2022 BUYER’S GUIDE

MACHINE
MONITORING FOR
MANUFACTURERS

2
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USRERS 1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������03

CHAPTER ONE:
THE NEED FOR A MACHINE-DRIVEN STRATEGY . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������04

CHAPTER TWO:
HOW MACHINE MONITORING WORKS  . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������06
Connecting Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������07

Real-Time Decision Making at the Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������07

Data Platform, Features, and Continuous Value Creation . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������07

Quantitative Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������08

CHAPTER THREE:
HOW TO SELECT THE RIGHT SOLUTION  . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������09
Cloud vs. On-Premises . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������10

Data Collection and Standardization Capabilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������10

Subscription vs. Perpetual Licensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������11

Reporting and Usability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������11

Extensibility and Scalability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������11

The MachineMetrics Advantage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������12

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 2

INTRODUCTION
WITH INCREASING MARKET
COMPETITION, MANUFACTURERS NEED
A SOURCE OF DATA THEY CAN RELY ON
TO MAKE BETTER, FASTER DECISIONS.
Today’s factories are highly inefficient for two specific reasons:

→ 1. SKILLED WORKER SHORTAGES

→ 2. OUTDATED BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

These issues are resulting in the ineffective use of labor and equipment,
often without the manufacturer's knowledge. In fact, average machine
utilization rates across the discrete manufacturing industry stand at
just 28%.

Compounding these challenges is manufacturers’ inability to access

actionable production data. Without an accurate gauge of shop floor
performance, how can leaders ensure their employees are focused on
the highest value-added tasks, or that equipment is running smoothly?

Manual data collection strategies that force operators and managers

to manually compile and analyze data result in just the opposite.
These time-consuming efforts take focus away from continuous
improvement initiatives and create a reliance on outdated, inaccurate
data that leads to flawed decision-making.

The right machine monitoring solution solves this problem by

automating previously manual processes and providing leadership
with immediately actionable data to drive effective decision making.

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 3

CH A P T ER #1

THE NEED FOR A

MACHINE-DRIVEN
STRATEGY
WHAT DO WHITEBOARDS, PAPER
DOCUMENTS, EXCEL REPORTS, AND
DATA ENTRY ALL HAVE IN COMMON?
They are all common components used in a People-Driven Strategy, in KEY CONCEPTS DEFINED:

which people are required to relay information back and forth between
People-Driven Strategy
business systems and machines on the shop floor.
A manufacturing management
strategy that relies on people
This approach, which the majority of manufacturers still use to to input data into management
manage their operations, requires operators and managers to pains- systems. This data, which is
prone to inaccuracy and time
takingly collect and input production data such as part counts, cycle
delay, is then used by the people
times, downtime reports, and maintenance requests into one or more and the system to carry out
systems before any action can be taken. decision-making.

The manually collected data, as inaccurate, biased, and delayed as Machine-Driven Strategy:
A manufacturing manage-
it may be, typically ends up in the manufacturer’s management sys- ment strategy that relies on
tem, such as an MES or ERP, where it is then used to direct production autonomous machine data
processes and inform planning, scheduling, and quoting. collection to inform people and
management systems. This
strategy ensures that decisions
To put this into perspective, this approach relies on valuable and and automations are based on
scarce skilled workers to waste time on the low-value task of collect- accurate, real-time production
ing production data. To add insult to injury, this bad data then be- data.

comes the foundational information driving the management system.

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 4

CH A P T ER #1
A People-Driven strategy is so commonplace that
we forget just how backward it really is.
With machine monitoring, manufacturers can flip
the script and begin using a “Machine-Driven Strategy.”
This effectively eliminates the bottleneck of relying
on people for machine data collection and ensures
that management systems can rely on accurate
production data directly from machines.
PEOPLE-DRIVEN STRATEGY
PEOPLE SYSTEMS
MACHINES
2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S
People can then leverage the insights provided by
the machine data to adapt processes and engage in
better, faster decision-making. This also opens the
door to enabling automation across other low-value
activities.
Monolithic manufacturing systems and the skilled
labor shortage are stifling manufacturing innovation.
It’s time to enable the automated capture, transfor-
mation, and contextualization of production data
with a machine monitoring platform.
MACHINE-DRIVEN STRATEGY
MACHINES
SYSTEMS PEOPLE
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CHAPTER #2

HOW MACHINE
MONITORING WORKS
TODAY’S MACHINE MONITORING
SYSTEMS ARE HIGHLY SCALABLE,
SIMPLE TO DEPLOY, AND OFTEN
PLUG-AND-PLAY IN NATURE.
Let’s explore how MachineMetrics collects and transforms data
into actionable insights to drive rapid and continuous value.

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 6

CHAPTER #2
CONNECTING EQUIPMENT
Machine monitoring begins with the capture,
transformation, and contextualization of machine
data at the edge. MachineMetrics supports various
PLC protocols to enable connectivity across any
type of equipment on the shop floor. For simple
assets, or those without a standard connectivity
method, sensors can also be used.
Standard Protocols supported include:
• OPC-UA
• MTConnect
• Modbus TCP
• Ethernet/IP
Custom Machine Control Connectors built include:
• FANUC FOCAS
• Heidenhain iTNC530 and iTNC640
• Citizen M700
• Mitsubishi M70/M80
• Brother Speedio
• HAAS Serial
• Matsuura CNC
REAL-TIME DECISION MAKING
AT THE EDGE
At the edge, machine monitoring propagates real-time
data to make instantaneous decisions without the
bandwidth costs that come with sending that data
to the cloud. In this way, automation can be enabled
with real-time production data, allowing manufacturers
2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S
to avoid critical failures and increase equipment
uptime.
The edge offers a number of benefits to manufac-
turers but remains only one piece of a complete
infrastructure. MachineMetrics incorporates both
edge and cloud as part of a hybrid structure. This
structure provides real-time decision-making, while
also offering a data platform that can enable deep
analysis and fuel applications that deliver value
across a variety of use cases.
DATA PLATFORM, FEATURES, AND
CONTINUOUS VALUE CREATION
Once data is secured and encrypted, it is sent to a
database or data platform (either on-premise or in
the cloud). For discrete manufacturing equipment
monitoring, the solution needs to be designed for
machine data, and the high volume of machine condi-
tion and sensor data associated with machine tools.
MachineMetrics also supports operational data.
Operational data is information concerning the
operation of the machine, such as the machine’s
activity (in production, setup, maintenance), the part
number being manufactured, the operator respon-
sible for the machine, and quality data. Layering
operational data on top of machine condition data
unlocks the opportunity to drive vertical, rapid
value-driving use cases.
Once all data is centralized in the data platform,
it can then be leveraged in a number of ways for
various data consumers. The first way is through
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CHAPTER #2

automated data triggers based on machine conditions QUANTITATIVE BENEFITS

and activities. For example, a machine condition can
With limitless use cases for leveraging machine data,
be configured to send a notification to an operator
here are a few of the top benefits manufacturers
when a machine’s override exceeds 100 for 2 minutes.
experience when deploying a machine monitoring
Users can also take advantage of a robust ecosystem solution.
of pre-built features that come out of the box in plat-
forms like MachineMetrics and can be immediately
visualized for quick decision-making by individuals.
More standard features include real-time dashboards,
INCREASED OEE INCREASED UTILIZATION
job/quality performance reporting, and bottleneck
analytics to give workers the insights needed to
make proactive decisions.

Some systems, such as MachineMetrics, may also

include operator features where operators can add REDUCED SCRAP REDUCED CAPITAL
INVESTMENT IN MACHINES
input to enhance the value of the data and commu-
nicate with their teammates in real-time. These use
cases may include categorizing downtime, tracking
setups as they occur, rejecting off-quality pieces,
and annotating tool changes.
AVOIDABLE REDUCED DOWNTIME
MACHINE REPAIRS
Of course, if your monitoring platform is cloud-based,
the data, reports, visualizations, etc. can be accessed
anywhere, anytime as long as an individual has
access to an internet-enabled device.
IMPROVE OPERATOR INCREASED PLANT OUTPUT
The value of an interoperable system like Machine- PERFORMANCE

Metrics is that the machine data can be extended

to support use cases across the enterprise. This
accurate production data can optimize processes
across maintenance, quality, scheduling, finance, HR,
and more. In this regard, machine monitoring can go
far beyond the simple monitoring of utilization and
downtime.

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 8

CHAPTER #3

HOW TO SELECT
THE RIGHT SOLUTION
AVOID PILOT PURGATORY BY SELECTING A SOLUTION
PURPOSE-BUILT FOR DISCRETE MANUFACTURING.
Discrete manufacturers encounter unique challenges volume of information. This problem is magnified
when selecting a solution to monitor equipment as there are also challenges in collecting a variety
and operations. Most of these challenges have to of data types and distributing the data across other
do with the data needed from their operations in systems, from ERP and MES, to CMMS and QMS.
order to effectively inform management systems
and people. Not only are discrete manufacturers With this in mind, let’s review some of the factors to
working with a large variety of data, but also a high consider when selecting the right solution.

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 9

CHAPTER #3
CLOUD VS. ON-PREMISES
There are a few reasons why you will want to select
a cloud-based solution when evaluating vendors:
Cost:
Although many assume that on-premise solutions
are less costly, it’s not unusual for these systems
to take up as much as 75% of an IT budget when
the total cost of ownership is considered. From
maintenance, upgrades, servers, and in-house
implementations, on-premise solutions can quickly
become expensive.
Flexibility:
Cloud-based solutions offer the benefit of enabling
users to leverage as much, or as little, of the solution
as required. As their company grows, their use of
the solution can easily scale up to meet demand.
Technical Skills:
With the volume and complexity of data generated
from machine monitoring, an on-premise solution will
require a specially trained staff to ensure machine
data is properly collected and standardized, securely
stored, backups and updates are completed regu-
larly, and the data is accessible. All of this can be
achieved with a cloud-based solution, reducing the
need for an in-house IT infrastructure.
MachineMetrics is one of an elite group of technology
providers to achieve AWS Industrial Software
Competency. What does that mean? It means you
can rest assured we've aligned with AWS architec-
tural best practices for building the most secure,
high-performing, resilient, and efficient cloud
2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S
infrastructure for industry applications. By under-
going and passing a rigorous technical validation
related to industry-specific technology, our cus-
tomers can have complete confidence in choosing
MachineMetrics.
DATA COLLECTION AND
STANDARDIZATION CAPABILITIES
There are hundreds of different OEM machine
builders with no consistent standard of connectivity.
Connectivity solutions must be flexible in their
ability to connect to a variety of equipment makes,
models, and industrial protocols. There should also
be the ability to connect sensors to ensure legacy
assets and additional data points can be captured
from equipment and environmental conditions.
The platform chosen must allow for the ability to
not only connect to this wide range of assets but
also standardize the data into a common model.
Doing so allows for real-time, automated machine
data collection that eliminates the need for manually
collecting or standardizing data. With a common data
structure, the data becomes actionable immediately.
It can be used to propagate out-of-the-box and
custom reports and visualizations, as well as drive
applications, workflows, and other systems across
the enterprise.
MachineMetrics can connect to any type of machine,
and work with any communication protocol and
control system. As a leader in machine connectivity,
MachineMetrics also enables the standardization
of data into a common model. This eliminates the
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CHAPTER #3
need for manual data tag mapping to ensure data is
collected, contextualized, and standardized autono-
mously.
SUBSCRIPTION VS. PERPETUAL LICENSING
Perpetual licensing means that buyers pay once
and can use the software indefinitely. This is one of
the lures of on-premises systems. But the hidden
dilemma of perpetual licensing is that upgrades
and new features are often skipped or unknown to
users as they become available. It also means that
companies may be more likely to forego expensive
upgrades due to cost, limiting the flexibility and
growth of the system over time.
Subscription-based SaaS machine monitoring
models, like that offered by MachineMetrics, are
highly flexible and allow customers to determine
the number of machines they want to be monitored
as part of that subscription cost. This allows small
and medium-sized manufacturers to start with a
smaller footprint, capture their most critical data,
and then add to the system as its business value
becomes apparent.
The MachineMetrics team is here to support you
with upgrades, excellent customer service, extensive
training, and many of the other notable components of
perpetual solutions. No expensive upfront investment
necessary. And, our team has to win your business
back every year, so we have a vested interest to ensure
your continued success.
2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S
REPORTING AND USABILITY
The right machine monitoring system will be easy
and understandable to everyone who uses it. Not
everyone on the shop floor is tech-savvy, and the
system must be accessed by operators, managers,
and other stakeholders no matter the depth of their
technical skills.
MachineMetrics was built as an easy-to-use solu-
tion that provides value out of the box. Through
intuitive touch screens, operators can monitor their
equipment, respond to notifications, take action as
needed, and act as first-level quality inspectors. This
value continues through reporting that managers can
use to fully understand what is happening at any
level of observation throughout the shop.
There are also default reports available in Machine-
Metrics to ensure a complete picture of production
performance, with the ability to create customized
dashboards and reports that track your most im-
portant metrics.
EXTENSIBILITY AND SCALABILITY
Just as each company’s situation is unique, the
number of use cases for their data is almost limit-
less. Platform selection should include a system
that allows API connectivity to utilize 3rd party
apps. This extends the platform and customizes the
value and experience to meet each buyer’s needs.
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CHAPTER #3

MachineMetrics was built to drive value quickly THE MACHINEMETRICS ADVANTAGE

while ensuring that discrete manufacturers have a
MachineMetrics offers a best-in-class machine
foundation for continuous improvement built upon
monitoring system that allows manufacturers to realize
accurate production data.
significant productivity gains; average customers
see a 20% increase in machine utilization within
As third-party applications can play a critical part in
their first month. With the plug-and-play nature of
adding value, MachineMetrics has the ability to con-
the MachineMetrics platform, manufacturers can
nect to other apps and systems, either with native
quickly gain control of their data to vastly improve
integrations or via API. This ensures machine data
equipment utilization, unlock hidden capacity, and
can be used in ERP, MES, MRP, CMMS, BI, QMS, and
deliver greater value to their customers.
other critical systems.

MachineMetrics is the industry’s most flexible and

By including the ability to connect via API to these
deployable system available. Find out how Machine-
other functional areas, a machine monitoring platform
Metrics can leverage your data for more efficient
can be customized to be vertically integrated across
operation, contact our team today or book a demo.
the enterprise using the same standardized data.
This significantly boosts the core functions of these
management systems.

Out-of-the-box support for a wide variety of industrial systems,

DEVICE CONNECTIVITY devices, protocols, and controllers.

Automated capture and transformation, of machine data into standard

DATA MANAGEMENT structures to enable consumable machine data and insights instantly.

Platform is quickly and easily deployed and configured, Easily extensible

FLEXIBILITY & EASE OF USE and integratable into any other cloud, big data, or enterprise applications.

System enables rapid deployment across multiple factories, ability to

SCALABILITY easily add machines, automatically adapts and expands with customer needs.

Updates, data storage, code-base management, device management,

SUSTAINABILITY product maintenance, internal resources required.

Platform provides a secure, scalable infrastructure for your manufacturing

SECURITY data, including regular security updates and easy-to-use tools to manage data.

How quickly does the initial investment pay for itself?

TIME TO VALUE What continuous value can be created through the platform?

Includes initial implementation costs, ongoing maintenance,

COST data storage, hardware, customer support.

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 12

 THE INDUSTRY’S LEADING
CONNECTIVITY PLATFORM FOR
MANUFACTURING EQUIPMENT
MachineMetrics is the leading machine connectivity platform for manufacturing.
Easily connect to manufacturing equipment, capture real-time data, and
automate insights to frontline workers and factory systems to quickly identify
and address areas of operational improvement on the shop floor. Today,
hundreds of manufacturers around the globe have connected thousands of
machines to MachineMetrics to monitor productivity, identify bottlenecks,
predict machine failures, and automate workflows around the operation of
manufacturing equipment.

BOOK A DEMO

CONTAC T US
413-341-5747
info@machinemetrics.com
machinemetrics.com

2022 BU Y ER’S GUIDE M ACHINE MONI TORING FOR M A NUFAC T URER S 13