Digital Shift Log: The End of Paper Handovers

A digital shift log replaces handwritten notes and Excel lists with a central, always-searchable handover record right at the workplace. Instead of loose notes and sprawling Excel files, the team records events, faults and open tasks where they arise – at the machine, in real time and immediately visible to the next shift.

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. For audits or root-cause analysis after a fault, the reliable trail is missing.

What a digital shift log has to deliver

• Structured entries per shift, line and category (fault, maintenance, quality, handover note).
• 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. It is exactly this removal of the media break between machine, paper and office that sets a digital shift log apart from a mere form app.

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. Because Peakboard builds on existing hardware and data sources, no long IT project is needed. The shift log is a building block of overarching digital shop floor management and complements the Andon board and the shop floor meeting to give a complete picture of the shift.