Introduction
The role of a production manager in an industrial company involves broad responsibilities and significant challenges. The manager is responsible for processes, plan implementation, team efficiency, and product quality. Daily decisions affect both current operating results and the direction of the plant's development.
In practice, despite their experience and competence, directors often have to act on the basis of data that is incomplete, delayed, or inconsistent. Manually prepared reports, scattered systems, and a lack of integration mean that many decisions are made intuitively. This increases the risk of errors and makes it difficult to plan development based on reliable information.
In this article, we look at the challenges and needs of the production manager, showing what they face on a daily basis and how a modern approach to management can support their work.
1. Challenges faced by the production manager
The production manager is responsible for process efficiency and product quality, while facing a number of difficulties:
Lack of real-time data – information arrives late, making it impossible to react quickly.
- Difficulties in analyzing the causes of downtime – lack of a uniform catalog of causes and comparable reports.
- Fragmented reporting – data scattered across Excel spreadsheets, ERP systems, and operator notes.
- Quality issues – lack of quick information about defects and recurring non-conformities.
- Lack of system integration – difficult data exchange between ERP, SCADA, warehouse, and production.
- Intuitive decision-making – lack of consistent KPIs and OEE limits the ability to make strategic decisions.
- Pressure for results – the need to simultaneously increase productivity, reduce costs, and maintain production flexibility.
2. Ad hoc methods and practices used in plants
Faced with these challenges, production managers use tools that help on an ad hoc basis but do not eliminate the source of the problems.
- Excel reports – prepared manually, which increases the risk of errors and requires a lot of time.
- ERP systems – support planning and accounting, but do not provide sufficient speed or detail at the shop floor level.
- SCADA and HMI – monitor machines, but typically do not cover the entire process or business indicators.
- Meetings and phone calls – briefings help exchange information, but do not eliminate delays.
- Proprietary IT solutions – often inconsistent, duplicating data, and difficult to integrate with other tools.
- Reporting failures on paper or by phone – can lead to a lack of formal event logging, making it difficult to analyze and prevent recurring problems.
3. Why current methods are not enough
Although the tools described above help to some extent, their limitations are significant. Manual reports are prone to errors and require a lot of time, which means that information arrives late. Different departments use their own indicators and reports, which are difficult to compare, and the lack of a single source of data hinders consistent management. As a result, management makes strategic decisions without a complete picture of the situation, and the production manager, despite their experience, often operates in conditions of uncertainty.
4. What the production manager really needs
To perform their tasks effectively, production managers need not only data, but also a consistent system that collects it in one place. It is crucial that the information is available in real time and presented in a uniform format, which eliminates the problem of conflicting reports. Automatic OEE and KPI reports are also essential, as they allow the effectiveness of processes to be assessed and deviations to be quickly identified. An important element is integration with systems such as ERP, SCADA, warehouse, or UR—only then is it possible to obtain a complete picture of production. The director also needs analytical tools to help understand the causes of problems and losses, as well as a system that supports forecasting and facilitates decision-making for the future.
Summary
The production manager is at the very center of plant management. They are responsible for ensuring that all processes run smoothly and support the achievement of business goals. The biggest challenge today is not so much access to data, but its consistency, timeliness, and usefulness in decision-making. Without a unified picture of the situation, it is difficult not only to respond to problems, but also to plan development and long-term investments.
That is why at AndonCloud we meet these needs. Our solution integrates processes, organizes information, and delivers it in real time in a form that supports decision-making at every level—from the operator to the management board. This allows production managers to look at processes holistically, anticipate risks, and focus on the development of the company, rather than just reacting to current events.
