OEE and machine data in one platform — your production management software.
eco2lot consolidates machine, order, and energy data in one live view. You see OEE (overall equipment effectiveness), downtime, and scrap in real time — per line, shift, and batch. Connectivity runs on open standards: OPC UA, Modbus, and MQTT — including existing equipment.
- OEE in real time — availability, performance, and quality per line, shift, and batch
- Machine + energy data in one view — energy per unit as the bridge to your energy management
- Vendor-independent — connects existing equipment via OPC UA, Modbus, and MQTT
eco2lot dashboard: live OEE per line, downtime Pareto, and automated shift reports — in one interface.
What is production management?
Production management covers all strategic and operational measures companies use to plan, control, and continuously improve their production processes. The goal: deploy resources efficiently, lower costs, and secure consistently high product quality.
Production management is a central element of how a company is organized. It creates the foundation for stable and profitable manufacturing operations. With modern production data management and a software platform, processes can be optimized for the long term.
Production management is the systematic planning, control, monitoring, and optimization of production processes — with the goal of measurably improving OEE (overall equipment effectiveness), lead time, and delivery reliability.
Modern production management software such as eco2lot consolidates data from machines, sensors, MES, and ERP in one place. The result is a clear picture of your production. Bottlenecks become recognizable, relationships visible — you understand what happens on the shop floor, and also why.
Which goals does production data management pursue?
Four outcome levers production management is measured against — and that eco2lot delivers on directly.
Lower production and operating costs
A live view of unit costs per line, shift, and order — including energy and maintenance share. Hidden cost drivers become visible before they show up in the quarterly report.
Increase efficiency and productivity
Real-time OEE calculation from availability, performance, and quality. Bottlenecks become visible during the running shift, well before the morning handover meeting.
Secure quality and on-time delivery
Scrap alerts with cause context, target/actual comparison per batch, automatic escalation when tolerances are exceeded. Delivery reliability becomes measurable and plannable.
Strengthen competitiveness
Stable, predictable processes and a data foundation on which continuous improvement (CI/kaizen), lean, and TPM (total productive maintenance) work systematically.
How does production monitoring create transparency on the shop floor?
Production data management creates the data foundation for understanding production processes as a whole. Machine data, process data, and operational data are captured and evaluated centrally — production becomes precisely analyzable.
Modern production management software consolidates data from machines, sensors, and IT systems in one place. Relationships become recognizable, bottlenecks identifiable, processes assessable on a data basis. Capture is handled by machine and production data acquisition — automatic signals from the equipment plus operational bookings from the shop floor. Step by step, this builds a digital factory: machine, material, and operator data become usable in real time — the core of effective shop floor management.
- Transparency across production processes, utilization, and disruptions — in real time, well before the end of the shift.
- Relationships, bottlenecks, and inefficient workflows become visible on a data basis.
- Well-founded decisions through connected production management software instead of gut feeling.
- Sustainable optimization of productivity, quality, and costs — measured, instead of estimated.
Companies understand what happens in production and also why — and can intervene precisely where it counts.
How does production management help with planning, control, and optimization?
Focused production management helps you plan capacity efficiently, reduce costs, and make well-founded decisions. Four task blocks that eco2lot unites in one platform.
Production planning
Setting production quantities and deadlines, capacity planning for machines and staff, planning material and resource deployment — based on reliable historical data.
Production control
Sequence planning, control of orders, lines, and machines, plus ongoing response to disruptions, bottlenecks, and deviations — during the shift, right when it matters.
Production monitoring
Real-time capture of production data and monitoring of the central KPIs: lead time, utilization, downtime, scrap, and OEE.
Production optimization
Reduction of downtime and setup times, improvement of throughput, quality, and delivery reliability, anchored in continuous improvement (CI/kaizen), lean, and TPM.
Why do you need production management?
Production costs, complexity, and competitive pressure keep rising. With transparent processes, machine data, and order data you unlock optimization potential that would otherwise stay hidden.
Rising costs and growing competitive pressure
Energy, material, and labor costs are among the biggest cost factors in production. With consistent production management you keep unit costs low, because downtime, scrap, and inefficient processes become visible and precisely addressable.
Efficiency as a requirement — instead of an option
Margins get smaller, delivery times shorter, and quality requirements higher. Production management makes it possible to improve productivity, quality, and delivery reliability at the same time — through transparent production data and effective capacity planning.
Clear answers instead of open questions
With transparent production data management it becomes clear:
- Where does downtime occur — and which causes dominate?
- Why do deadlines get tight — and on which line?
- Which machines or processes run below their optimum?
eco2lot delivers the data foundation to identify causes instead of treating symptoms — in real time, well ahead of the monthly report.
Predictability and stability
Data-driven production control delivers predictable workflows, stable processes, faster response to disruptions, and well-founded decisions instead of gut feeling. Production data management creates transparency, lowers costs, and enables efficient, data-driven control of your production.
Which advantages does eco2lot offer for efficient production management?
With eco2lot we enable data-driven real-time control of your production, reduce operational effort, and optimize your processes for the long term.
Production data is captured and translated directly into concrete actions: early identification of optimization potential, transparency across processes, downtime, and bottlenecks, measurable improvements in productivity, costs, and quality.
Internal resources are protected, risks during rollout and operation minimized: less effort for IT and production teams, reliable operation free of know-how dependencies, continuous support instead of a one-time rollout.
eco2lot grows with your company: scalability across machines, products, or sites, continuous data-based process improvement, and preparation for automation and AI control (artificial-intelligence-based plant control).
How does OEE software create transparency in your production?
OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) is the leading KPI of modern manufacturing. eco2lot calculates it in real time and makes bottlenecks visible before they become the shift result.
OEE combines availability, performance, and quality into one KPI. It shows at a glance how efficiently your equipment runs. eco2lot captures machine data continuously and presents it in a clear, understandable way. You see where time is lost — downtime, speed losses, scrap — and which actions deliver the biggest effect.
The OEE formula
Overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) is calculated as the product of three factors:
OEE = Availability × Performance × Quality
- Availability = actual run time ÷ planned production time (downtime from setup, faults, and material shortage lowers the value).
- Performance = units produced ÷ theoretically possible units at target cycle time (minor stops and speed losses count here).
- Quality = good units ÷ units produced (scrap and rework lower the value).
An OEE of 85% counts as the "world-class" mark — typical industrial plants sit at 60–75%. eco2lot shows all three factors live. You see immediately which one offers the biggest lever for your line.
The combination of OEE analysis and data-driven real-time transparency lets you optimize production processes sustainably, deploy resources more precisely, and build the foundation for effective production control.
What eco2lot delivers operationally
- OEE analysis per machine, line, shift, or product
- Downtime and loss analysis as a Pareto of the main causes
- Trend and benchmark analyses across shifts, weeks, and plants
- Live OEE dashboard on the shop floor and automated reporting for plant management
- Concrete recommendations for action, including an action plan
These customers trust us with their production management.
With eco2lot, industrial companies across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland rely on professional production data management — from mid-sized plants to international groups.
Which industries is production management software suitable for?
Companies across all industries face the challenge of making production processes efficient, stable, and profitable. With fluctuating utilization and complex workflows, transparency and precise control are decisive.
- Core industryFood & beveragesDairy, meat & poultry, confectionery, breweries — continuous lines with a tough audit rhythm
- Core industryMetal processing & automotive suppliersFoundries, hardening shops, forming, component manufacturing — downtime tracking across dense equipment
- Strong fitPackaging & cartonCorrugated board, films, extrusion and drying processes — setup-time optimization as the lever
- Strong fitChemicals & pharmaCleanrooms, HVAC, refrigeration, CIP processes — audit-proof data storage
- Good fitPlastics processingInjection molding, extrusion, blow molding — energy per unit as the KPI
- Good fitMunicipal utilities & infrastructureWater boards, wastewater plants, public utilities — process control and reporting
Typical areas of use
Production and manufacturing companies that want to reduce downtime. Process and energy-intensive industries focused on transparency. Companies with complex workflows and fluctuating utilization. Utility and infrastructure operators for process control.
With modern production management software and integrated production data management, processes can be analyzed holistically and made more efficient for the long term — process optimization becomes a continuous part of production.
Your entry into modern, data-driven production management.
From data acquisition to capacity planning — five steps toward maximum productivity and delivery reliability. Structurally aligned with our three-stage frame Measure → Optimize → Automate.
Create transparency — what, where, at what output?
A traceable definition of your product range, sites, and production output. Data acquisition is set up so that every relevant machine, line, and process builds on one unified data model — the foundation for all further steps.
Understand — causes instead of symptoms
Systematic, understandable capture of the causes: a Pareto of downtime reasons, target/actual comparison per shift, correlation between equipment parameters and quality. The data foundation delivers the answers that previously got lost in the shift log or handover meeting.
Act — implement the first levers
First implementations to make production more efficient and more profitable. Setup-time optimization, material-flow adjustments, maintenance windows — actions that show measurable impact within the first weeks and secure trust in the project.
Optimize — data-driven and systematic
Control production processes precisely, detect inefficiencies early, and reduce them sustainably with data-driven solutions. Continuous improvement cycles (CI/kaizen), lean, and TPM methods are anchored in eco2lot and backed with live data.
Learn — production increasingly regulates itself
Control production workflows automatically and more efficiently, deploy resources optimally, lower costs sustainably. This is where AI control comes in: recognized patterns become decisions the system makes itself — supervised, transparent, and traceable at all times.
When do you need a classic manufacturing execution system (MES) — and when is an OEE platform enough?
Production management software, MES software (comparable standards at the VDMA, Germany's mechanical engineering industry association), and pure monitoring tools each have their place. Three clear answers, so you choose the right tool for your line. The detailed distinction between MES and ERP, and how SCADA (process control level) and MES (operations level) relate to each other, follows the same logic.
You need a classic MES if …
… your production depends on detailed order scheduling, workforce planning, and tool management as core functions — typical in one-off and small-batch manufacturing, where order, material, and personnel flows are planned in tight interlock. Full MES traceability across serial numbers, batches, and tool genealogy (mandatory in automotive, pharma, and medical devices) also calls for a dedicated MES. Vendors such as MPDV Hydra, iTAC, or Aveva MES cover this functional depth.
An OEE platform such as eco2lot is enough if …
… your focus is on equipment effectiveness, downtime causes, shift reporting, and energy per unit — that is, on the KPI and optimization level, complementing order control. In series and process manufacturing with continuous lines, the biggest lever sits in OEE transparency and the bridge to energy management. Here eco2lot goes live faster, is more affordable in its licensing model (free of per-sensor subscriptions), and integrates existing MES or ERP systems as data sources.
Running both in parallel is often the clean way.
Many of our customers operate an MES for order processing and add eco2lot for equipment KPIs plus energy data. eco2lot pulls order data from the MES (via REST API or OPC UA), feeds OEE and energy per unit back, and thereby closes a gap many MES systems leave open structurally.
If your focus lies on energy flows instead — load peaks, ISO 50001, schedule compliance — the right entry point is our energy management software rather than the production management module. Both run on the same eco2lot platform and share the same data backbone. The bridge KPI between both worlds is energy per unit.
| Function | eco2lot (OEE platform) | Classic MES | Pure monitoring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live OEE calculation (availability · performance · quality) | ✓ Standard | ◐ depends on module | — |
| Downtime Pareto per shift | ✓ Standard | ✓ Standard | — |
| Machine and energy data in one view | ✓ Differentiator | — | — |
| Energy per unit (energy KPI) | ✓ Differentiator | — | — |
| Detailed order scheduling and sequencing | — | ✓ Core function | — |
| Workforce planning and tool management | — | ✓ Core function | — |
| Full traceability down to serial number | ◐ via data model | ✓ Core function | — |
| Connects existing equipment, replacement-free | ✓ via OPC UA · Modbus · MQTT | ◐ project-dependent | ✓ Standard |
| Licensing model free of per-sensor subscriptions | ✓ Standard | ◐ vendor-dependent | ◐ vendor-dependent |
You run an MES and wonder whether eco2lot becomes a bridge or an addition? We tell you openly when which option makes sense — even if you stay with your existing MES.
Request a comparison call →
"I never set out to found a software company — I wanted to solve production problems I knew first-hand from the plant floor."
Your expert for modern production management.
Andreas Babel personally supports you on all topics around your production management. With hands-on expertise he creates transparency in your production data and helps you implement optimization potential efficiently and sustainably.
- Personal expert for production management and process optimization
- Targeted analysis and improvement of your production processes
- Support with process optimization and efficient production control
- Individual solutions for efficient production management
From the field — a success story in production management.
Using a concrete customer project, we show how intelligent production management makes workflows more efficient, reduces production costs, and raises performance for the long term.
"Thanks to the energy management from BS-Systeme, we lowered our energy consumption sustainably and identified savings potential quickly. The solution is clear, practical, and paid for itself in a short time."
Starting point: Irregularities in data acquisition, time-consuming Excel evaluations for energy data documentation.
Goal: A reliable, audit-ready, and easy-to-use solution for dependable data acquisition — especially with the ISO 50001 certification in view.
Solution: With eco2lot, a central platform was introduced that captures and stores energy data automatically, prevents gaps, enables load management, and — through personal support and automatic updates — ensures an audit-compliant and significantly more efficient way of working.
Prefer to hear it first-hand? We arrange a reference call with an existing eco2lot customer — free of any sales intermediary.
Request a reference call →Request your free initial consultation now.
Together with you, we check which lever delivers the biggest impact in your production over the next 4–8 weeks — live OEE, downtime tracking, or machine + energy data in one view. Free of any sales loop.
Frequent questions — answered clearly.
Central questions around production management, production data management, and the eco2lot platform — a quick reference for production managers, plant managers, and IT.
What is production management?
Production management covers the planning, control, monitoring, and optimization of production processes. The goal: efficient, transparent, and profitable operations. In practice, that means capturing machine data, tracking KPIs such as OEE and downtime, and improving them systematically. Modern production management runs on data rather than estimates.
Why is production management so important today?
Rising costs, higher quality requirements, and shorter delivery times make production management a hard competitive factor. With transparent production data management you lower production costs, reduce downtime and inefficiencies, make processes more predictable, and base decisions on production data. Without this data foundation, optimization potential typically stays hidden.
What role does production management software play?
Production management software forms the technical foundation for data-driven production management. It captures all relevant production data centrally, displays it in real-time dashboards, and makes processes, downtime, and utilization analyzable. Production management becomes a data-driven basis for decisions — instead of reactive firefighting.
Which production data does eco2lot capture?
eco2lot brings production and machine data together in one view: machine states, unit counts, cycle times, setup times, and scrap rates. This data foundation supports OEE calculation, production control, and systematic process optimization.
How does production management support process optimization?
Production data management shows where and why losses occur. Typical effects: less downtime and waiting time, better utilization, shorter lead times. Improvements become measurable — based on real data instead of gut feeling.
What is the difference between production planning and production control?
Production planning is the forward planning of quantities, deadlines, and capacities. Production control is active intervention in running processes based on current data. eco2lot connects both levels in real time — you see the target/actual deviation per line, shift, and order.
What is the difference between eco2lot and a classic MES?
A classic MES (manufacturing execution system) covers detailed order scheduling, workforce planning, and full traceability. eco2lot has a different focus: equipment effectiveness, downtime causes, shift reporting, and energy per unit. Many plants use both in parallel — the MES for order processing, eco2lot for KPIs and energy data. eco2lot complements the MES rather than replacing it, and integrates it as a data source.
What distinguishes production management from energy management?
Production management software consolidates machine and order data: OEE, downtime causes, and shift performance. Energy management software focuses on energy flows: load peaks, ISO 50001 reporting, and CO₂ accounting. eco2lot covers both worlds on one platform. The bridge is the "energy per unit" KPI — it shows which machine or batch offers the biggest energy lever.
Which companies is our solution suitable for?
eco2lot suits companies with recurring or complex production processes — typical examples: electronics and assembly manufacturers, dairy and cheese processing, pharma and medtech suppliers, and plastics and packaging plants. Regardless of industry or size, the solution delivers more efficiency and transparency as soon as machine, shift, and order data should come together in one view.
How quickly can the production management software be implemented?
Implementation proceeds step by step and hands-on, so first results become visible within a few weeks. Typical sequence: analysis of existing processes and data sources, connection of machines and systems via open standards (OPC UA, Modbus, MQTT), setup of dashboards and KPIs, training for your team. First live measurements are typically available after 3–4 weeks, a complete proof of concept after 4–8 weeks.
How does eco2lot enable data-driven real-time control of your production processes?
eco2lot captures production, energy, and machine data continuously and evaluates it immediately. The result is an up-to-date picture of your manufacturing. You spot downtime early, control production lots more efficiently, and reduce energy consumption and CO₂ emissions. Data acquisition becomes active production control.
What advantages does production management software offer?
Production management software delivers transparency and data-driven control. Typical advantages: central evaluation of all production data, real-time insight into machines and utilization, faster response to disruptions. Your production becomes more predictable, more efficient, and more competitive.