Integrating event-based production information with financial and
purchasing systems in product manufacturing. Some of the disclosed
embodiments include a method of tracking production information, a method
of analyzing event-based production information to provide financial
reports, a method of adapting an online production documentation system
to provide financial report data, and a production documentation system.
Also disclosed are computer-readable media for storing a data structure
representing an event-based delay or waste record populated during
manufacturing, and a method of automatically generating an alert and
providing an associated financial report in a process for manufacturing a
product associated with an event-based information system. The
embodiments are operable in an intelligent manufacturing system including
a process for converting raw materials to a product, a process control
system including one or more sensors capable of generating an alarm in
response to an event that results in one of waste, machine delay, or
decrease product quality, a data logger associated with the process
control system for obtaining event parameters associated with the event,
a database on a server for recording event parameters obtained by the
data logger, and a reporting system cooperatively associated with the
database for reporting productivity parameters regarding the process
derived at least in part from the event parameters.