If you're responsible for managing operations, the following scenario won’t be new to you: You have a meeting with the executive team tomorrow, and you are running around to get information on metrics for your presentation. The next day, you’re expected to report on the overall performance of your plant to several department heads.

Corporate executives are often inundated with data, which makes it difficult to pull out relevant insights. Although most metrics on the executive dashboard are finance-related, executives in manufacturing organizations need visibility into operational metrics to gain more control over their businesses. They are looking to understand the effect operational performance has on their organizations’ goals.

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