In manufacturing, data is power—but only if it’s organized, timely, and actionable. One of the most effective tools for harnessing production data in real time is the Epicor dashboard. Whether you’re a plant manager, production planner, or quality analyst, Epicor dashboards enable you to make smarter, faster decisions. In this post, we’ll explore practical examples of production dashboards in Epicor ERP and how they transform raw data into visual insights that drive performance and profitability.
Why Production Dashboards Matter in Manufacturing
Production floors generate a massive volume of data every minute—from machine status and output rates to defect counts and downtime events. Without the right visualization tools, this data remains hidden in tables or scattered across modules.
An effective Epicor dashboard consolidates this information into a central, intuitive view. This visual clarity allows manufacturers to:
- Monitor live performance metrics
- Detect issues before they escalate
- Improve production planning accuracy
- Optimize resource allocation
- Boost overall operational efficiency
What Makes an Epicor Production Dashboard Effective?
Not all dashboards are created equal. A useful Epicor production dashboard should:
- Display real-time data from multiple modules
- Use color-coded visual cues for fast analysis
- Allow drill-down capabilities for deeper insights
- Be customizable based on user roles
- Be easy to access and update with minimal IT dependency
Common Epicor Production Dashboard Use Cases
Let’s walk through real-world examples of how manufacturers use Epicor dashboards to visualize production data.
1. Daily Production Summary Dashboard
Purpose: Provide supervisors and plant managers a high-level view of production by shift or work center.
Metrics shown:
- Actual vs. target output
- Machine uptime/downtime
- Scrap and yield rates
- Operator productivity
Benefits:
This dashboard helps identify underperforming areas, track shift performance, and keep teams accountable in real-time.
2. Work Center Performance Dashboard
Purpose: Monitor performance of individual machines or cells.
Metrics shown:
- Cycle times and bottlenecks
- Setup vs. run time
- Machine-specific downtime codes
- Maintenance alerts
Benefits:
This dashboard empowers maintenance teams and supervisors to address bottlenecks and plan preventive maintenance activities before breakdowns occur.
3. Quality Metrics Dashboard
Purpose: Help QA managers visualize defect trends and quality KPIs.
Metrics shown:
- First-pass yield
- Rework rates by item or shift
- Top 5 defect reasons
- Supplier inspection failures
Benefits:
Immediate visibility into quality issues helps reduce scrap, rework costs, and customer complaints.
4. WIP (Work-in-Progress) Tracking Dashboard
Purpose: Track movement and status of in-process jobs across the shop floor.
Metrics shown:
- Job numbers and operations
- Work order aging
- Status (waiting, in progress, completed)
- Material availability
Benefits:
This dashboard ensures production planners and floor supervisors stay aligned on job priorities, helping reduce idle time and missed deadlines.
5. Downtime Analysis Dashboard
Purpose: Analyze and categorize downtime to reduce production losses.
Metrics shown:
- Downtime frequency by machine or line
- Root causes (planned, unplanned, tool change, etc.)
- Time lost per event
- Trends over weeks/months
Benefits:
Helps identify recurring causes of downtime and supports data-driven continuous improvement initiatives like TPM (Total Productive Maintenance).
How Epicforce Tech Helps Manufacturers Build Smarter Dashboards
Many manufacturers struggle with out-of-the-box Epicor dashboards that fail to meet their specific needs. At Epicforce Tech, we specialize in building custom Epicor dashboards tailored for manufacturing environments. Our approach includes:
- Deep-dive discovery to understand your production process
- Custom Business Activity Queries (BAQs) that connect the right data
- Dashboard designs focused on usability and fast decision-making
- Ongoing support to evolve dashboards as operations change
Our goal is not just to visualize data, but to help your teams act on it confidently and efficiently.
Tips to Get the Most from Your Epicor Production Dashboards
To ensure your dashboards are actually useful (not just pretty), keep these best practices in mind:
- Start with a business question. Every dashboard should help someone answer a specific operational question.
- Involve end users. Gather input from supervisors, planners, and QA leads to ensure usability.
- Avoid clutter. Focus on actionable KPIs, not vanity metrics.
- Enable drill-downs. Users should be able to click into summaries for more details.
- Review and refine regularly. Dashboards should evolve as your factory processes do.
Final Thoughts
In the world of manufacturing, visibility is key to agility. An Epicor dashboard isn’t just a reporting tool—it’s a control panel for daily operations. With clear, real-time insights into your production floor, you can solve problems faster, reduce costs, and improve throughput.
If your current Epicor setup is falling short, Epicforce Tech can help you go beyond static reports and build dynamic, decision-support dashboards that drive results.
Call to Action
Ready to turn your production data into a competitive advantage?
Let Epicforce Tech help you design, optimize, and deploy Epicor dashboards that deliver real value.
Call us at (888) 280-5585 or email info@epicforcetech.com to get started.
Read More:
User Adoption Tips: How Epicforce Tech Helps Teams Actually Use Epicor Dashboards
From BAQ to Dashboard: How to Turn Queries into Live Business Insights in Epicor®
Building Your First Epicor Dashboard: 7 Practical Steps to Follow
When to Build One Dashboard vs. Many—Our Consultants’ Approach
Epicforce Tech’s Dashboard Design Process: From Wireframe to Live Metrics
