MaintIQ is built around an audit trail, which means most "delete" operations are actually "archive" — the record is hidden from default views but preserved permanently. Here is what each action does per object type.
Tasks
- Archive a cadence — stops generating new tasks. Old tasks remain in history. Reversible.
- Delete a single task instance — only allowed within 15 minutes of creation and only if it has no completion, skip, or note. Audited.
- Bulk delete tasks — not supported. Use Pause on the cadence instead.
Work orders
- Close — normal lifecycle end. Locked but searchable. See Closing and reopening work orders.
- Archive — removes from default lists. Searchable with the Archive filter on. Admin-only.
- Delete — not supported. Audit integrity requires permanent records. Contact support for legitimate erasure requests (GDPR right-to-be-forgotten, etc.).
SOPs
- Unpublish — removes the SOP from the public library. Drafts remain editable. Tasks still reference the last published version they were completed against.
- Archive — same as unpublish but also hides drafts from the default list.
- Delete — admin-only, deletes drafts only. Published versions are preserved because tasks may reference them.
Users
- Deactivate — user can no longer sign in. All history attribution is preserved. Reversible.
- Remove from facility — revokes access to a specific facility while leaving the user active elsewhere.
- Delete — removes the user from the organisation. Their historical actions remain attributed to "Removed user (id)" for audit. Cannot be undone.
Files and photos
Attachments are deleted 30 days after the parent record is archived, except photos on closed work orders which follow your facility's retention policy (default 1 year for routine work, 7 years for incident reports).
How to find archived items
In any list view, click Filters → Show archived. Archived items appear with a strikethrough title and a small archive icon.
Permissions summary
| Action | Tech | Editor | Admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Archive own draft SOP | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Archive any record | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Delete (any) | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ within rules |
| Deactivate user | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |