Paperless Shop Floor: How a Glass Packaging Manufacturer Got Operators to Use Digital Reporting
A paperless shop floor only delivers value when operators actually use the digital tools on the line. A leading glass packaging manufacturer learned this after replacing paper-based production reporting with a system integrated with its MES and ERP. Adoption stayed low until a UX audit showed that the touchscreen interface was hard to operate in protective gloves. Simpler navigation and larger controls on tablets turned the project around.
Below we walk through the case step by step and share three lessons for manufacturers planning to digitalise shop floor reporting. The project is part of our wider digital manufacturing work, where reliable, real-time production data helps plant leaders see where losses occur and decide which improvements to make first.
| Case at a glance | Details |
|---|---|
| Industry | Glass packaging manufacturing |
| Problem | Outdated, paper-based reporting in production, maintenance, technical parameter monitoring and Kaizen management |
| Solution | A checklist and maintenance management system integrated with ERP and MES, with operational reports, dashboards and shop floor data visualisation |
| Barrier | Low operator adoption: touchscreens were difficult to use in protective gloves |
| Fix | UX audit, simplified navigation and enlarged buttons and selection fields for tablets |
| Result | Significantly higher adoption, gradual elimination of paper documentation and more accurate production data |
What a paperless shop floor means in practice
A paperless shop floor replaces paper forms, logbooks and printed checklists with digital tools that capture production data where the work happens. Operators record shift tasks, inspections, maintenance activities and process parameters on tablets or terminals. The data goes straight into a manufacturing execution system (MES) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) instead of being retyped at the end of a shift.
In a smart factory, this layer belongs to manufacturing operations management (MOM), which connects people, machines and business systems. Data entered by operators complements machine data collected through Industrial IoT connectivity. Together they give production, maintenance and continuous improvement teams one trusted source for reports, dashboards and, later, Data & AI use cases.
The challenge: paper-based production reporting in glass packaging manufacturing
The client, a leader in the glass packaging manufacturing sector, still relied on outdated, manual reporting methods. It needed an integrated production data management system to replace them. The key requirement was to automate reporting in four areas:
- production,
- maintenance,
- monitoring of technical parameters,
- management of Kaizen initiatives.
The new system was expected to transform how information flowed through the plant. Every shift would receive its own task list, and the system would support the full digitalisation of production data to improve operational efficiency.
The solution: a digital production reporting system integrated with MES and ERP
In response, a dedicated system for managing checklists and maintenance processes was designed and deployed. It was integrated with the client’s existing ERP and MES, so production data was captured in real time instead of being copied from paper.
From shop floor checklists to production dashboards
The system generated detailed operational reports. Advanced dashboards allowed teams to monitor the performance of production processes and analyse both current and historical data. Data visualisation at shop floor level was intended to improve transparency and support faster decision-making.
Why integration with MES and ERP matters
A production reporting system that sits apart from MES and ERP simply creates another data silo. Integration gives shift checklists, maintenance records and technical parameters the same context as orders, materials and equipment. That shared context makes reports trustworthy and allows the same data to support further connected operations use cases.
Why the paperless shop floor stalled: an interface operators could not use in gloves
Despite the system’s advanced features, its adoption rate among operators was significantly below expectations. Production teams were used to paper-based reports and hesitated to switch to the new platform.
A thorough analysis identified the main obstacle. The user interface lacked the ergonomics needed on the production floor, where operators wear protective gloves. The touchscreens were difficult to use in these conditions, which made the system uncomfortable and reduced operator productivity.
This pattern is common in shop floor digitalisation. Software that works well at a desk can fail on a production line, where hands are protected, time is short and the operator’s attention belongs to the process.
The fix: a UX audit and an interface designed for production floor conditions
To improve usability, the team carried out a detailed UX audit. It led to several changes that adapted the user interface to the production floor environment:
- Navigation was significantly simplified.
- Key graphical elements, such as buttons and selection fields, were enlarged.
- The interface was made easier to use on mobile devices such as tablets, even with protective gloves on.
The optimised ergonomics improved operator comfort and increased operators’ efficiency.
Results: higher adoption and more accurate production data
After the interface changes, adoption of the system on the production floor increased significantly. Operators used the digital reporting tools more often, which led to the gradual elimination of paper documentation and improved data accuracy.
Automated reporting made information flow more smoothly and gave the plant better management of its production data. It also supported process optimisation initiatives, the area the system’s Kaizen module was built for.
Three lessons for your paperless shop floor project
1. Design for real working conditions
Protective gloves, tablets and time pressure define how operators interact with software. Test the interface where it will be used, with the equipment people actually wear, before you roll it out across shifts.
2. Involve end users early and at every stage
Simply deploying a new solution did not deliver the expected results. Operators know the conditions that decide whether a tool gets used, so involve them as early as possible and keep them involved at every stage of the project.
3. Treat adoption as a success criterion
The goal of innovation is to deliver a complete experience, not just an application. Track how widely the digital tools are used on the line alongside technical go-live milestones. When adoption lags, a UX audit shows why. Operator-centred tools such as digital assisted worker solutions follow the same principle.
How digital production reporting fits into a digital manufacturing roadmap
Replacing paper is often one of the first practical steps in the digital transformation of a plant. It creates structured, time-stamped data from the people on the line, which complements machine data from sensors and controllers. Once that foundation exists, manufacturers can build on it:
- connect operator and machine data in a Unified Namespace, so every system reads from one structure,
- track availability, performance and quality with production monitoring with OEE,
- move from calendar-based servicing to predictive maintenance,
- use a digital twin to test changes to production virtually,
- extend visibility beyond the plant with supply chain digitalisation.
For a phased plan, see our step-by-step digital transformation roadmap for manufacturers and Industry 4.0 use cases with real results. Another project shows how ESAB approached shop floor data collection.
Summary: what makes a paperless shop floor work
The glass packaging project shows that a paperless shop floor depends as much on the operator experience as on integration with MES and ERP. The system provided real-time data capture, reports and dashboards from day one, yet it only started to replace paper once the interface suited gloved hands and tablets. Considering the real needs of end users is essential when deploying new technologies in industry, so involve them from the first workshop onwards.
FAQ: paperless shop floor and production reporting
A paperless shop floor is a production environment where paper forms, logbooks and printed checklists are replaced by digital tools. Operators record shift tasks, inspections, maintenance activities and process parameters on tablets or terminals. The data flows directly into systems such as MES and ERP instead of being retyped after the shift.