What a production dashboard is
A production dashboard is a board or screen that shows a few shift KPIs against target, so a supervisor can tell in seconds whether production is on plan and where to act. It can be electronic (a TV fed by a spreadsheet, an MES or sensors) or manual, on a whiteboard.
The goal is not to display every available data point but to support a decision: stop, call maintenance, move people or carry on. If a number does not lead to an action, it does not belong on the board.
Visual map of the production dashboard
The map shows the KPIs, targets, alert rules and the shift example with a quick read.
Which KPIs to show
Start from the same groups as the SQDCM board: safety, quality, delivery, cost and morale. For production itself, five to seven KPIs are enough.
| KPI | Formula | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| Output vs plan | Actual ÷ planned × 100 | Hourly |
| Plan adherence | Total actual ÷ total planned × 100 | Shift |
| OEE | Availability × performance × quality | Shift |
| Downtime | Minutes stopped by cause (Pareto) | Shift |
| First-time quality | Good parts ÷ parts produced × 100 | Shift |
| Safety | Days without a lost-time accident | Daily |
For the full formula and the six big losses, see OEE. First-pass quality and its compounding across steps are covered in FPY and RTY. To decide what to measure across the whole plant, see the performance indicators for lean production.
Worked example: one 8-hour shift
Fictional example from an assembly line. Planned production time: 480 minutes. Ideal cycle time: 0.5 min per part. Plan: 720 parts (90 per hour). Downtime in the shift: 48 minutes. Produced: 700 parts, of which 672 were good.
| Component | Calculation | Result | Target | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Run time | 480 − 48 | 432 min | — | — |
| Availability | 432 ÷ 480 | 90.0% | 92% | Yellow |
| Performance | (700 × 0.5) ÷ 432 | 81.0% | 85% | Yellow |
| Quality | 672 ÷ 700 | 96.0% | 98% | Yellow |
| OEE | 0.900 × 0.810 × 0.960 | 70.0% | 75% | Yellow |
| Plan adherence | 700 ÷ 720 | 97.2% | 100% | Yellow |
OEE = 90.0% × 81.0% × 96.0% = 70.0% (check: 672 × 0.5 ÷ 480 = 0.70)
Quick read: nothing is red, but everything is below target. The biggest gap in points is performance (81.0% against 85%).
Hour-by-hour board with traffic lights
The color rule must be written on the board: green at 100% of the hourly plan or more, yellow from 90% to under 100%, red below 90%.
| Hour | Plan | Actual | % of plan | Cumulative actual | Cumulative variance | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| H1 | 90 | 92 | 102.2% | 92 | +2 | Green |
| H2 | 90 | 90 | 100.0% | 182 | +2 | Green |
| H3 | 90 | 70 | 77.8% | 252 | −18 | Red |
| H4 | 90 | 88 | 97.8% | 340 | −20 | Yellow |
| H5 | 90 | 95 | 105.6% | 435 | −15 | Green |
| H6 | 90 | 85 | 94.4% | 520 | −20 | Yellow |
| H7 | 90 | 90 | 100.0% | 610 | −20 | Green |
| H8 | 90 | 90 | 100.0% | 700 | −20 | Green |
Hour 3 holds the problem: 20 parts lost, and the shift never recovered them. Red calls for a cause and action logged on the spot, as with an andon. A green hour needs no comment.
Downtime Pareto
The 48 minutes of downtime break down as: material shortage 18 min (37.5%), adjustment 14 min (29.2%), breakdown 10 min (20.8%) and tool changeover 6 min (12.5%). Cumulative: 37.5%, 66.7%, 87.5% and 100%. The top two causes add up to 32 of 48 minutes (66.7%), so the day's action plan starts with material and adjustments. See how to build the chart in Pareto.
Layout and best practices
- Top: KPI cards. Large value, target beside it and a status color. No more than five to seven cards.
- Middle: the day chart. Plan versus actual by hour, with the running total. It is the most-read part.
- Bottom: causes. Pareto of downtime and defects, with the list of open actions, owner and due date.
- Five-second read: someone passing three meters from the screen should know if things are good or bad.
- Color only for status: do not use green, yellow and red as decoration.
- Target always visible next to the value, with the color rule written out.
- Refresh rate equals decision cycle: if the supervisor decides every hour, update every hour.
- One owner per KPI, with a documented definition (what is in and out of the calculation).
- Start manual. Validate the definitions on a board and spreadsheet before automating.
One board for each level
| Level | Question | Content | Refresh |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cell or line | Are we on plan right now? | Hourly output, downtime, defects | Hour |
| Supervision | Where do I act today? | OEE, adherence, Pareto by line | Shift |
| Management | Is the trend improving? | Weekly OEE, delivery and cost | Week |
Each level feeds the tiered meetings of daily management. When data comes from machines, an MES or industrial IoT sensors can automate the logging. For the broader picture of boards, see visual management.
Common mistakes
- Too many KPIs: 20 numbers on the screen and none of them read.
- No target: a value with nothing to compare against does not say whether it is good.
- Stale data: a board updated the next day triggers no action in the shift.
- Conflicting definitions: each area calculates OEE its own way and nobody trusts the number.
- Blame board: using the screen to point fingers leads people to massage the data.
- Pretty screen, no action: if red does not trigger a cause and an owner, the dashboard is decoration.
Frequently asked questions
What is a production dashboard?
It is a board with a few shift KPIs, compared against target and shown in status colors, so people decide quickly where to act.
Which KPIs belong on the dashboard?
Hourly output against plan, plan adherence, OEE, downtime by cause, first-time quality and safety.
How do I calculate OEE for a shift?
Multiply availability, performance and quality. In the example, 90.0% × 81.0% × 96.0% = 70.0%.
What is the most common traffic-light rule?
Green at or above target, yellow in a band below it (for example 90% to 99%) and red below that. Write the rule on the board.
Do I need software to have a dashboard?
No. A board with hourly logging already works. Software and sensors help when data volume or refresh rate demands them.
How often should the board be updated?
At the pace of decisions: hourly for the line, per shift for supervision and weekly for management.
Sources
- NAKAJIMA, S. Introduction to TPM: Total Productive Maintenance. Cambridge: Productivity Press, 1988.
- FEW, S. Information Dashboard Design. Sebastopol: O'Reilly.
- GREIF, M. The Visual Factory: Building Participation Through Shared Information. Cambridge: Productivity Press, 1991.
- HOPP, W. J.; SPEARMAN, M. L. Factory Physics. Long Grove: Waveland Press.
Keep studying: trusted sources and links
- ASQ: Quality Resources
- Lean Enterprise Institute: What is Lean?
- Wikipedia: Performance indicator
- Wikipedia: Overall equipment effectiveness
Save this address: Manufatura Enxuta is your school for lean manufacturing. Come back whenever you need to study, with a complete article, a visual map and trusted sources. Follow one of the learning paths or check the A–Z glossary.
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About the author
Lean Manufacturing & Behavioral Management Specialist
Over 20 years in the automotive and metalworking industries (GM and Dana), Lean Manufacturing practitioner since 2006. SENAI instructor and mentor in Brazil’s Brasil Mais Produtivo program, delivering consulting, training and audits for 50+ companies, combining quality, productivity and people development.
