How a MES System Eliminates Paper on the Shop Floor and Production Downtime
See it on video
A step-by-step walk through the module — the same screens this write-up describes.
What is in the recording
- 0:00Introduction and the problem with paper-based reporting
- 0:05Manager's central dashboard and recovered time
- 0:20Digital product card and instant BOM editing
- 0:56Interactive schedule and Gantt chart
- 1:36Digital terminals for shop floor operators
- 2:11Instant response to material shortages
- 3:07Real-time analytics and summary
The Challenge
Replacing paper reports with digital terminals and an interactive schedule delivers full real-time control over production and eliminates downtime.
Production planning and technology modifications (BOM) required manual data re-entry, making it difficult to respond quickly to changes. There was no real-time visibility into material shortages, and operators reported work completion on paper, delaying access to progress information.
Key challenges:
- Production planning and technology modifications (BOM) required manual data re-entry, making it difficult to respond quickly to changes.
- There was no real-time visibility into material shortages, and operators reported work completion on paper, delaying access to progress information.
The Solution Process
The ProcessApp MES system was implemented with a module for editing product structure (BOM) and verifying material shortages.
An interactive schedule with a Gantt chart for drag-and-drop planning was launched, along with digital terminals for operators to log time and the quantity of units produced.
The implementation team mapped the existing order management processes and transferred them into the ProcessApp MES system.
A central dashboard for managers was configured, an interactive schedule was set up, and production terminals were launched directly at workstations.
Actions Taken
Morning Review
In the past, the production manager started the day by collecting statuses from paper slips, which cost him several morning hours. Today he opens the central dashboard. He immediately sees key indicators, charts, and the full list of orders. The team has regained instant control.
Digital BOM
Changing a technology or product structure used to require manual data re-entry, carrying the risk of errors. Now the planner opens an order and navigates to the digital product card, editing components and operations in one place, without paper. The team modifies the BOM structure and saves changes, making updates instantly visible across the company. This has eliminated human errors, and preparing documentation for a new order has been reduced from several hours to just a few minutes.
Interactive Schedule
Building schedules became a bottleneck when paper plans could not keep pace with changes on the shop floor, causing delays. Implementing the interactive schedule changed the rules of the game. The planner uses a clear Gantt chart, dragging and dropping tasks along the timeline. In a matter of seconds, the plan is adjusted and the updated schedule is saved, with the system ensuring consistency. The company gained flexibility, and production planning stopped being a risky guessing game.
Live Reporting
The biggest change, however, took place directly at the workstations. In the past, operators filled in paper traveler cards only after the shift ended, so information arrived with a huge delay. Today they have simple, digital production terminals in front of them. With a single touch, the operator starts a new operation, and at the adjacent station effortlessly closes a running one, immediately entering the exact number of units produced. Data reaches the central database instantly. The team has completely eliminated paper from the shop floor, and management knows precisely what is happening with every single order at any given second.
Instant Response
Because data flows in continuously, the planner can react with unprecedented speed. In the past, raw material shortages only came to light at the machine, brutally halting the entire line. Today it takes just a few clicks. The team calmly reviews detailed reports from completed operations—for example, from CNC cutting—seeing actual consumption. The planner then switches to the production order view, quickly filters the extensive list to find the order of interest, and instantly opens its details. Right away, a clear list of missing materials assigned to that specific order is visible. There is no longer any need to call the warehouse or wait for a manual inventory count. Full situational clarity is available long before the raw material is actually needed on the shop floor. This allows the company to replenish shortages well in advance, completely avoiding costly downtime and delivery delays.
Real-Time Analytics
The entire process comes together in one place, giving management definitive proof of the implementation's effectiveness. Instead of spending Friday afternoons manually piecing together data from various spreadsheets, the production manager now has everything served up on a platter. He opens the operations log and summary analytical dashboards that aggregate data from terminals in real time. He sees efficiency, progress, and any bottlenecks without a second's delay. The company gained not only hours of saved time, but above all the confidence that every decision is based on hard, up-to-date facts.
Results Achieved
What changed
Before the deployment
- Production planning and technology modifications (BOM) required manual data re-entry, making it difficult to respond quickly to changes.
- There was no real-time visibility into material shortages, and operators reported work completion on paper, delaying access to progress information.
After the deployment
- The planner visually manages the schedule and immediately sees material shortages for a specific order.
- The production manager has access to live-updated analytical dashboards because operators continuously report the start and end of operations on the terminals.
Screens from the deployment
