Why Plants Still Run on Spreadsheets, and Which Ones to Replace First
Why factory spreadsheets survive, a one-week inventory to find the ones that matter, which to replace first, and how to retire each one safely.
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Knowledge base
Practical articles for plant teams
Articles on measuring OEE, running maintenance, closing quality issues and using data on the shop floor. Written by the DBR77 team.
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25 articles
Why Plants Still Run on Spreadsheets, and Which Ones to Replace First
Why factory spreadsheets survive, a one-week inventory to find the ones that matter, which to replace first, and how to retire each one safely.
- MES Production
- Tasks
- KPI / Analytics
How to Build GRI and CDP Emissions Reporting From Your Plant's Own Data
What GRI 305 and CDP ask a plant for, where each number comes from, four steps to keep it ready, and what IRIS ESG covers. No SASB, TCFD or CSRD support.
- ESG
- IoT
- MES Production
How to Get an Engineering Change From Approval to the Shop Floor
One change record with approvers and an effective date, a checklist of routings, instructions and station setup to update, and a check that it reached the line.
- Engineering
- MES Production
- MRP
How to Calculate LTIF and TRIR From Real Plant Data
LTIF and TRIR formulas with their sources, why hours must come from attendance, how to classify every event, and which leading indicators to report.
- HSE
- People
- KPI / Analytics
How to Review and Scale IRIS After the First 90 Days
A 90-day review of IRIS in six areas, a clear scale, fix or stop decision, and a template for copying a working setup to more lines and plants.
- KPI / Analytics
- Tasks
- Data & AI
How to Keep Audit-Ready Records of Factory Decisions, Including AI
Who decided, when, on what data and why. The fields every decision record needs, extra rules for AI-assisted decisions, and a 15-minute audit test.
- QMS
- CMMS
- Data & AI
How to Keep Accountability Clear Across Shifts, With AI in the Loop
One owner per task, ownership that moves only on acceptance, and escalation by role and clock time. Handover rules that hold, including for AI suggestions.
- MES Production
- Tasks
- GEMBA
How to Roll Out IRIS Module by Module Without Disrupting the Plant
Roll out IRIS in waves: one pilot line, one or two modules, a parallel run and written go criteria. A module order and success measures that keep lines running.
- MES Production
- KPI / Analytics
- Tasks
Why Factory AI Fails Without Connected Operational Data
Most factory AI pilots stall on data, not models. The five kinds of operational data AI needs, why the flow matters, and a readiness test for one line.
- Data & AI
- Data Bridge
- IoT
When AI Should Recommend and When People Should Decide
Three levels of AI in plant operations (observe, advise, act), five questions that set the level for each decision, and how to write approval rules that hold.
- Data & AI
- Tasks
What AI Can Really Do in Factory Operations Today
Six uses of AI that work in plants today, what each one needs, where AI is still weak, and how to pick a first use case without the autonomous factory hype.
- Data & AI
- IoT
- QMS
How to Build a Business Case for a Plant Operating System
Build a plant operating system business case from your own baseline: measure the losses, value them, count the full cost and set a break-even a pilot can prove.
- KPI / Analytics
- MES Production
How to Evaluate a Plant Operating System: A Buyer's Checklist
Compare plant operating systems on your own scenarios, not feature lists: eight criteria, demo questions and a scoring method for COOs, IT and purchasing.
- MES Production
- KPI / Analytics
- Data & AI
How to Unify MES, WMS, QMS and CMMS Without Replacing Everything
Unify MES, WMS, QMS and CMMS without a big-bang project: shared master data first, then key events, and replace a system only when it blocks the flow.
- MES Production
- WMS
- QMS
Production Planning vs Reality: Why APS Plans Fail
Most APS plans fail on old assumptions about cycle times, machines, material and crews. The live data that keeps a plan valid, and when to replan or hold.
- APS
- MRP
- MES Production
Warehouse and Intralogistics Optimization With Real-Time Data
Lines wait for material when the warehouse sees production too late. The real-time signals your WMS needs, how to set up pull replenishment, what to measure.
- WMS
- MRP
- Procurement
How to Link Quality Issues to Production and Maintenance
Link every defect to its order, machine, shift, material lot and last work order, set rules for when quality calls in maintenance, and verify each fix.
- QMS
- MES Production
- CMMS
How to Manage Maintenance With Data: A CMMS That Works on the Floor
Run maintenance on data: one asset list, work orders ranked by criticality and production impact, inspections triggered by usage and condition, clear KPIs.
- CMMS
- IoT
OEE Is Not Enough: What to Measure Instead of OEE Alone
OEE can rise while delivery slips and stock grows. Five reasons why, the measures to put next to OEE, and how to build a short plant scorecard that holds up.
- KPI / Analytics
- MES Production
- QMS
How to Build a Real-Time KPI System for Your Factory
Give every factory KPI one definition, one data source, one owner and one view. A four-step method based on ISO 22400, with an OEE definition card example.
- KPI / Analytics
- Reporting
- MES Production
From Signal to Task to Closure: How the Execution Loop Works
How a shop floor signal becomes a task with one owner, a deadline and a verified result. The seven steps of the execution loop and how to measure it.
- Tasks
- GEMBA
- Communicator
The Real Cost of Siloed Systems and Spreadsheets in a Plant
Siloed tools and spreadsheets cost a plant in retyping, reconciling, late signals and quality escapes. Where the cost hides and how to measure it in two weeks.
- MES Production
- WMS
- KPI / Analytics
Plant Operating System vs MES vs ERP: Who Does What in a Plant
ERP plans the business, MES runs production orders, a plant operating system runs all plant work on one record. Who does what, and where MES stops.
- MES Production
- CMMS
- QMS
Why Dashboards Don't Fix Factories, and What Does
A dashboard shows a problem but gives it no owner, deadline or check. The five gaps between the screen and the shop floor, and how to close them.
- KPI / Analytics
- Tasks
- GEMBA
What Is a Plant Operating System? A Plain Definition for Plant Leaders
A plant operating system runs production, maintenance, quality and warehouse work on one data model and turns signals into owned tasks. Here is how.
- MES Production
- Tasks
- KPI / Analytics
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