Choosing the Right Tool for KPI Analysis

Updated July 09, 2026 07:17

SUMMARY

Use this guide to understand the different ways you can analyse KPI data in Factbird and when each option is most appropriate. Choosing the right analysis method helps you balance speed, accuracy, and flexibility depending on your reporting needs.

WHAT THIS IS

KPI analysis is the process of reviewing production performance using the tools available within Factbird or through external reporting solutions.

Factbird provides several ways to analyse KPI data, each designed for different use cases. Some tools are intended for quickly exploring production data, while others are designed for repeatable reporting, data exports, or integration with external Business Intelligence (BI) platforms.

Understanding the purpose of each option helps you choose the most appropriate method for your reporting requirements.

WHY IT MATTERS

Different reporting requirements often need different levels of detail and flexibility.

For example:

A production manager may need a reusable dashboard that is updated automatically.
A customer may want to export KPI values into Excel for further analysis.
A data analyst may require raw production data for Power BI or Tableau.
A support engineer may want to quickly answer a question about production performance.

Using the appropriate analysis method helps ensure the data is presented in the most effective format while reducing unnecessary manual work.

WHEN YOU WOULD USE THIS

Use this when:

You need to decide which Factbird reporting tool best fits your reporting requirements.
You want to understand the differences between AI-generated insights, Reports, Trends, and API data.
You need KPI data for customer reviews, internal reporting, or external analysis.
You are planning to export production data for additional processing.

HOW IT WORKS

Factbird provides multiple KPI analysis tools, each designed to answer different production questions.

Live View displays real-time KPIs, allowing operators to monitor current production performance as it happens.
Performance Analytics provides historical KPI trends, making it easier to compare performance over time and identify long-term improvements or recurring issues.
Hourly Count compares production against hourly targets and highlights periods where targets were met or missed, along with associated stop causes and countermeasures.
Batch & Shift Dashboard measures production performance against planned batch or shift targets, helping teams evaluate whether production goals have been achieved.
Reports allow KPI data to be combined into customized dashboards that can be shared, scheduled, and exported for operational or management reporting.

Each tool uses the same underlying production data but presents it differently depending on whether you are monitoring live production, investigating historical performance, reviewing a completed batch or shift, or creating reports for analysis and decision-making.

KEY TERMS / COMPONENTS

AI Assistant

Provides AI-generated answers to questions about production data using natural language.

Reports

Reusable dashboards built from configurable widgets with visible filters and calculation settings.

Trends

A visualisation tool for viewing KPI performance over time and exporting displayed KPI values.

API

A programmatic interface for retrieving production data for custom integrations and reporting solutions.

KPI

A Key Performance Indicator used to measure production performance, such as OEE, Availability, Performance, Quality, Downtime, or Production Count.

COMMON MISUNDERSTANDINGS

AI Assistant and Reports provide the same type of reporting.

They don't, see Should I use AI Assistant or Reports for KPI reporting? for a full comparison.