"Incorrect or false information during shift handover can cause massive damage. Incorrectly processed orders, quality problems, material bottlenecks, absence of employees, misunderstandings with customers and accidents are just a few examples. Simplifying and improving communication was therefore our intention when developing the Notify Plugin for our Manufacturing Execution System," explains Peter Bollinger, CEO of iTAC Software AG, a subsidiary of Dürr AG.
The new Notify plugin enables digital handover on the shop floor within different groups and shifts. The solution has the functions Notification setup, Notification creation and Notification overview.
Within the notification setup, different groups can be created, for example, subdivided according to shifts (day shift, night shift, morning shift). It is also possible to define groups according to departments. The groups can be further divided into subgroups such as production, tester, laboratory, etc. The setup is possible for selected admins.
In the Notification creation area, the notifications for the respective groups and, if applicable, subgroups (one, several or all) can be set. These are possible either as one-time notifications (i.e. for a fixed day) or as recurring appointments (similar to appointment series in e.g. Outlook). Examples for such notifications could be: cleaning of a station, changeover of a machine and planned to-dos for the upcoming shift.
In the notification overview, the respective groups and subgroups are displayed. The user can select his respective group, shift or department and read the notifications intended for him and then confirm that he has read the notification. The view always shows the current calendar week, but future calendar weeks can also be displayed.
Increased transparency and efficiency in manufacturing
The Notify plugin is easy to configure and intuitive. It is integrated in the iTAC.Workbench - a browser-based framework for integrating any HTML5-compliant application - and offers a clear, user-friendly interface.
"The Notify plugin meets the needs of today's factories, which are being forced to digitize more than ever due to the Corona pandemic. Digital shift handover supports remote processes and reduces the need for paper and word-processing documents. Messages are routed to the responsible parties in a structured manner, and there is no flood of information that may get lost. The status is visible. This results in greater efficiency through transparency, traceability and clear allocation," explains Peter Bollinger.
