Choosing the right manufacturing process monitoring software is an important step for manufacturers looking to improve visibility, reduce inefficiencies, and make better decisions on the shop floor.
If you've read some of our previous articles, you'll be aware that we often highlight the fact that there are still many manufacturers who rely on manual reporting, spreadsheets, or delayed production data, but automated solutions, such as process monitoring software provides a way to see how production is performing in real time.
This guide explains what to look for when selecting manufacturing process monitoring software and how to ensure it delivers real value in day-to-day operations. And remember, no one solution is right for everyone, so make sure you take the time to find the right solution for your business, based on your overall goals, budget and culture.
What is manufacturing process monitoring software?
Before we take a look at this topic in further detail, let's start with a definition so we’re all on the same page.
In its simplest form, Manufacturing process monitoring software is used to track and analyse how production processes perform on the shop floor. Capturing live machine data provides real-time insight into production activity, including cycle times, downtime, and overall process flow.
How does manufacturing process monitoring software work?
Manufacturing process monitoring software works by connecting directly to production machines and automatically collecting live data on machine activity. This data is analysed in real time to show production status, downtime, and performance trends, giving manufacturers immediate visibility into how their processes are running. You can learn more about how FourJaw works here.
Rather than focusing on individual machines in isolation, manufacturing process monitoring looks at how machines operate together as part of a wider production process (check out our article on Total Factory Visibility that explores this further). This helps manufacturers understand not just what is happening, but why performance varies across shifts, jobs, and operations.
Why choosing the right software matters
It might be an obvious statement to make, but not all manufacturing process monitoring software delivers the same results. Choosing a solution that doesn’t fit your operation can lead to poor data quality, low adoption, and limited long-term value.
Common issues with the wrong solution include:
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Lack of adoption from your operators and teams
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Incompatible with a mixed machine fleet
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A complex system that is difficult to integrate and use
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Missing fundamental production data, e.g. downtime and process losses
Key factors to consider
When evaluating the right software for your production processes, there are several key areas to focus on and questions to ask yourself when narrowing down your preferred solution, all of which should come back to, and align with your overall goal, e.g. the problem you’re trying to solve. For example:
Would real-time, accurate data help improve processes?
Effective process monitoring depends on accurate data. Software that relies heavily on manual input or end-of-shift reporting often produces incomplete or inconsistent information. If the answer to this question is yes, then you should look for solutions that:
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Capture data automatically from machines (of any type)
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Provide real-time visibility into production activity
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Reduce the need for manual reporting
Is visibility across the entire production process important?
If the answer is yes, then you need to look for a solution that provides a clear view of how production flows through operations across the entire factory, not just isolated machine metrics.
This includes visibility into:
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Cycle times and output
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Downtime and stoppages
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Changeovers and idle time
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Performance differences between shifts or jobs
Understanding these factors helps identify bottlenecks and process constraints that limit overall throughput.
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Image: Example of a 7-day snapshot of a factory's production data, comparing productive vs. unproductive downtime per cell as well as a downtime Pareto analysis that pinpoints the root cause of the downtime over the last seven days.
Is ease of deployment (integration) and use important to you?
For many manufacturers, software adoption is a major concern, and rightly so. Complex systems that require extensive training or disruption to production are often underused and can prove to be costly learning for a business if they’re not adopted. If speed of deployment, ease of integration and usage are high on your agenda, then ensure you consider a solution that can:
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Be quick to deploy
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Integrate easily with existing machines (especially mixed fleets)
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Be simple for production teams to understand and use
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Not disrupt live production processes
Software that fits naturally into existing workflows is more likely to deliver long-term value.
Do I need more data, or a solution that provides actionable insight?
If that statement reflects how you feel, then you’re fully aware that collecting data alone is not enough. Manufacturing process monitoring software should help teams understand what the data means and where to focus improvement efforts.
Look for tools that:
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Clearly identify downtime and process losses
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Highlight trends and recurring issues
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Support continuous improvement initiatives
Remember, the goal should be to turn production data into insight that drives meaningful action, supporting your ongoing continuous improvement strategy.
Image: Example of downtime trend data shown in Fouraw's software. The data shows the trend over 90 days in the milling and turning cells, as well as the unlabelled downtime trend, which can be used by managers to drive focused improvement.
We have multiple sites, so scalability and flexibility are important.
This is often overlooked. A solution that is right for your business today may not be right if you plan to grow, whether that be your machine fleet, number of users, or number of sites. As operations grow or change, process monitoring software should be able to scale with them. If this is important to you, make sure you choose a flexible solution that allows manufacturers to:
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Add more machines over time
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Monitor multiple processes or sites
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Adapt to different production environments
Choosing scalable software avoids the need for costly replacements in the future.
Who in our organisation needs to (should) benefit from the software?
Involving the right stakeholders from the start of any digitisation project is critical. It’s well documented that involving stakeholders from an early stage gives the best chance of a technology solution being adopted into daily lives and workflows. So, before setting out on finding a manufacturing process monitoring software, identify who it should benefit across the organisation, including:
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Manufacturing engineers
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Senior leadership
By providing a shared view of production performance, process monitoring software helps teams align around data-driven improvement.
Final thought…
Choosing the right manufacturing process monitoring software for your business should be done with diligence and a clear plan. As the famous tailoring quote goes, ‘Measure twice, cut once’, and this is true when choosing a software solution for your factory.
FourJaw helps manufacturers choose a practical, data-driven approach to manufacturing process monitoring, supporting better decisions and continuous improvement across the shop floor.
Ready to get started? Find out more and get expert help by getting in touch with one of our team, or explore some of our customer case studies here.
