MP

Real-time production floor dashboard

Live production reporting on digital signage, replacing Excel reports that were maintained by hand.

Production dashboard architecture Production data flows into the k3s cluster, where a FastAPI service and a PostgreSQL database run side by side. The FastAPI service feeds the displays on the production floor. Production data k3s cluster FastAPI API service PostgreSQL database Floor displays digital signage, live view
The application and its database run on the self-hosted cluster. Signage on the production floor shows the live view.

Problem

Production reporting lived in Excel workbooks that had to be maintained by hand. The numbers were only as current as the last manual update.

Approach

  • A real backend. A FastAPI service backed by PostgreSQL stores and serves the production data, replacing the spreadsheet as the source of truth.
  • Containerized. The application and database are packaged with Docker Compose.
  • Deployed to the platform. It runs on the self-hosted Kubernetes cluster.
  • Where the work happens. The dashboard runs on digital signage on the production floor, so current numbers are visible without anyone opening a file.

Stack

  • Python
  • FastAPI
  • PostgreSQL
  • Docker Compose
  • k3s (Kubernetes)
  • Digital signage

Outcome

Production numbers update in real time on the floor's screens, and nobody maintains the Excel report by hand anymore. The data lives in a database instead of a workbook.