Today, manufacturers can (and do) extract data from machines and assets across their factory floor, which was once, impossible. However, with vast amounts of data available, data silos can sometimes cause a disconnect between departments and people.
Providing access to real-time operational data, across manufacturing operations is highly beneficial to drive efficiency, productivity, and inform decision-making collectively. FourJaw’s new API, currently in beta, empowers manufacturers to integrate machine utilisation and downtime data into their existing systems, enabling automation and deeper insights.
This article looks at some of the benefits of our API and provides mini-use cases highlighting how manufacturers of our Beta program have started using it.
Why APIs Matter in Manufacturing
APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) act as bridges between different software systems, allowing them to communicate and share data. In manufacturing, this means that production data can be automatically fed into reporting tools, planning systems, and digital transformation initiatives without the need for manual data entry.
By leveraging FourJaw’s API, manufacturers can unlock new opportunities to streamline operations, enhance visibility, and make data-driven decisions with ease.
How Manufacturers are Using FourJaw’s API
Management Reporting with Power BI & Tableau
Manufacturers are integrating FourJaw’s API with reporting tools such as Power BI and Tableau to bring utilisation data and marry it up with other business data sets such as time in attendance records into management dashboards. These real-time insights help leaders identify trends, tackle challenges, and maximise opportunities that might have otherwise gone unnoticed.
Capacity Planning for Real-Time Insights
Instead of relying on outdated spreadsheets or manual data entry, manufacturers can now pull utilised hours per week directly into automated spreadsheets. This provides an always up-to-date view of factory capacity, ensuring better resource allocation and scheduling.
Automated Stakeholder Reporting
Keeping key stakeholders informed is easier than ever. Manufacturers use FourJaw’s API to standardise and automate daily summary reports that are sent via email to operations, planning, and finance teams. This eliminates manual data gathering and ensures that decision-makers always have the latest production insights.
Supporting Digital Transformation Projects
Data silos are a major obstacle in modern manufacturing. FourJaw’s API enables manufacturers to centralise production data in a Data Warehouse or Data Lake, ensuring that vital productivity insights are accessible for future digital transformation initiatives.
Manufacturing API Use Case Examples
Specialist Metals Manufacturer: Increasing Visibility & Utilisation
A specialist aerospace metals manufacturer implemented FourJaw’s API to power a real-time Power BI dashboard displayed on the factory floor. Automated reports sent to senior management have created greater visibility across the business, leading to a 15-percentage point increase in asset utilisation over six months.
Precision Machining Manufacturer: Tracking Continuous Improvement Goals
A high-performance alloys manufacturer uses the API to monitor utilisation trends against a 5% yearly improvement target. Their Power BI dashboard, reviewed in leadership meetings, provides real-time RAG-coloured indicators, leading to nearly double the asset utilisation rate in six months.
Fabrication & Engineering Manufacturer: Enhancing ERP Data for Problem Solving
A precision engineering firm in aerospace and defence faced challenges with its legacy ERP system, which lacked insight into machine downtime. By integrating FourJaw’s API with an Excel-based workflow, they can now analyse job timestamps alongside machine activity, saving hours of manual investigation and improving problem resolution.
Plastics Manufacturer: Driving Team Performance & Morale
A plastics and composite door manufacturer built a daily dashboard using FourJaw’s API. This gives team leads an automated way to review production data, celebrate successes, and identify improvement opportunities. As a result, asset utilisation has improved by 1% per month.
Luxury Brass Hardware Manufacturer: Enabling a Data-Driven Digital Transformation
A heritage brass hardware manufacturer with a dedicated Digital Transformation team used FourJaw’s API to consolidate machine utilisation data into a central Data Warehouse. This has facilitated smarter decision-making around hiring, capital investment, and process improvements, leading to double-digit year-on-year revenue growth.
The Future of FourJaw’s API-Driven Manufacturing
The success of FourJaw’s Beta API functionality demonstrates how manufacturing businesses can leverage data and integrate more closely with other business areas to drive productivity and operational improvements. Whether enhancing visibility, automating reporting, or supporting digital transformation, API integration is a powerful tool for modern manufacturers.
As our API evolves, we look forward to seeing even more innovative use cases from our customers. If you're interested in exploring how FourJaw’s API can benefit your manufacturing operations, get in touch with your customer success manager today!
