People, Knowledge and Shift Book: Capturing Shopfloor Intelligence in the MES

From Experience to Structured Knowledge

Every shift generates insights — problems solved, adjustments made, lessons learned.
Without a system, this knowledge disappears in handwritten notes or informal talks.
A digital shift book integrated into the MES ensures that information is stored, shared, and accessible to everyone who needs it.

The Digital Shift Book in MES

The shift book acts as the central communication and documentation hub on the shopfloor.
Operators and supervisors record events, observations, and actions directly at the workstation — all linked automatically to machine, order, or material data.

Core functions:

• time-stamped shift reports with responsible user
• automatic assignment to machines, orders, or lines
• categorized entries for incidents, actions, and root causes
• full-text search and filtering by topic, person, or time period
• audit trail and export functions for quality and management

Result: transparent processes, traceable knowledge, and standardized communication.

Preserving Knowledge Across Shifts

With a digital MES shift book, experience turns into reusable knowledge:

• shift handovers become structured and loss-free
• improvement ideas are documented and evaluated
• responsibilities and escalation chains are defined
• lessons learned are directly linked to quality or maintenance workflows

Embedded in the MES Ecosystem

The shift book integrates seamlessly into the MES architecture:

• connected to real-time BDE/MDE data
• supports shopfloor meetings with current insights
• enriches maintenance and quality modules
• ensures consistent knowledge flow between humans and systems

The result is a living, searchable history of your production — not isolated reports.

Benefits at a Glance

Conclusion

The MES shift book connects people and data.
It transforms experience into structured knowledge and builds a foundation for operational excellence — transparent, digital, and scalable.