Digital Shift Log: The End of Paper Handovers
How a digital shift log replaces Excel and paper at shift handover – with complete documentation, real-time machine data and an audit-proof trail right at the workplace.
10.06.2026
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8 min read
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- A digital shift log replaces handwritten notes and Excel lists with a central, searchable handover record.
- The shift handover becomes complete, time-stamped and audit-proof – every entry stays traceable.
- Peakboard connects the shift log directly to machine and ERP data, so KPIs flow into the handover automatically.
- Entries are made by touch right at the line, with no media break between machine, paper and office.
Peakboard replaces the paper shift log by pulling faults, output quantities, and downtime automatically from the machine and storing them as time-stamped, audit-proof entries — when the morning shift takes over, they see the complete machine picture of the night, not a handwritten note. That is the digital shift log: no manual transcription, no information lost between shifts, no audit without a reliable trail.
Why Excel and paper reach their limits at shift handover
The classic shift handover suffers from three weaknesses: information gets lost between shifts, it is not searchable, and afterwards there is no way to trace who entered what and when. A paper shift log sits in one place; an Excel file gets copied locally and falls out of sync.
What a digital shift log has to deliver
- Structured entries per shift, line, and category.
- Time stamp and user on every entry — the basis for audit-proof records.
- Full-text search and filters, so recurring problems become visible.
- Touch entry right at the line, without the detour via the office.
Shift log meets machine data: the decisive difference
Peakboard connects the digital shift log directly to machine and ERP data. Quantities, downtimes, and fault reasons flow into the handover automatically instead of being copied by hand. The next shift starts with a complete picture rather than an incomplete note.
Roll out in small steps instead of a big bang
A digital shift log can be piloted on a single line and then rolled out. The shift log is a building block of shop floor management and complements the Andon board and the shop floor meeting to give a complete picture of the shift. For a structured rollout guide, see 10 steps to digital shop floor management.
Solution
Digital shift log with Peakboard
Document handovers completely and connect them with machine data – on existing hardware.
What is a digital shift log?
A digital shift log is software that documents the shift handover: events, faults and tasks are captured with a time stamp and are immediately searchable for the following shift.
How is it different from Excel?
Unlike Excel, a digital shift log is central, multi-user and audit-proof: every entry stays traceable with time stamp and user, and machine data flows in automatically.
Is a digital shift log audit-proof?
Yes. Through time stamps, user attribution and an unchangeable history, it is traceable who made which entry and when.
