Summary
When a shift scheduled in ArchFX Cloud ends:
- if a job is running or a downtime is in progress on the line or machine and there is another shift that immediately follows, ArchFX React will automatically start the next shift for that line or machine without operator action.
- if a job is running on the line or machine and there is NOT another shift that immediately follows, ArchFX React will automatically create an "unscheduled shift" to track the extra activity.
- if the line or machine is idle, the shift will automatically end, but the next shift will not be started automatically because ArchFX React has no way of knowing whether the factory intends to staff the line or machine during the next shift.
ArchFX Cloud schedule
Every site has a daily schedule defined in ArchFX Cloud. That schedule defines when the factory's "day" beings (relative to midnight local time) and one or more factory shifts that take place during the logical "day."
In this example, the site's "day" begins at 7 a.m. local time and runs until 7 a.m. the next morning. There are three shifts defined during each day for the six days from Monday through Saturday:
Talk to your Arch Application Engineer if you would like your site's schedule changed.
User activity tells React a shift is staffed
Factories don't staff every line or machine on every shift. For example, sometimes there is insufficient demand for a product and management chooses not to staff a particular line or machine for a particular shift. ArchFX React uses user activity on a line or machine to deduce that the line or machine is staffed during that shift. A user clicking "Start Shift" or "Start Job" or labeling downtime events with reasons are examples of user activity that tell ArchFX React that a line or machine is staffed during a particular shift. So typically, operators and supervisors will come in for the first shift of a new week, Start Shift in React, Create Job (if a new job is needed), and then Start Job to get work started.
Time tracking begins by default from the start of any scheduled shift
Often, there is no production on a line or machine at the start of a shift because operators and supervisors are meeting for announcements or to plan the shift's work. That's OK. As soon as React knows that a shift is staffed, by default, React begins tracking time retroactively from the beginning of that shift. If there was no activity at the beginning of the shift, the shift will be marked idle until activity such as Start Job or product completion events is detected.
If React has marked time as idle but there was actually a downtime in progress, you can click on the idle period (in yellow) on the Downtime tab and use the "Convert to Downtime" dialog to change the idle time to downtime, marking it with the appropriate reason:
Automatic shift change when job is running or downtime is in progress
When a shift scheduled in ArchFX Cloud ends, if a job is running or a downtime is in progress on the line or machine and there is another shift that immediately follows, ArchFX React will automatically start the shift for that line or machine without operator action. Leaving a job running at the end of a shift implies that the factory intends to staff the following shift to handle the in-progress job. Leaving a downtime event in progress at the end of a shift implies that the factory is actively working to resolve the downtime and intends to resume production when the downtime is resolved. (If the factory has decided not to staff the next shift, staff can Pause Job, putting the line in the idle state.)
Therefore, at the above site that runs six days per week, 24 hours per day, if a job is running or there is an in-progress downtime at every shift change, the shifts will automatically change every time and the in-progress job or downtime will continue without the need for any user action until the last scheduled shift of the week ends, at which point ArchFX React will automatically Stop Shift.
Automatic unscheduled shift creation for handling production outside of scheduled shifts
When a shift scheduled in ArchFX Cloud ends, if a job is running on the line or machine and there is no shift that immediately follows, ArchFX React will automatically create an extra "unscheduled shift" for that line or machine without operator action to track the overtime activity. When the operator finishes their overtime work, they can click Stop Shift to end the "unscheduled shift."
This unscheduled shift will be counted in the planned production time because the line is being used, so clearly it is intended to be running.
Automatic stop shift when line or machine is idle at end of shift
If the line or machine is idle when a shift scheduled in ArchFX Cloud ends, the shift will automatically end but the next shift will not be started automatically because ArchFX React has no way of knowing whether the factory intends to staff the line or machine during the next shift. There may be no demand for that line or machine's product, and the factory may have decided not to staff the line or machine during the subsequent shift.
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