The bottom line: Most manufacturing platforms report on machines. ProAlert's Workforce Operations module adds the human side of production: who was on the line, what did they cost per unit produced, and how does that compare to last shift, last week, and last quarter. It's the data you need to answer a plant manager's most common question: "Are we staffing this right?"

Why Headcount Is Missing from Your OEE Story

OEE tells you machine efficiency, not labor efficiency.

A cell running at 94% OEE with 4 operators looks identical in OEE data to the same cell running at 94% with 2 operators. One costs twice as much per unit. OEE alone can't surface overstaffed or understaffed conditions... only labor data combined with production output can.
Labor cost per unit requires data from two systems that don't talk.

Production counts live in the OEE system. Labor hours and rates live in HR (Human Resources) or time-and-attendance. Calculating labor cost per unit requires a manual export, a VLOOKUP, and an analyst... which means it typically happens once a month, after the window to act has closed.
Shared tablets mean no individual accountability for production actions.

When one tablet serves an entire cell with four rotating operators, every action looks like it came from "the cell." Shift start, product selection, DT call initiation, and scrap entry are all attributed to a shared credential instead of a specific operator. Accountability requires individual identity at the point of interaction.
Multilingual workforces need language support at the kiosk level.

A plant floor with Spanish-speaking operators on 2nd shift, Portuguese speakers on 3rd, and English-speaking supervisors on days can't operate effectively with an English-only kiosk interface. Language preference needs to follow the operator, not the device.

Crew Check-In and Labor Dashboards

Crew Check-In

Operators check in to shifts and assets at the start of each production period. Check-in creates the crew record that ties individual identity to the asset and shift... enabling all subsequent actions (DT calls, scrap entries, product selections) to be attributed to a specific operator rather than a shared station credential.

Labor Cost Dashboards

Labor cost per unit and per shift are calculated from check-in data combined with each operator's configured hourly rate and the production cycle counts from the OEE engine. Supervisors see cost-per-unit alongside OEE data in the same dashboard... no export, no spreadsheet, no delay.

Productivity Dashboards

Output-per-person metrics appear alongside OEE data for holistic shift review. Supervisors can compare productivity across shifts, across lines, and over time... identifying whether a productivity difference is driven by machine performance (OEE) or staffing level (workforce).

Four-Language Support

Full workforce interface in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Language preference is set per user account and follows the operator when they check in... so Spanish-speaking operators see their kiosk and notifications in Spanish regardless of which physical device they're checking in on.

Kiosk Mode

Kiosk Mode turns any Android or iOS tablet into a dedicated operator station with a focused UI. Operators interact with a locked-down interface that shows only the functions relevant to their role... without requiring them to log in as a named user for every interaction.

Standard Shared Tablet (No Kiosk)

All operators use the same login — no individual attribution
Full app navigation available — operators can accidentally access settings or other assets
No language switching when operator changes
Session timeouts frustrate operators mid-shift
Device must be reconfigured if asset assignment changes

ProAlert Kiosk Mode

Operator checks in at kiosk start... all actions attributed to their identity
Locked to focused UI: shift start, run control, DT call, scrap entry only
Language switches to operator's preference on check-in
No session timeouts... kiosk stays active at the station throughout the shift
Asset and shift configuration pushed from admin UI, no on-device setup

Kiosk Provisioning: Kiosk stations are provisioned from the ProAlert admin UI with asset assignment, shift configuration, and role definition. The Kiosk Provisioning API allows automated configuration of large deployments from a central management system. Configuration updates push to the device over the network without requiring physical access.

Workforce-Specific Roles

Workforce Operations introduces two dedicated roles that provide appropriate access to crew and labor data without full administrator permissions.

Role	Access Scope	Typical User
ProductionManager	Crew check-in oversight, labor cost dashboards, productivity reports, shift scheduling. Read access to OEE data for all assigned assets. Cannot access CMMS work orders or system configuration.	Production supervisors and cell leads who need labor and output visibility without maintenance system access
MaintenanceManager	Work order management and approval, crew overview for maintenance staff, labor hour reporting for maintenance activities. Cannot access production labor cost or workforce productivity dashboards.	Maintenance supervisors who oversee technician assignments and work order throughput

See labor cost per unit next to OEE data in a live demo.

Book a 30-minute demo... we'll walk through crew check-in, kiosk provisioning, and the labor cost dashboard alongside a live production shift.

Schedule a Demo