More in Asset Records
Asset Criticality Assessment
Rates how important an asset is, based on safety, production, quality and cost consequences of failure
Asset Transfer Record
Records an asset moving between locations, departments or sites
Asset Disposal Record
Records an asset being taken out of service and disposed of
Warranty Claim Record
Records a claim against a supplier warranty for a failed asset or component
Equipment Manual Record
Holds manuals, drawings and technical documents for each asset
Asset Modification Record
Records a permanent change to an asset, including what changed and why
Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- ISO 55001:2014 cl.8.1 — Operational planning and control
- ISO 55001:2014 cl.7.6 — Documented information
- Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC
- Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, reg.5
- EHEDG guidelines and 3-A Sanitary Standards
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.