How do you customize your MES dashboard to suit your specific production needs and goals?

Absolutely, this is the most crucial step. So many organizations dive into MES systems without clearly identifying the problem they are trying to solve. Given the number of products on the market and the limitless features they provide, it is crucial to articulate the problem you are trying to solve clearly. Many times, MES implementation is more of an exercise in change management than anything else. It must be presented to the end user, particularly frontline workers, in a way that they can see value and get excited about. Engage them early and often.

Receiver centric approach for dashboards should be the objective. Major receivers such as - Plant Manager/Factory Manager - Production Manager - Shift Leads - Operators - Material Handling Team - Quality Team - Maintenance Team etc. GenAI enabled interactive dashboards are the new thing. Generic reports/dashboards are the thing of the past.

It is so important to know what the objective of the dashboard is. The difficulty comes in the way people want to visualize the information. In a lot of cases they do not know precisely how they want to see what. So dashboard development is best done using an agile approach, with each completed component or graphic rolled out and shown as fast as possible, so that it can be adapted over time until the final graphic is decided on. During dashboard development, it happens that when the client sees one graphic, they often realize that they would like to add some more graphics they did not originally think they wanted or needed. This progressive insight is powerful and can only be managed using Agile methods to ensure client satisfaction.

Your current business objectives should set the destination point on this roadmap. The production metrics that you choose should be front-and-center. Every person in your facility should understand how their role supports the metrics on the dashboard and the management staff should walk the floor regularly as a group to discuss the metrics of the chosen workstations. The intent of your dashboard is to effectively communicate the current status of your manufacturing operations. It should foster communication and collaboration. If FTQ drops, what can Quality do to help raise it again? Does Engineering need to be involved? Maybe Purchasing? The metrics should be a catalyst to support cross-functional collaboration between departments.

Every user should have their own screen which gives the information they need. For example, as an operator, if there are 4 manufacturing processes, then each process should have a unique screen with the information and transactions relevant for that process. Don't have generic screens with additional/unnecessary information, and don't make the user navigate the system to find what they need - make their lives simple for maximum adoption and productivity.

Everything the operator needs to do their job should be on a single screen. Make their lives easy, key data such as exceptions and notifications should be prominent, and transactions and reports should show the information required - no more, no less - put the effort in to get it right for your users, and iterate and evolve as required - always listen to user feedback. Pick a flexible and configurable MES that allows you to design and build dashboards/reports without having to go back to the vendor which takes time and costs money.

When choosing your MES dashboard layout and design, prioritize creating a user-friendly interface that is intuitive and easy to navigate for all users. Arrange elements to establish a clear visual hierarchy, ensuring the most important information is highlighted first. Utilize charts, graphs, and color coding to enhance visual clarity. Additionally, provide customization options so users can tailor their views based on their specific roles and responsibilities. This approach ensures the dashboard is accessible, efficient, and relevant to each user, enhancing overall usability and effectiveness.

To effectively filter and segment your MES dashboard data, start by ensuring that the data displayed is relevant to the user’s role and objectives. This relevance ensures users can focus on the most pertinent information without distraction. Next, implement segmentation by filtering data through various parameters such as time period, machine, production line, or product type. This allows users to gain more specific insights and analyze performance metrics in a detailed and meaningful way, tailored to their specific needs and responsibilities.

Users should be able to see what is good/bad from a distance. The operators primary job is to be running the manufacturing process, not looking at the MES screen. The screen should inform the operator of the key information and actions required from a distance - so colour coding, font size, and form factor are crucial to providing a great user experience - meaning thresholds must be set for colours and alerts.

It all comes a defined process. Understand the process to directly support your operators. The rest is designed around the needs of the key roles of the organization: Team Leads, Supervisors, Area managers, Ops managements, etc.

MES dashboard customisation is one of the best ways to see the whole factory in front of your eyes via data visualization. OEE, MTF, hourly production data, resources efficiency and line performance, these are the few key KPIs which give a picture about overall production and management. Dashboard customisation gives the freedom to choose through different KPIs and make MES more suitable to use.

Localization is also important. This is so it will be easy for the Operators to read the information at dashboard wherein english is not their first language.

To optimize your MES dashboard, set clear thresholds and alerts. Begin by defining acceptable ranges for your key metrics, such as machine temperatures, production speed, or defect rates. These thresholds help maintain optimal production conditions and quickly identify potential issues. Next, configure alerts to notify you when metrics exceed these acceptable ranges. Alerts can be sent via email, SMS, or directly on the dashboard, ensuring timely responses to any anomalies and maintaining smooth and efficient production processes.

To ensure your MES dashboard remains effective, regularly review its performance and the relevance of the displayed metrics. Continuously collecting user feedback is essential for understanding their needs and improving the dashboard’s functionality and usability. Based on this feedback and your performance reviews, make iterative improvements and necessary adjustments. This ongoing process ensures the dashboard evolves to meet changing production requirements, remains user-friendly, and continues to provide valuable insights for decision-making and process optimization.

When customizing your MES dashboard, consider several additional factors to enhance its effectiveness. Prioritize data security to ensure that sensitive production data is protected and accessible only to authorized personnel. Ensure your MES dashboard can integrate seamlessly with other systems like ERP, SCM, and quality management systems for efficient information flow. Design your dashboard to be scalable, accommodating future growth and additional production lines or machines. Provide adequate training for users to maximize the dashboard’s effectiveness. Lastly, ensure compliance with any industry-specific regulatory requirements.