Start with the operational loss. The right response may be a process change, system integration, automation, AI, or no new technology at all.
Start with a loss you can define and measure.
Downtime · bottlenecks · production planning · capacity utilization · changeovers
Constraint visibility, scheduling support, changeover analysis, abnormal-event detection
Throughput · OEE · schedule attainment · changeover time
Scrap · rework · quality variation · material variance · repetitive activity
Quality pattern detection, guided checks, variance alerts, process redesign
Yield · cost of quality · material variance · rework hours
Quality events · production shortfalls · maintenance abnormalities · delayed dispatch · inventory risks
Exception monitoring, early-warning rules, computer vision, contextual alerts
Detection lead time · incident frequency · response time
Reports · reconciliation · data entry · document processing · routine coordination
Workflow automation, document extraction, system integration, structured reporting
Hours returned · cycle time · error rate · backlog
Approvals · exception routing · decision support · information retrieval
Decision queues, approval workflows, live context, management summaries
Time to decision · pending actions · service levels
SOP retrieval · historical troubleshooting · training · institutional knowledge · decision support
Knowledge capture, retrieval assistants, guided troubleshooting, source-linked answers
Resolution time · training time · repeated failures · answers verified against approved sources
Not sure which outcome matters most?