We recently sat down with Oliver, FourJaw’s Head of Business Development, to talk about our newest and most powerful feature of the latest generation of FourJaw's platform: Customisable Dashboards.
Whether you're just getting started with the new Dashboards or want to improve how your team utilises the data now available. In this article, Oliver shares how manufacturers are using dashboards to drive better conversations, clearer decisions, and increased accountability at every level. Read the blog or watch the videos that demonstrate three practical ways to use dashboards effectively:
We finish the article with a summary of our 'Five top tips to building a great production dashboard'. Check them out below.
If you're new to dashboards in FourJaw, getting started is simple. Oliver explains how in the video below.
“When customers log in for the first time, the dashboards can feel a bit like a blank canvas,” says Oliver. “But once they see how easy it is to build views around their goals, it becomes second nature.”
Watch how to get started:
In FourJaw Classic - Click on ‘Go to customisable dashboard’ in the top nav bar that says 'New'
If this is the first time trying to access the new dashboards, you will need to create a new password. Once created, it will work in both FourJaw Classic and New.
Once you've created a new password, log in and Hit ‘Create Dashboard’ and give it a clear name
Start adding widgets for things like machine utilisation, downtime breakdowns, or shift comparisons
Oliver recommends starting simple:
“Think about what questions you’re trying to answer. Are you looking for top downtime reasons? Machine performance trends? Start there. You can always evolve the dashboard as your priorities change.”
One of the most common use cases Oliver sees is leadership teams using dashboards in their weekly reviews. Senior leaders need a bird’s-eye view. A weekly leadership dashboard should surface trends, performance against targets, and key blockers.
“Leaders need clarity. They want to see what’s working, what’s not, and what’s changed. A well-built dashboard gives them that clarity in under five minutes.”
Watch how to get started:
Here’s Oliver’s advice on what to include:
Keep it simple: 4–6 widgets are usually enough for a weekly review.
Use week-based date ranges (e.g. 'Last 7 Days, Last Month etc') for consistency
Use consistent dashboard naming (e.g. “Weekly Leadership Review – [Site/Dept]”)
“The goal is to create a repeatable rhythm. When leadership sees the same dashboard structure each week, they start focusing more on the story the data tells, and less on interpreting the charts.”
Dashboards aren't just for senior teams—they’re incredibly powerful for engaging frontline teams too. Oliver explains:
“One of the most effective things we’ve seen is teams using dashboards to track their own performance. Whether it’s a cell, a shift, or a line, giving people visibility into their own data changes the conversation.”
Filter it by the machines or the cell/line the team runs
Add widgets that highlight:
Recent downtime logs
Downtime reasons by operator or machine
Shift-by-shift performance
Keep the time window tight—daily or weekly views work best
These dashboards are ideal for use in:
Daily stand-ups
Weekly team reviews
Root cause analysis sessions
“When teams see their own numbers, they start spotting patterns and taking action. It’s not just about tracking—it’s about learning and improving together.”
Will your dashboard be shown on a shop floor screen for a team of operators, or will it be pulled up for many people to see in a production meeting? Perhaps individual executives will open it in their email inbox at the start of each month. Being clear on how and where people will consume it is the first step to building a killer dashboard.
A great dashboard should have a single purpose, even if it displays multiple pieces of information. Is it designed to inform shopfloor staff if production is on track? Perhaps it is used to see progress of continuous improvement projects, or identify key downtime reasons for future projects. Maybe the dashboard is put together for a single meeting or decision such as a capital purchase go/no-go. Each dashboard should answer a single, central question. If the data begins to balloon, that's an indication that maybe you need to split it into multiple dashboards.
Image: Production Dashboard Example of uing widgets to visualise and track Monthly KPI targets.
The widget choice, data configuration and layout of your dashboard should tell a story. Build your dashboard so it reads like the page of a book, the top left contains the central summary or key information. Moving across and down, you get more detailed, building up a picture of that adds colour and context to the first piece of information. Tip 1 and 2 will help you greatly in defining the story you want to tell. Are you looking to compare a change from one time range to another, or compare one asset to another - look to Tip 1/Tip2 for guidance.
Image: Choose the right widgets to tell the story you need to.
It's really worth spending time on the details of your dashboard
Image: Clarity is in th detail. Ensure you name your dashboardds and widgets clearly so that your audience knows what they are looking at.
Not every dashboard has to live forever. Some are created for a specific project, meeting or time frame. Once a dashboard has served its purpose, it's okay to send it to dashboard heaven and click "delete". Not only does this prevent clutter, ensuring you can easily find and focus on the dashboards which are important. Philosophically, being comfortable to quickly create, use and delete dashboards as you see fit is a mindset shift that means the answers you need are only ever a few widgets away.
Dashboards are more than just charts—they're a shared language for your business.
Oliver sums it up perfectly:
“When dashboards are set up with intent, they become part of your operating rhythm. Whether it's driving strategic conversations at leadership level, or empowering teams to take ownership on the shop floor, the data starts working for you.”
Our team is here to support. Drop us a message, or speak to your Customer Success Manager—we'll help you get up and running with dashboards that deliver value from day one.