Manual vs. Automated Machine Monitoring: Why Automation Wins Every Time
Manually tracking machine performance—like jotting down cycle times or tallying parts produced—is time-consuming and often inaccurate. By the time you analyze the data, it’s too late to make meaningful changes. At best, you’re looking at yesterday’s numbers on a whiteboard.
Modern CNC machines come equipped with advanced controllers that capture real-time data on performance and output. Datanomix Production Monitoring taps directly into this data stream, analyzing and scoring it instantly. This means operators, supervisors, and managers get immediate insights, allowing them to focus on areas that need attention right now to boost efficiency.
“If you’ve got 20 machines, 50 machines, 100 machines, how do you send somebody around with a stopwatch to time every single tool, every single cycle time, on every job running on every machine? … What we’re getting out of Datanomix machine monitoring is a level of accuracy and granularity that you just couldn’t pay somebody enough to go and get.”
— Kylan Hastreiter, Vice President, Hastreiter Industries
Not All Automated Monitoring Solutions Are Created Equal
Simply automating data collection isn’t sufficient. Some systems gather data but leave you to decipher it, essentially turning you into a data analyst and engineer. Datanomix stands out by providing out-of-the-box insights that help your team make informed decisions, improve processes, meet goals, and save time.
“So not only do I have to be my own data analyst, I have to be the data engineer to actually even create the whole system. Even though I’m paying these guys to create the system for me. Sometimes what looks really good on the outside isn’t necessarily what is actually on the inside. And with some of those issues, if we would have just started with Datanomix, we’d never even known that those were even potential issues to have in the first place.”
— Kylan Hastreiter, Vice President, Hastreiter Industries
Real-Time Visibility Drives Real Results
Operators benefit from knowing how the current job is running on their machine in real-time. Datanomix TV Mode displays live information on utilization, cycle times, machine downtimes, and Time on Tap leaderboards. With our Goal Setting feature, data is color-coded to show how it compares to set goals, making it easy to monitor machine performance.
When issues arise, operators don’t need to divert their attention to input data—they can focus on resolving the problem. This is the essence of our No Operator Input™ philosophy, a core part of Datanomix’s DNA.
Additionally, designated team members can receive notifications on their mobile devices or via email when specific issues occur or persist. Use cases include alerts for pallet machine downtimes during night shifts, notifications when a Program Stop hasn’t been cleared for 30 minutes, or alerts when a critical part’s machine is down for over an hour. Datanomix ensures the right people have the right information at the right time—something manual data collection can’t achieve.
Does real-time focus help manufacturers make more money? Absolutely. The average Datanomix customer sees double-digit growth in their utilization rates. Use this ROI calculator to see the potential impact on your shop.
Turn Insight into Action—and Profit
At the end of the day, it’s not just about collecting data—it’s about doing something useful with it, in the moment. Manual monitoring gives you yesterday’s problems. Datanomix gives you today’s opportunities.
When your team can see what’s happening as it happens, they can stay ahead of problems, keep machines running smoothly, and hit production goals without the stress. That’s not just better monitoring—it’s smarter manufacturing.
Ready to stop looking in the rearview mirror? Let’s talk about how Datanomix can help you unlock more performance from the people and machines you already have—no extra input required.
