Operator Dashboard Wireframe & Alert Rules

Purpose

This specification defines a simple, action-focused operator dashboard wireframe and a companion alert-rule set designed to give operators the information they need to act quickly while minimizing unnecessary interruptions and alarm fatigue.

Design Principles

• Action-first: show what an operator can do now, not every possible datapoint.
• Clarity over completeness: surface only essential KPIs and the top-3 active alerts.
• Minimize noise: suppress, group, and prioritize alerts so operators see only what matters.
• Accessible & local: high-contrast visuals, touch-friendly controls, and no dependence on color alone for meaning.
• Traceable: every alert should include required metadata so follow-up and analytics are possible.

Wireframe — Core Regions

1. Header / Job Line

   Machine/Cell name, current job/order number, part number, quantity required vs completed, current shift and operator name. Include a clear progress bar (percent complete) and estimated time to completion.

2. Essential KPIs (prominent, at-a-glance)
   • OEE (short-term window, e.g., last 60 min)
   • Current cycle time vs target
   • Throughput / parts per hour
   • First-pass yield / scrap rate (recent batch)
   • Machine state (RUN / IDLE / STOPPED / MAINT)
3. Top-3 Alerts

   Only the highest-priority alerts should occupy this area. Each alert card contains: severity badge, concise title, time since triggered, one-line suggested immediate action, and action buttons (Acknowledge, Contain, Escalate).

4. Simple Root-cause Hints

   For each active alert show 1–2 actionable hints (e.g., “Check feed sensor alignment” or “Verify tooling clamp torque”). Keep language prescriptive and short.

5. Action Buttons

   Contextual buttons: Acknowledge, Contain (apply local fix), Pause Job, Call Maintenance, Log RCA. Buttons should trigger small modals or forms that capture minimal required info (see Alert fields below).

6. Secondary Panel

   Historical trend sparkline for key KPI, operator notes, and quick links to SOPs / troubleshooting guides for the current job.

Layout & Visual Rules

• Use a single-column central panel for KPIs and alerts; secondary info can be collapsed or on a right-side panel.
• Limit dashboard density: avoid more than 6 prominent elements on the main screen.
• Color: reserve red for critical, amber for warning, green for normal. Use icons and text labels in addition to color.
• Font sizes: KPIs large enough to read from 3–6 feet depending on shop layout. Action buttons must have minimum touch targets suitable for gloves.
• Sound & vibration: audible or haptic signals only for critical alerts; other severities should be visual-only by default.

Recommended Data Refresh Rates

• Machine state and critical alarms: 2–5 seconds (near real-time).
• KPI aggregates (OEE, throughput): 15–60 seconds.
• Trend updates: 30–60 seconds.

Alert Rules — Overview

Alerts are governed by severity tiers, required metadata, suppression/debounce windows, grouping logic, and recommended operator responses. Design rules to avoid repeated transient notifications and to make escalation meaningful.

Severity Tiers (suggested)

Required Alert Fields (every alert payload must include)

• alertId (unique)
• timestamp
• source (machineId / cellId)
• severity
• alertCode or name
• briefDescription
• suggestedImmediateAction (1–2 lines)
• context (current job/order, partNumber, batchId)
• reproducibilityHint (if available)

Suppression & Debounce Rules

• Debounce short transient signals: require condition to persist for X seconds before first alert. Suggested default: 10–30s for warnings, 2–5s for critical machine stops.
• Suppress repeat alerts for the same alertId: do not re-alert within the suppression window once acknowledged. Suggested suppression windows: Informational 60s, Warning 5 min, Critical until acknowledged or cleared.
• Group related alerts into a single composite alert when they originate from the same root cause (e.g., power failure causing multiple machines to stop).

Escalation & SLA

• Define escalation SLA per severity (e.g., Critical escalate to maintenance within 5 minutes if not acknowledged; Warning escalate to supervisor within 30 min if unresolved).
• Escalation actions should create an audit trail (who acknowledged, when, what actions were taken).

Operator Response Templates

When an operator taps an action button, open a minimal modal that captures:

1. Action taken (select: Acknowledge, Contain, Pause, Escalate)
2. Short note (required for Critical; optional for Warning)
3. Time to resolution (filled later by maintenance or auto-updated)

Examples

Sample alert card text:

Critical: Machine 12 stopped — Error E23 (Hydraulic pressure low). Suggested immediate action: Verify hydraulic reservoir level and call maintenance. Acknowledge to notify team.

Integration-ready Alert Payload (example)

{
  "alertId": "A-20260811-0001",
  "timestamp": "2026-08-11T09:23:17Z",
  "source": "machine-12",
  "severity": "critical",
  "alertCode": "E23",
  "briefDescription": "Hydraulic pressure below threshold",
  "suggestedImmediateAction": "Stop feed, check reservoir level, call maintenance",
  "context": {"jobId": "JOB-4521", "part": "PN-1234", "batchId": "B-998"},
  "reproducibilityHint": "Occurs after warm-up"
}

How this reduces alarm fatigue

• Show only top-3 alerts and aggregate related notifications to avoid list overload.
• Debounce transient signals before presenting them.
• Require contextual suggested actions so operators can act quickly without opening manuals.
• Use suppression windows and acknowledgment requirements to prevent repeated alerts from the same root cause.

Accessibility & Safety Notes

• Do not rely on color alone—use icons and text labels for severity.
• Ensure minimum button sizes for gloved use and clear spacing to prevent accidental taps.
• For safety-critical alerts, require a brief operator acknowledgement and an automatic pager/escalation if not acknowledged in the SLA window.

Operational Guidance for Deployment

1. Begin with a single line or cell pilot. Tune debounce and suppression windows there before roll-out.
2. Collect operator feedback weekly during the first month to adjust message language, hint usefulness, and thresholds.
3. Instrument analytics that capture alert frequency, acknowledgment times, and false-positive rates so rules can be tightened over time.

Appendix — Quick Checklist for Implementers

• Define machine and job context mappings so alerts carry job-specific context.
• Configure severity-to-action mappings and SLA rules.
• Provide links to SOPs and troubleshooting guides for each common alert code.
• Expose minimal operator response form fields and persist responses for audit and learning.