Case Study OEE ThingWorx Dashboard

A globally recognized consumer packaged goods company wanted to add new hardware to its premium brand production line. Equipment needed to be upgraded and replaced to make this possible. The company wanted to track the impact of the hardware change order on key performance indicators across each line manufacturing the product. Interstates added role-based, line-by-line comparison, and global visibility of the data in one dashboard.

Achieving Real Results

Gain full visibility in a quick-loading dashboard.

Connect all the sources of data through Thingworx which allowed reporting in real-time for all users.

Align a global staff for better communication on quality and productivity across facilities.

Gaining a Global View

The client needed to replace the hardware on its premium brand production line to add to the product. Knowing a major change like this could have implications on parts of the manufacturing process, the company wanted to keep a close eye on any impact the hardware change would have on production.

The client gained visibility into its manufacturing line with a custom Thingworx dashboard that Interstates built. This dashboard gave real-time data into the hands of the people who needed it and provided a clear view of the engineering issues resulting from the upgrade.

Close-up view of an individual using a tablet on the plant floor.

Challenges

The client needed to upgrade hardware, but it had difficulty getting a complete picture of line-by-line performance. The client needed to know how the change impacted downtime, scrap, and availability of machines. The necessary data was scattered across different types of data storage systems. Data was stored in intranet web pages of performance servers, relational SQL tables, and tier-two manufacturing execution system databases.

Many users needed to see this data, from line leaders to initiative leaders to global leaders. Users were left to their own devices to gather and present the information, resulting in a largely incomplete view of performance and an inability to track, monitor, and resolve common issues on the line.

The level of detail of the data was also problematic. Even the best line leaders and initiative leaders would only gather a portion of the data needed to best act on line performance issues. Collecting data was a time-consuming, manual procedure that quickly become out of date and ineffective.

Solution

The client reached out to Interstates for a solution. The client received full visibility into its data by using Interstates’ expertise in the product’s manufacturing process to create an OEE Thingworx dashboard. Thingworx is an application development and visualization platform from PTC.

The client could use the platform for a comprehensive view of its manufacturing line, adding role-based, line-by-line comparison, and global visibility in an easy-to-navigate, quick-loading dashboard.

Two employees looking at several monitors with plant operations in the background.

Return on Investment

The dashboard gave the client instant access to real-time data. Thingworx connected the formerly disparate data sources into the required parameters, making it possible to deliver near real-time reports for all users. The client is already planning to use similar dashboards for other initiatives and line upgrades.

Impactful dialogue also resulted from this solution. The information provided by the dashboard allowed all owners of the hardware upgrade, production leaders, and corporate leaders to have meaningful discussions about engineering issues that would otherwise not be possible. Easy access to current data empowered the client to solve problems at an equipment level and make smarter decisions to maintain high-quality product.

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