If you had to sum up all of the benefits of downtime tracking software in a single word, “data” would undoubtedly be it.
One of the problems with tracking downtime manually is that it’s a process that practically invites errors from all directions. Sometimes operators are so focused on getting a machine back online that they miss certain events. Other times they themselves don’t have accurate information to work from, so the data they’re entering into a spreadsheet is wrong by default.
With downtime tracking software, on the other hand, data is entered into the solution from the moment production begins. It takes all guesswork out of the equation, making sure that your data is accurate and that you only have the most complete information to work from when making decisions moving forward.
Why Data Quality Matters
This level of automated data collection also brings with it a host of other benefits, too. When you use a downtime tracking solution like Thrive, you’re also able to define a downtime reason – probably the most crucial detail of what you’re trying to accomplish.
The software itself can utilize error codes and other information to denote exactly why a downtime event happened. You’re no longer relying on an operator to do so manually because the software takes care of everything. This is key, because you’ll then be able to look back over historical records and see exactly what types of problems occur on a regular basis. You can see your most common issues, which is information you can use to create a better preventative maintenance plan to stop them from happening again.
That’s not to say that the input of your employees isn’t important, because it is. That’s why downtime tracking solutions also allow for a different type of data collection – operator notes. In addition to the real-time data being generated by the system itself, operators are also free to enter their own insight into the event in question. They can create an additional context surrounding what happened, what the conditions were like and what steps were taken to correct it – all to paint the most complete picture possible.
But maybe the biggest advantage that this level of data collection brings to the table – when paired with the right solution – has to do with how that data is stored. With Thrive, all information is stored in the cloud – meaning that it’s accessible from any device, in any location, at any time. This is especially helpful if you run more than one location.
With this “bird’s eye view” of your entire operations, you can easily compare one location to the other in terms of productivity and other factors that matter most to you. You can also dive deeper and see how to reduce downtime in only one location, as obviously their conditions will always vary.
All told, your ability to reduce downtime depends on your ability to improve your data collection efforts – which is precisely what downtime tracking software is designed to do.
