Manufacturing Dashboard: Insights Made Easy

A manufacturing dashboard visually tracks key production metrics, helping business owners monitor quality, efficiency, and performance. It enhances productivity, enables real-time decision-making, and optimizes resource utilization for streamlined manufacturing operations.

This guide delves into what a manufacturing dashboard is, how a digital manufacturing dashboard works, and provides examples of manufacturing dashboards.

You’ll discover the major key performance indicators for the manufacturing industry, and how to navigate store performance dashboards and digital dashboards. There are also some dashboard examples, data dashboard examples, and executive dashboard examples.

What is a Manufacturing Dashboard?

Definition: The Manufacturing Dashboard is a visual tool that showcases key performance indicators (KPIs) related to efficiency, production processes, and quality. A sleek dashboard user interface design makes all the difference during the creation of a manufacturing dashboard.

It helps manufacturers optimize resource utilization, monitor operations in real-time, reduce downtime, and improve overall productivity.

How Does the Digital Manufacturing Dashboard Work?

Here’s how the digital manufacturing dashboard works:

• Data Collection from Multiple Sources

Digital manufacturing dashboards integrate data from multiple sources:

• • Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems for supply chain and inventory data.
  • IoT sensors and machines are used for predictive maintenance and equipment performance.
  • Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) for real-time production monitoring.
  • Quality Control Systems for process improvements and defect tracking.

• Real-Time Data Processing

Collected data is processed using AI-driven algorithms and analytics. The dashboard categorizes, filters, and structures data into meaningful insights. It detects inefficiencies, identifies trends, and predicts potential disruptions.

• Visual Representation of Key Metrics

The dashboard presents vital metrics in a user-friendly format. These metrics could be:

• • Machine Utilization: It tracks equipment downtime and efficiency.
  • Workforce Performance: It evaluates shift efficiency and labor productivity.
  • Production Output: It measures the number of units produced.
  • Quality Metrics: It monitors product consistency and defect rates.
• Alerts and Notifications

Automated alerts notify managers of potential issues like supply shortages, machinery malfunctions, or production delays. This gives room for proactive decision-making.

• Performance Optimization and Reporting

By continuously analyzing data, the dashboard helps manufacturers optimize operations, improve production timelines, and reduce waste. Reports can be generated for forecasting, compliance, and strategic planning.

How to Choose the Right Production Dashboard?

Here are things to consider when choosing a production dashboard.

• Real-Time Data Integration

You have to ascertain that the dashboard integrates seamlessly with existing MES, ERP, IoT sensors, and quality control systems for real-time analysis and data collection.

• Identify Business Needs and KPIs

You should figure out the key performance indicators (KPIs) relevant to your operations. These could be machine utilization, downtime, defect rates, and production output. Choose a dashboard that aligns with these metrics.

• Alerts and Predictive Analytics

Go for a dashboard that offers real-time alerts, AI-driven recommendations, and predictive maintenance insights to improve efficiency and reduce downtime.

• Cloud vs. On-Premise Deployment

Cloud-based dashboards offer remote access, scalability, and automatic updates. On-premise solutions, on the other hand, provide greater data security and control. Your choice should be based on your company’s infrastructure.

• Mobile Accessibility

A mobile-friendly dashboard enables managers to monitor production remotely and make informed decisions.

• Customization and User-Friendliness

A good dashboard gives room for customization. This helps in displaying relevant data in an easy-to-understand format. Look for filter options, interactive charts, and drag-and-drop widgets.

How to Use Power BI Manufacturing Dashboard to Optimize Production?

Here are easy steps to help you use the Power BI manufacturing dashboard to optimize production:

• Connect and Integrate Data Sources

Power BI can pull data from various sources, like:

• IoT Sensors and Machine: It’s for real-time equipment monitoring.
• ERP Systems (SAP, Oracle): It’s for supply chain and inventory insights.
• Quality Control Systems: It’s used for tracking process deviations and defect rates.
• Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES): It’s for production tracking.
• Create Key Performance Indicator (KPI) Dashboards

You can set up dashboards to monitor:

• Quality Metrics: Analyze scrap levels and defect rates for process improvements.
• Machine Utilization: It identifies idle time and optimizes equipment usage.
• Production Efficiency: It tracks units produced per hour and overall output.
• Download Analysis: It detects recurring failures and reduces maintenance delays.
• Use AI-Driven Insights and Predictive Analytics

Power BI’s AI capabilities help predict equipment failures, forecast production trends, and recommend efficiency improvements. This way, manufacturers will be able to take proactive measures.

• Implement Real-Time Alerts

Set up alerts for critical parameters like low inventory levels, machine breakdowns, or production delays. This will, in turn, enable quick corrective actions.

• Optimize Workforce Performance

Analyse shift performance, worker productivity, and labor efficiency to enhance output and streamline operations.

• Generate Reports for Decision-Making

Power BI gives room for automated reporting and data sharing. This will help management make informed decisions based on real-time and historical data.

How to Create a Manufacturing Dashboard in Power BI?

• Stage 1: Log in to Power BI, enter your email, and click the “Submit” button.

• You’ll be redirected to a Microsoft account. Enter your password, and click “Sign in.”

• You can opt to stay signed in.

• Stage 2: Create a Data Set and Select the Data Set to Use in the Sankey Chart
• Navigate to the left-side menu, and click on the “Create” option. At this point, select “Paste or manually enter data.”

• The following manufacturing dashboard data is used for this illustration.

• Paste the data table above into the “Power Query” window. After that, select the third “Create” option.

• Navigate to the left-side menu, and click on the “Data Hub” option. Power BI will populate the data set list. If no data set has been created, you’ll get an error message.

• Click on the “Create report” dropdown.
• To add the Power BI Sankey Diagram Extension by ChartExpo, you’ll have to create the Sankey Diagram. To do that, use an add-in or Power BI visual from AppSource.
• Navigate to the right side of the Power BI dashboard and open the Power BI Visualizations panel. Click the ellipsis symbol (…) to import the Power BI Sankey Diagram extension by ChartExpo.
• In the following menu that opens, select the “Get more visuals” option.

• Enter “ChartExpo” in the highlighted search box. You’ll see the “Sankey diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo.”

• After that, click on the Sankey Diagram and also click the highlighted “Add” button.

• Power BI will add the “Sankey Diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo” icon in the visualization panel.

• To draw a Sankey Diagram with ChartExpo’s Power BI extension, select the “Sankey Diagram for Power BI by ChartExpo” icon in the visualization panel.
• You’ll have to provide your email address or a ChartExpo license. Add the key under the Visual section. After that, you’ll see the Sankey Chart.

• After adding the key, you’ll see the chart. Here’s how to add the top header text in the chart under the General section.

• You can disable the percentage value.

• Remove the Level Labels from the footer position.

• You can change the node’s color and direction.

• Here’s the final Sankey Chart.

Insights

The data shows a hierarchical supply chain flow from customer demand to fulfillment. Inventory adjustments impact production planning (250 units), and that coordinates with supply chain processes (200 units).

Distribution plays a vital role (180 units). Customer fulfillment (170 units) dominates, while returns remain minimal (10 units). That highlights efficiency in demand fulfillment.

Benefits of Using a Manufacturing KPI Dashboard

• Real-Time Performance Monitoring

A KPI dashboard offers live tracking of production metrics like machine utilization, output, and defect rates. This allows managers to identify and resolve issues immediately.

• Improved Quality Control

Tracking rework percentages, defect rates, and quality inspections ensures that manufacturers can maintain high product quality and also reduce material waste.

• Enhanced Workforce Productivity

Keeping a close eye on shift efficiency and worker performance helps businesses identify training needs, improve labor utilization, and balance workloads.

• Data-Driven Decision Making

Manufacturing dashboards consolidate complex data into easy-to-read visualizations. This helps managers to make faster and more informed decisions.

FAQs

What is a production dashboard?

A production dashboard is a visual tool that tracks key manufacturing metrics like downtime, efficiency, output, and quality in real-time. This will help businesses reduce costs, optimize operations, and improve decision-making.

Which features are characteristic of a manufacturing dashboard?

A manufacturing dashboard features KPI tracking, real-time monitoring, machine utilization insights, predictive analytics, quality control metrics, downtime alerts, and inventory management. It also features workforce productivity analysis and customizable reports for data-driven decision-making and operational optimization.

Wrap Up

A manufacturing dashboard visualizes key metrics like downtime, efficiency, and quality. It enhances predictive maintenance, real-time monitoring, workforce productivity, and cost reduction.

It also enhances decision-making and improves manufacturing performance and profitability.

But why should you use a manufacturing KPI dashboard? Well, it increases operational efficiency, reduces cost, tracks compliance, and monitors safety.

By analyzing production trends and bottlenecks, manufacturers can streamline workflows, optimize machine usage, and reduce waste. This will, in turn, lower costs and lead to higher efficiency.

Identifying inefficiencies in production and resource efficiency helps businesses to figure out training needs, improve labor utilization, and balance workloads.

Now you know what a manufacturing dashboard is and how it works, what key performance indicator (KPI) will you look for in your dashboard?