4.3 Dashboards & shopfloor displays
Data must be visible to be actionable. In a high-speed environment, operators and managers do not have time to “analyze” charts. They require instant situational awareness.
The 3-second rule
Section titled “The 3-second rule”Requirement: A viewer standing 5 meters away must be able to comprehend the Line Status (Running or Down) and Performance (Winning or Losing) within 3 seconds.
Constraint: If the dashboard requires a mouse click or scroll to locate critical data, the design is considered a failure.
Standard layout a: the operator cockpit (station level)
Section titled “Standard layout a: the operator cockpit (station level)”Displayed on the HMI or Tablet directly at the work center.
Focus: Immediate Execution & Feedback.
| Zone | Widget / Block | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Top Left | The Identity | Current Work Order (WO), |
| Top Right | The Score | Actual Quantity / Target Quantity (for this hour). |
| Center | The Instruction | Current Step Image + Active Alert (e.g. “Check Orientation”). |
| Bottom | The Pulse | Last Cycle Time vs. Target Cycle Time. |
Logic:
- When the Cycle Time exceeds the Target, the background should turn Yellow.
- When there is a Machine Error, the system should display a full-screen Red overlay with the corresponding Error Code.
Standard layout b: the digital andon (line level)
Section titled “Standard layout b: the digital andon (line level)”Displayed on Large Format TVs (55”+) mounted overhead. Visible to the entire cell.
Focus: Flow, Pace, and Bottlenecks.
The hourly output board (the “pace” block)
Section titled “The hourly output board (the “pace” block)”A simplified table showing hour-by-hour performance.
- Row: Hour (e.g. 08:00, 09:00…)
- Col 1: Target (Plan)
- Col 2: Actual (Produced)
- Col 3: Delta (+/-)
- Visual Rule: When the Delta is negative, the text should be displayed in Red.
The line state (the “status” block)
Section titled “The line state (the “status” block)”- Visual: Significant background color change.
- Green: Running (Speed > 90%).
- Yellow: Micro-stop / Slow (Speed < 90%).
- Red: Down (Duration > 5 mins).
- Blue: Material Call / Support Needed.
The pareto (the “fix it” block)
Section titled “The pareto (the “fix it” block)”- Widget: Top 3 Downtime Reasons (Current Shift).
- Widget: Top 3 Defect Types (Current Shift).
- Goal: Tells the Line Lead exactly what to address next.
Data visualization rules
Section titled “Data visualization rules”Standard UI/UX design principles must be adhered to in order to prevent overwhelming the operator with cognitive load.
- Color Hygiene:
- Green: Good / Running / On Target.
- Red: Bad / Stopped / Below Target.
- Grey/Black: Idle / No Schedule.
- Rule: Using Red for “Company Branding” should be avoided. Red should be exclusively reserved for “Alarm” states.
- Font Size:
- KPIs: Minimum 150pt (Readable from 10m).
- Labels: Minimum 40pt.
- Animations:
- Prohibited: Scrolling tickers (Marquees) are generally not recommended as they distract peripheral vision.
- Allowed: Blinking (Red Only) is acceptable for “Line Down” states.
Refresh rates & latency
Section titled “Refresh rates & latency”Outdated data is dangerous and leads to poor decision-making. Required refresh intervals must be defined based on the specific data type and its operational urgency.
| Data Type | Max Latency | Mechanism |
|---|---|---|
| Machine State | < 2 Seconds | WebSockets / MQTT Push |
| Production Count | < 5 Seconds | Event Trigger |
| OEE / KPI Calc | < 1 Minute | SQL Aggregation Job |
| Shift Report | 1 Hour | Periodic Snapshot |
Drift Control:
- Watchdog: The dashboard should ping the server every 10 seconds.
- When the connection is lost, the display should clearly show an “Offline / Stale Data” overlay. Avoid displaying frozen numbers.
Hardware & ownership
Section titled “Hardware & ownership”A television screen mounted on the wall is an orphaned asset unless clear ownership is established.
- Hardware:
- It is recommended to use Commercial Displays (rated 16/7 or 24/7), rather than Consumer TVs.
- No Peripherals: Attaching a mouse or keyboard should be avoided. “Kiosk Mode” must be utilized.
- PC: A Micro-PC (e.g. NUC or Raspberry Pi) mounted behind the screen (VESA mount) is a common approach.
- RACI Ownership:
- IT: Owns the Hardware, Network, and OS (Patching).
- MES Team: Owns the Layout, Data Source, and Logic.
- Production Mgr: Owns the Target (The specific value being displayed).
Final Checkout: Dashboards & shopfloor displays
Section titled “Final Checkout: Dashboards & shopfloor displays”| Category | Metric / Control | Threshold / Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Legibility | Distance Test | Ensure critical numbers are readable from 10 meters (30ft). |
| Speed | State Refresh | Machine state updates ideally appear on screen in < 2 seconds. |
| Logic | Color Coding | Red = Stop/Fail. Green = Run/Pass. Minimize aesthetic deviations. |
| Pace | Hourly Board | Provide a clear Hour-by-Hour Target vs Actual variance. |
| Hygiene | Stale Data | The screen should black out or show a “Disconnect” icon if the network fails. |
| Input | Zero Touch | Displays should run 100% autonomously (no mouse/keyboard required). |