Machine
Downtime
Narration

machine downtime narration

Tips for Using Status Codes and Gaining Buy-in

In our years of providing smart manufacturing solutions, we have created various helpful tips, dashboard templates, reporting examples, and best practices that benefit users of ShiftWorx™ MES, including:

  • Using multiple views on a single display
  • Reading notes for Status Code entries
  • Using colors in Status Code reports
  • Encouraging the entry of Status Codes

Multiple Views on a Single Display

To be able to rapidly switch from one view to another, many customers choose to open multiple instances of ShiftWorx™ MES in multiple web browser tabs and monitors or touch screens, with:

  • A machine or process live view, showing a line-by-line item dashboard with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that is typically displayed on large shopfloor monitors.
  • An operator or supervisor Narrative view, showing a live view of a specific machine or process with KPIs displayed; and with the ability for the user to “narrate” by inputting information to provide a more detailed “narration” of downtime occurrences, or why scrap was produced, or a quality problem as examples. Further, other available modules such as Digital Work Instructions can be configured and displayed (customizability is simple).

The two example dashboards to the right show a typical machine or process live view, and a narration view dashboard. You can create various types of dashboards as needed for display on management displays, shopfloor displays, workstation touchscreens, on any device with web access. ShiftWorx™ MES can be running live within different web browser tabs.

In the Narrative live view example, if a supervisor or manager wants a quick view of a down time reason for the machine running, they need only click the “Status Codes” instance in the swim lane below the machine or process activity live view (blue/white) bar. In this instance, the dashboard is showing various examples of KPIs for PRESS BRAKE 2.

Having 2 or more instances of live view dashboards running eliminates the need to go back and forth between ShiftWorx™ MES dashboards to change between the information a manager, supervisor or operator needs to see.

machine downtime narration

Reading Status Code Entry Notes

You can use Status Code Note reports to view notes made on selected machines or processes. You can view them by what time they happened, or by what Status Code or Job they happened during.

You can also use our Narration Timelines panel to view Notes. You will see note icons on one of the timelines, and can click on them to see their contents. This also allows you to see what context the note was made in.

Paying attention to these notes by speaking to the operator or maintenance person and mentioning that you’ve read it is important to do, even if you cannot resolve the issue at that time.

If operators know the notes are read, they will continue to enter them. If they are not being read, they will likely stop.

machine downtime narration

Use Color in Status Code Reports

Downtime reasons in Status Code Reports can be grouped into categories, and each category can have its own color. This is very useful for making key information evident at a glance. For instance, if all:

  • anticipated reasons for being down were amber
  • production related reasons were green
  • management related reasons were grey
  • unexpected reasons were red

A quick glance at the Status Code Report would draw the viewer to the appropriate conclusion quickly.

In pareto format, seeing grey, green and amber columns on the left indicate everything is going according to plan. Seeing red columns closer to the left side however, indicate that something unexpected requires attention.

machine downtime narration

Encourage Status Code Use

To encourage Operators to enter status codes, the Status Code Code Report shows what percentage of down time periods have been identified. The example to the right indicates strong buy-in by the Operators.

Five best practices that improve status code usage (and overall engagement) include:

  • Post the pareto chart in a highly visible place weekly
  • Comment on or acknowledge notes added to the down time period
  • Recognize improvements resulting from status code data
  • Post the downtime code usage report summary in a visible place
  • Acknowledge or reward those with high reporting percentages
machine downtime narration