Support Simultaneous Operator Check-Ins at a Workstation

Welcome to the demo of the 25A a feature support simultaneous operator check-ins at a workstation. Factory floors execute complex manufacturing processes that require coordinated efforts of multiple operators for various stages of operation execution. With this update, multiple operators can simultaneously work together at the workstation. The system independently tracks the time spent by each operator on the work order operation execution.

Simultaneous operator check-ins at a workstation enable easier collaboration amongst operators. It also enables accurate tracking of operator time spent at the workstations without complicated switchover processes or manual bookkeeping. Now, let's look at a demo scenario for this feature, along with the supported setups. For the demo of work order operation execution at workstation, I will launch the execute production at a workstation task in work execution work area.

I will then select a workstation and view a combined list of operators assigned by the production supervisor for the current shift, and operators who are already checked into the workstation. I will then check in and add another operator with me to the workstation. I will select a work order operation and start execution. During execution, I will check in and check out a few operators to simulate a real life factory floor work order operation execution scenario.

Towards the end, I will show how production supervisors can enforce operator assignments for a given shift. I will also demonstrate a quicker and more intuitive method for production operators to switch workstations between work order operation execution sessions.

Let's get into the demo. I launched the execute production at a workstation task in work execution work area. I select a workstation. In the workstation check-in page, I can see that currently no work order operation execution is in progress and there are three operators assigned to the workstation and none of them is currently checked in.

Production supervisors can assign operators to a workstation for any given shift by launching the production supervision task in work execution work area in the monitoring tab, selecting the appropriate workstation, and clicking on Manage operator assignments.

This allows the production supervisors to assign operators for a given shift. Now, coming back to our demo, we were at the workstations check-in page. I check in to the workstation. The workstations detail page, I can see that I have checked into the workstation and there are three more operators who are assigned to it. Maria has now joined me at the workstation, so I click on the check-in action against Maria's name and let the system know that she is here.

We are now ready to begin our work. I select a work order and view the details of the work order operation. On the right pane under the operator section, I can look at all the operators who are assigned or checked into the workstation. If this work order operation had labor resource qualification requirements, each of the operator checked into the workstation would need to be qualified for that work order operation. Only then can the work order operation execution be started.

I click on start and begin execution. Maria and I worked together for a while. After some time, Maria has completed her tasks in the work order operation execution. Clicking on the checkout action against Maria's name, checks her out of the workstation. After some time, I am joined by Alexander for parts of the work order operation execution. I click on check in against Alexander's name and the system checks him into the workstation.

Operators can be checked in or checked out of the workstation at any time during execution. Optionally, operators who are checked into the workstation, can report execution progress from their own browser clients on their desktop, laptop, or tablets. However, as is the case with current behavior, only one work order operation execution can happen at a workstation at any given period, which means all the operators who are checked into the workstation are working together towards one work order operation execution.

Coming back to our demo now, Alexander is also done with his job and I check him out by clicking on the checkout action against his name. I am now the lone operator working on this work order operation execution. If I want to check out of the workstation, I would either have to pause execution or stop the execution session. I click on pause and the execution is paused, and clicking on the checkout action checks me out of the workstation.

Notice that the workstation check-in page now shows there are three operators who are assigned, but not checked in and in the execution status, it shows that a work order operation execution session is in progress, but the workstation status is idle. I click on check in and check in to the workstation to resume my work. I click on the resume button to take the workstation back to in-use status and resume my work order operation execution.

We are now done with the work. I click on stop to end the work order operation execution session. Clicking on stop reports the labor resource transactions for the time that the individual operators, Maria, Alexander and myself spent executing this work order operation. Let's just see how the individual operators time was tracked and reported against the work order operation execution.

I launched the production supervision task in work execution work area. Under the work orders tab, I select and view the details of the work order that we were just executing. I look at the transaction history and search for the resource that we had checked in and reported the execution against. I can see that Maria and Alexandra's time are tracked individually and the resource is charged appropriately.

Now, let's look at the setup enhancements delivered as a part of this feature. First up, let's see how a production supervisor can control whether the operator assignments made by them for a shift are enforced or not. I launched the smart operations configuration task in the work execution work area. In the work execution section of the configuration parameters tab, there is a parameter called operator assignment.

There are two options here, not enforced and enforced. If the parameter is set to not enforced, then any operator can check in to the workstation whether they are assigned to the current shift or not. If the parameter is set to enforced, then only the operators who are assigned by the production supervisor for a particular shift from the production supervisor workbench can check in to the workstation.

Now, let's see how this configuration parameter changes the operator's experience. Notice there is a button called Check In More Operators. This button is enabled only if the configuration parameter is set to not enforced. Clicking on this, opens a panel drawer where an operator can search for another operator who is configured as a labor resource instance. You can search by the labor resource name or the person type. Person types of employee and contingent worker are supported.

Another minor improvement delivered in this release is making it easier for a production operator to switch between workstations before or after executing work order operations. From the check-in page, instead of having to go back and select another workstation, an operator can click on the change workstation action, select a different workstation in the same organization, click on Apply, and now they are ready to check into the new workstation.

To know more about and get a holistic view of the enhancements delivered in this release for execution at a workstation and production supervision, refer to the feature description and demo of the following 25A features. Monitor workstation performance when supervising production, and manage shift operator assignments for workstations when supervising production. This concludes the demo for this feature. Thank you.