Timestamp
Data collection is not for free. While an operator is recording data, he/she is not producing. In general variable data such as a speed, temperature, etc. requires some sort of equipment to measure it and therefore it is more expensive to collect than attribute data: Pass/Fail, On-time/Late, etc. Time is a key variable in any process which can automatically be collected by any PC, Portable, Tablet or Smartphone, therefore it does not require any additional measuring equipment. Entering a date or a time manually into a terminal is prone to multiple typing errors which if undetected can distort all subsequent key metrics. If data is collected on paper and then typed into the system at a later stage, apart from the waste of this operation, the errors might be difficult to recover. If we are able to simplify the data recording operation, the operator can report in real time all incidents or data entries, in which case the data collection application can automatically associate a Timesta