Industrial Reporting
Turn Industrial Automation Data into Meaningful Operational Reports
Industrial automation systems continuously generate information about production, equipment performance, downtime, alarms and process conditions. Without a structured way of presenting that information, valuable operational data can remain hidden within PLCs, SCADA systems and individual machines.
Industrial reporting transforms automation data into clear, structured information that production, engineering, maintenance and management teams can use to understand performance and make informed decisions.
At Stratos, we develop industrial reporting solutions around existing PLC, SCADA and production systems, helping organisations turn operational data into useful reports that highlight performance, identify recurring problems and support continuous improvement.
What Is Industrial Reporting?
Industrial reporting is the process of collecting, organising and presenting information generated by industrial automation and production systems.
Rather than requiring users to interpret individual PLC values or navigate multiple SCADA screens, reports bring relevant information together in a structured format.
Depending on the application, reporting may include:
Production output.
Downtime.
Equipment availability.
Alarm activity.
Process values.
Production targets.
Machine performance.
Energy consumption.
Operational KPIs.
Historical trends.
Reports can be developed around the information different areas of the business actually need.
Production Reporting
Production reporting provides teams with a structured view of how manufacturing operations are performing.
Reports may include information such as:
Production quantities.
Target versus actual output.
Production rates.
Machine utilisation.
Cycle times.
Shift performance.
Production interruptions.
Equipment availability.
Reviewing this information over time can help identify areas where production is consistently performing below expectations.
Downtime Reporting
Understanding why production stops is essential for improving equipment availability.
Downtime reports can provide information about:
Machine stoppages.
Duration of downtime.
Frequency of interruptions.
Equipment faults.
Production losses.
Recurring problems.
Downtime by machine or production area.
Operational trends.
Structured downtime information helps teams move beyond simply knowing that production stopped to understanding where time is being lost.
Alarm and Fault Reporting
SCADA and PLC alarm information can provide valuable insight into recurring operational problems.
Industrial reporting can help analyse:
Frequently occurring alarms.
Equipment trips.
Process deviations.
Alarm frequency.
Alarm duration.
Repeated fault conditions.
Production interruptions.
Equipment responsible for recurring issues.
Reviewing alarm information over longer periods can help engineering teams identify problems that may not be obvious during individual production shifts.
Equipment Performance Reporting
Individual machines and assets can behave differently even when performing similar production functions.
Equipment performance reporting may provide visibility of:
Machine availability.
Operating hours.
Running and stopped time.
Fault frequency.
Production output.
Cycle performance.
Equipment utilisation.
Performance trends.
This information can help engineering and maintenance teams identify assets requiring investigation or improvement.
PLC and SCADA Data for Reporting
Industrial reports depend on accurate information from the automation systems controlling and monitoring production.
Depending on the existing infrastructure, reporting data may originate from:
PLCs.
SCADA systems.
HMIs.
Historian systems.
Variable Speed Drives.
Motor Control Centres.
Instrumentation.
Production machinery.
Industrial networks.
Stratos' experience across PLC programming and SCADA engineering allows us to consider how the required information is generated before developing the reporting layer.
Historical Data and Trend Reporting
Historical information provides context that real-time data alone cannot deliver.
Reports can compare operational information across:
Different shifts.
Production days.
Weeks or months.
Production runs.
Equipment.
Production lines.
Process conditions.
This makes it easier to identify gradual changes in performance, recurring production problems and longer-term operational trends.
Automated Industrial Reports
Manually collecting production information can consume significant time and introduce inconsistencies into reporting.
Where the system architecture supports it, reports can be generated automatically using information already collected by the automation environment.
Automated reporting can reduce reliance on:
Manual production records.
Spreadsheet entry.
Handwritten shift information.
Repeated data collection.
Manual calculations.
This can provide teams with more consistent information while reducing administrative workload.
Reporting for Different Operational Teams
Different users require different levels of detail.
Industrial reporting can be structured around the requirements of individual teams.
Production Teams
May focus on output, targets, downtime and production efficiency.
Maintenance Teams
May require equipment faults, alarm frequency and machine availability.
Engineering Teams
May need process trends, equipment behaviour and detailed diagnostic information.
Management Teams
May require higher-level production KPIs, performance trends and operational summaries.
Providing appropriate information to each group prevents reports from becoming unnecessarily complicated.
Industrial Reporting and Dashboards
Industrial reports and dashboards serve complementary purposes.
A dashboard provides an immediate visual overview of current or recent performance.
A report provides structured information that can be reviewed, distributed or compared over longer periods.
Used together, they can provide visibility of:
Current production.
Historical performance.
Downtime.
Equipment availability.
Alarm activity.
Production targets.
Operational trends.
Key performance indicators.
This creates a clearer connection between day-to-day operations and longer-term performance analysis.
Integrating Reporting with Existing Automation
Introducing industrial reporting does not necessarily require replacing existing PLC or SCADA infrastructure.
Where the required data is already available, reporting solutions can often be developed around existing automation systems.
Our engineers assess:
Existing PLC platforms.
SCADA architecture.
Historian availability.
Industrial networks.
Existing data collection.
Required reports.
Reporting frequency.
User requirements.
Data quality.
Future reporting needs.
Before implementation, the accuracy of source data and calculations should also be verified to ensure reports provide a reliable representation of production performance.
Why Choose Stratos for Industrial Reporting?
Useful industrial reports depend on understanding where the underlying information originates and what it means within the production process.
Stratos combines PLC programming, SCADA engineering and industrial automation experience to develop reporting solutions around the systems generating the data.
Rather than simply presenting large quantities of information, we focus on helping organisations identify the operational metrics that matter and turning existing automation data into reports that production, engineering and management teams can actually use.
Turn Production Data into Information Your Teams Can Use
Your PLC and SCADA systems already generate valuable operational information. Stratos develops industrial reporting solutions that transform this data into clear production, downtime and performance reports, helping your teams understand what is happening, identify recurring problems and make better-informed operational decisions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is industrial reporting?
Industrial reporting uses information from PLCs, SCADA systems and other production equipment to create structured reports covering areas such as production, downtime, alarms and equipment performance.
Can reports use data from existing PLCs?
Yes. Where the required information is available and suitable communications exist, data from existing PLCs can often be used as part of an industrial reporting solution.
What is the difference between an industrial dashboard and a report?
A dashboard generally provides an immediate visual overview of operational information, while reports provide more structured information that can be reviewed and compared over defined periods.
Can industrial reports be generated automatically?
Yes. Depending on the system architecture, reports can potentially be generated automatically from information collected by SCADA, historian and other industrial data systems.
Can industrial reporting help identify downtime?
Yes. Reports can analyse the frequency, duration and causes of production interruptions, helping teams identify recurring downtime and equipment performance problems.