Production Data Integration Australia
Factory floor figures in your office systems, without paper forms or retyping
Your factory floor produces useful figures all day: what was made, how long machines ran, why they stopped, what material was used, how long each job took. But most of it ends up on paper forms, whiteboards or spreadsheets. By the time someone types it into the ERP, it is a day old and full of small mistakes.
We collect those figures automatically, from the machines and from simple screens or barcode scanners on the floor, and send them to your ERP, job costing and reports.
What you get: up-to-date production numbers, job costs based on what really happened, a clear view of why machines stop, and far less paperwork for operators and the office.
By Hand vs Collected Automatically
| Figure | Collected by Hand | Collected Automatically |
|---|---|---|
| Quantities made | Written on a form and typed into the ERP at the end of the shift, so the figures are late and counts are often wrong. | Machine counters or barcode scans update the ERP as the work is done, with far fewer counting errors. |
| Machine run time | Operators estimate time per job, so there's no real view of how much machines run or why they stop. | Read from the machine itself: running, idle and stopped time, with the reason for each stop. |
| Quality results | Recorded separately and matched to batches by hand later, so problems are found late. | Linked to the batch automatically. A failed test puts that stock on hold in the ERP straight away. |
| Material used | The ERP assumes the recipe or bill of materials was followed exactly, so stock drifts from reality. | Actual material is scanned as it is used, so stock and yield figures match what happened. |
| Stoppages | Reasons are scribbled on paper (when they're recorded at all) and added up once a month, if ever. | The operator picks a reason on a screen when the machine stops, so you can see the biggest causes at any time. |
| Labour hours | Weekly timesheets, with no record of how long each job or step really took. | Operators clock on and off each job, so hours go to the right job, ready for job costing and payroll. |
Why it matters: collecting figures by hand takes operator and office time every week, the numbers are late, and mistakes creep in. Collecting them automatically removes most of that work and gives you numbers you can act on the same day.
How It Fits Together
1. Where the Figures Come From
Machines: run time, part counts, running speed and fault codes.
Process control systems: temperatures, pressures and batch records in process manufacturing such as food or chemicals.
Screens on the floor: job starts and finishes, operator sign-offs and stoppage reasons.
Barcode scanners: material used, batch tracking, clocking on and off jobs, and inspections.
2. Collecting on the Floor
Collection: a small device on the floor reads the figures from each machine.
Tidying up: raw readings are turned into useful numbers, such as cycle time and running time, and obvious bad readings are filtered out.
No gaps: if the network drops out, figures are stored on the floor and sent when it comes back.
3. Sending It On
As it happens: machine status and current counts go to screens on the floor and in the office.
Totals: shift totals and finished batches go to the ERP on a schedule.
Alerts: important events, such as a failed quality check, a machine down or a job finished, update the ERP straight away and notify the right person.
4. Where It Ends Up
ERP: finished quantities, stock updates, labour hours and actual costs, ready for job costing and the accounts.
Quality records: linked to each batch, with holds on suspect stock and full traceability.
Reports: key production numbers, machine use by machine and shift, the biggest causes of stoppages, and trends over time.
What a Project Can Include
| Type of Project | What's Included |
|---|---|
| One line or a few machines | Connecting a handful of machines to your ERP or production system, simple screens for operators, and a basic report |
| A production area | More machines, production figures into the ERP, quality records linked, machine-use reports, and access from a phone or tablet |
| The whole factory | All lines, extra sensors where needed, live screens, and full reporting across the business |
| Older machines | Fitting sensors or a gateway device so machines without a network connection can send their figures |
| Ongoing support | Watching the connections, fixing problems, updating reports, and keeping things working through upgrades |
Whether it pays for itself: the return comes from less time spent collecting and typing figures, a clear view of how machines are used, catching quality problems sooner, and planning production on real numbers. Cost depends on how many machines and systems are involved and how much needs to be built, so we look at your setup first and give you a fixed quote after a free initial chat.
The Technical Side
For whoever looks after your systems:
- Sources: machine PLCs (programmable logic controllers), SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) systems, MES (manufacturing execution system) terminals and barcode scanners.
- Edge collection: edge devices or PLC gateways read machine data over OPC UA, Modbus or vendor protocols, pre-process it and buffer locally during network outages; retrofit sensors for older machines.
- Transport: high-frequency data via MQTT or REST to the MES or an IoT (internet of things) platform; aggregated batch and shift totals to the ERP on a schedule; event-driven updates for quality failures, machine down and job complete.
- OEE: calculated from availability, performance against ideal cycle time, and quality yield, broken down by machine, shift and downtime reason.
- Security: production (OT) networks segmented from the office (IT) network; read-only access to machine data; we never change machine control logic.
Frequently Asked Questions
Get Your Production Figures Without the Paperwork
Tell us which figures your team writes down and types in today, and which machines and systems you run. We'll tell you honestly what is worth collecting automatically first. Start with a free initial chat, or book a $5,000 Process & Systems Audit for a full written assessment.