Operator View
The Operator View is a simple touch-screen interface built for shop-floor workers. It removes all the extras and shows only what operators need. Pick a production line, check the work order queue, start and stop batches, report good and scrap counts, log downtime with reason codes, and flag problems for supervisors. Big buttons work with gloves. High-contrast colors are easy to read in bright factory light. Pages load fast on industrial tablets and panel PCs.
What Is the Operator View
An MES is only as good as the data coming from the shop floor. If the screen is hard to use, operators skip entries or stop reporting. That kills real-time visibility. OpenMES fixes this with the Operator View – a screen built for speed, clarity, and ease of use.
The Operator View runs in any modern web browser. It works on devices you already have on the factory floor: rugged tablets (Samsung Galaxy Tab Active, Zebra ET4x), industrial panel PCs (Siemens IPC, Advantech), or regular tablets in protective cases. The layout adjusts to different screen sizes. It works in both landscape and portrait mode.
Key design ideas behind the Operator View:
- Large touch targets – All buttons are at least 48px tall. Main actions (Start, Stop, Report) are even bigger. No tiny icons or menus that are hard to tap with gloves.
- Minimal navigation – Any function is just 2 taps away from the main screen. No deep menu layers.
- Color-coded status – Green means running, yellow means idle, red means stopped, blue means completed. You see the status at a glance without reading text.
- Offline resilience – If the network drops for a moment, the screen saves your actions locally. It syncs when the connection comes back. No lost data from Wi-Fi dead spots.
A plastics molding company tried a generic MES screen on the shop floor. Operators found it too complex – too many menus, tiny buttons, and clutter everywhere. Only 40% of workers used it. After switching to the OpenMES Operator View, usage jumped to 97% in two weeks. Workers said the big buttons and simple flow "just made sense." Even operators who usually avoid technology started using it on day one.
Line Selection
When you open the Operator View, you first log in and pick a line. You can scan your employee badge (if RFID or barcode scanning is set up) or type your email and password. After login, you see a grid of production line cards. Each card shows:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Line Name | The name of the production line (e.g., "Assembly Line 3", "CNC Cell B") |
| Status Indicator | A colored dot: green (running), yellow (idle), grey (not scheduled) |
| Description | Short text about what the line does or which products it makes |
| Workstations | How many workstations are on this line |
By default, you only see active lines – lines that have work orders scheduled. This stops you from picking a line that is shut down or not running during your shift. After picking a line, you choose a workstation on that line (if there are several). Then you see the work order queue for that workstation.
Admins control which lines show up here through the admin panel. They can turn lines on or off without deleting any settings. This makes it easy to manage seasonal lines or lines being retooled.
In a small electronics factory, operators are trained to work on several lines. Each shift, the supervisor assigns people based on the day's plan. Operator Maria logs in and sees three active lines: SMT, Through-Hole, and Testing. She picks "SMT" as assigned and sees her work orders right away. Tomorrow she might be on Testing – same login, different line, smooth switch.
Work Order Queue
The Work Order Queue is the main screen of the Operator View. It shows a sorted list of all work orders for your selected line and workstation. Each row gives you the info you need to decide what to work on next and track your progress:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Order | Work order number (e.g., WO-2026-0847) |
| Status Badge | Color-coded pill: blue (Planned), green (In Progress), yellow (On Hold), red (Blocked), grey (Completed) |
| Board Status | Kanban-style status for visual workflow tracking |
| Product | Product name and SKU being manufactured |
| Quantity | Target quantity with a progress bar. Green shows good units, red shows scrap |
| Batches | How many batches exist for this order (e.g., "3 of 5") |
| Priority | 1 (highest) to 5 (lowest), each with its own color: red (1), orange (2), yellow (3), blue (4), grey (5) |
| Due | Countdown showing time left until the due date. Overdue orders show in red |
| Report | Button to open the quantity report form for this order |
The queue sorts by priority first, then by due date (earliest first). You can see the most urgent orders right away. Overdue orders jump to the top with a red highlight, so you never miss them. The progress bar shows how close each order is to being done – a half-filled bar means about half complete. The green and red split shows your yield at a glance.
A car parts supplier gets a rush order for brake parts (Priority 1, due in 6 hours). The planner sets the priority in the admin panel. On the shop floor, the operator's queue updates instantly – the rush order jumps to the top with a red badge and a "6h left" countdown. The operator finishes the current batch, then switches to the brake parts. No phone calls or paperwork needed.
View Modes
The Operator View has four display modes for different work styles and screen sizes. Switch between them with one tap on the mode selector at the top of the screen:
Queue (Default)
The standard sorted list view. Best when you manage several work orders and need to see the full queue. Works great on tablets in landscape mode.
Workstation
A focused view showing just one order at a time. You see a big unit counter, a large Start/Stop button, and quick report controls. The queue is hidden so nothing distracts you. Great for fixed panel PCs at a single workstation.
Table
A compact spreadsheet view that fits more orders on one screen. Useful for supervisors checking screens or for lines with many small orders.
Cards
Big, touch-friendly cards – one per work order – in a scrollable grid. Each card shows the order number, product, progress, and priority in extra-large text. Best for operators wearing heavy gloves.
Operator Actions
In any view mode, you have access to the main actions you need to do your work. Each action is built to capture data in as few taps as possible:
Start / Stop Batch
Tap "Start" on a work order to create a new batch (or resume an existing one). The system begins tracking production time. You see the active batch with a running timer showing elapsed time. Tap "Stop" to pause the batch and log the stop time. Start and Stop events are the base of OEE calculations – they define the actual running time used to measure Availability and Performance.
Report Quantity
The Report Quantity form has two number fields: Good (units that passed quality) and Scrap (rejected units). You enter the counts using a big on-screen number pad made for touch. The form also shows running totals for the current batch and the whole order, so you can check your numbers. When you submit, the progress bar in the queue updates right away. The data also feeds into real-time dashboards and reports.
Report Downtime
When a machine stops – planned or not – tap "Report Downtime" and pick a reason from the dropdown list. Common reasons include: mechanical failure, electrical fault, material shortage, tooling change, quality hold, operator break, and cleaning. The start time fills in automatically (usually matching when the last batch stopped). You can adjust it if needed. Downtime events affect the Availability part of OEE and show up in the Supervisor View's issue feed.
Report Issue
For problems that need a supervisor – like a repeating quality defect, a safety concern, or material that does not meet specs – tap "Report Issue." A form opens where you pick the issue type, write a short description, and optionally attach a photo from the tablet's camera. The issue shows up instantly in the Supervisor View's Recent Issues feed. It can also trigger an alert based on how serious it is.
Change Line
If you get moved to a different line during your shift, tap "Change Line" to go back to the Line Selection screen. You do not need to log out. Any open batch on your old line keeps tracking time until someone stops it. This makes it easy to move operators between lines based on demand.
Operator Jan arrives at his CNC workstation at 06:00. He scans his badge, picks "CNC Cell A" → "CNC-01," and sees 4 work orders. The top order (WO-2026-0901, Priority 1, due in 4 hours) is for precision shafts. He taps "Start" and the timer begins. After machining 25 pieces, he taps "Report" and enters Good: 24, Scrap: 1. At 07:15, the tool breaks – he taps "Stop," then "Report Downtime" and picks "Tooling Change." He swaps the tool and taps "Start" again at 07:30. At 09:45 the order is done, and the next order loads automatically. At 10:00 his supervisor moves him to CNC Cell B – he taps "Change Line" and keeps working without missing a beat.