01
Exceptions passed by shouting
Information travels person to person, with repeated back-and-forth between workstations and departments. By the time someone knows, much time has already been lost.
RockPlus Andon
Andon Call System
One touch to call, with light, voice and SMS alerts in parallel. Response, handling and confirmation by IC card are fully recorded, and unanswered calls escalate level by level. Exception response moves from gut feeling to enforced, recorded and reportable.
ANDON CALL CENTER
Today's Call Handling
RedCalled · Awaiting
BlueIn progress
GreenConfirmed · Resumed
EscalateLevel by level
Call Loop · 20230810001
CallRespondHandleConfirmClose
SMT Line · Equipment failureME calledIn progress
3-channel Alerts
Light · Voice · SMS
Light · Voice · SMS
Timeout Escalation
Escalates when unanswered
Escalates when unanswered
Light, voice, SMS in parallelNo exception goes unheard
Card-based exclusive rightsOnly the owner clears the alarm
Level-by-level escalationUp to the manager, configurable
Traceable response timesBlocked time and daily lists
Shop Floor Challenges
Exception response is hard,
and not just about "calling out"
When equipment failures, material shortages or quality issues occur, shouting and intercom calls cannot ensure that someone responds, takes ownership and signs off, let alone measure response times afterwards.
02
No enforced response
Nobody answers and nobody follows up. Exceptions drag on into line stoppages, and it is only found afterwards that nobody handled them.
03
Sloppy closure
A verbal promise counts as handled, and no cause or method is recorded, so the same problems keep coming back.
04
Response time not measurable
There is no data on how long response and blocking take, so management can only judge by feel.
ANDON RESPONSE PLATFORM
Call, alert, handling and escalation in one closed loop
Shop floor terminals raise the call, the server-side rule engine drives the signal tower, intercom voice and SMS, handling is recorded by card throughout, and timeouts escalate automatically level by level.
One-touch Call
Call
Call
Multi-channel Alerts
Notify
Notify
Card Response
Respond
Respond
Handle & Confirm
Confirm
Confirm
Timeout Escalation
Escalate
Escalate
Daily Reports
Report
Report
RockPlus Andon · Exception Response Core
Call Records
Exception Codes
Card Records
Shift Plans
Blocked Time
SMS Records
Three-color Signal TowerIntercom Base StationVoice AnnouncementIC Card ReaderWorkstation TerminalSMS GatewayEmail
Core Capabilities
Core Capabilities
Built around call, alert, response, escalation and analysis, a closed loop that covers the whole shop floor exception process.
01 / CALL
One-touch Call
Supports call types such as ME, QA, IE, PE and team leader. Select the product model and describe the exception when calling.
02 / LIGHT
Signal Tower State Machine
Red when called, blue while being handled after the alarm is cleared, green once production confirms. The status is clear at a glance.
03 / VOICE
Intercom Voice Announcement
Automatically announces "which line, which workstation is calling which department", broadcast by channel with a configurable repeat count.
04 / SMS
Targeted SMS Notification
Based on shifts and workstation types, only on-duty staff with the matching authority are notified.
05 / CARD
Card Response & Unlock
Employee cards are bound to call types, so only cards of the department that was called can clear the alarm.
06 / CODE
Exception Codes & Handling
Select the exception cause and solution when handling. A call cannot be closed without them, building a knowledge base of issues.
07 / ESCALATE
Timeout Escalation
Unanswered and unclosed calls both escalate level by level up to the manager, and all thresholds are configurable.
08 / REPORT
Daily Reports & Call History
Three lists are emailed daily. Call history supports blocked-time statistics, sorting and export.
Call Closed Loop
Call Loop: A Result for Every Exception
From spotting an exception to resuming production, each of the four steps (call, response, handling, confirmation) has an owner and a record.
01
Call & Alert
The operator selects the call type and product model, describes the exception and raises the call. The signal tower turns red, the intercom channel announces it and the on-duty staff receive an SMS, all three at once.
One-touch CallTower Turns RedVoice AnnouncementSMS Notification
02
Response & Handling
The engineer of the called department arrives and swipes their own card to clear the alarm, and the light turns blue. The handler selects an exception cause code and a solution; the call cannot be closed without them, and cards from other departments are invalid.
Card Clears AlarmBlue: In ProgressCause & Method
03
Confirm & Resume
Production staff swipe a card to confirm completion. If not complete, the call stays in handling; once confirmed, the light turns green and production resumes. The call number, timestamps, the card holder at each step and blocked time are all recorded.
Production ConfirmsGreen: ResumedFull Record
Multi-channel & Escalation
Multi-channel Alerts & Timeout Escalation: Exceptions Chase People
Exception information does not stay at the workstation. The channels complement one another, and when nobody responds, the system automatically escalates one level.
01 / LIGHT
Signal Tower
Red, blue and green tower lights show call, handling and recovery status at a glance.
02 / VOICE
Intercom
Pre-recorded or synthesized voice, broadcast by channel so everyone can hear it.
03 / SMS
SMS
Pushed to mobile phones. Based on shifts and workstation types, the right on-duty people are notified.
04 / SHIFT
Shift Awareness
Day-shift and night-shift staff switch automatically by rule, and SMS goes only to those on duty.
05 / MAIL
Email Lists
Three lists are emailed daily, and unclosed items are chased again the next day.
Level-by-level Escalation: Enforced Exception Response
If nobody responds, or a responded call stays open too long, the system escalates notifications by threshold, from technicians and team leaders up to engineers, supervisors and the manager. All thresholds are configurable.
0.5 hoursNo response: notify technician and team leader
1 hourNo response: notify engineer and assistant supervisor
1.5 hoursNo response: notify engineer and supervisor
2 hoursStill no response: notify manager
Responded, not closedEscalates through the same four levels until handled
Management & Analysis
Master Data & Response Time Analysis
Lines, staff, shifts and exception codes are maintained in one place and call data accumulates automatically, so response times can be measured and improved.
Lines & Workstations
Maintain lines and workstation stations, with each workstation bound to a signal tower receiver terminal.
Staff & Shifts
Maintain accounts, roles, departments, positions, phone numbers and employee card numbers. Template import is supported, and day and night shifts switch automatically.
Exception Codes & Products
Maintain the exception cause code library, roles and product models as the option sources for calls and handling.
Call History & SMS Records
Call numbers combine the date and a serial number, recording product model, call reason and blocked time. SMS sending is fully recorded.
Three Daily Lists
Daily at 8:30Last 24 hoursUnansweredNot completedClosed
Emailed as Excel attachments. Items left open yesterday continue on the pending list the next day, and management reviews response times from the daily report.
Blocked Time Statistics
Call No.Product ModelCall ReasonBlocked TimeSort & Export
Call history can be sorted by blocked time and exported, quickly locating the longest exceptions to drive improvement.
Devices & Architecture
Devices & System Components
Hardware and software combined and selected to fit site conditions. Existing equipment can be assessed for integration.
LIGHT
Three-color Signal Tower
Audible and visual tower light driven through an IO control box with a pluggable control box protocol.
INTERCOM
Wireless Intercom
A base station control box works with handsets to announce calls in real time on the matching channel.
CARD
IC Card Reader
Swipe at the workstation. Card numbers are bound to roles, and response, clearing and confirmation rights are mutually exclusive.
TERMINAL
Workstation Call Terminal
The line workstation computer raises calls, handles them and resets, through a simple interface.
SMS · MAIL
SMS & Email Channels
Escalation notices and daily lists are delivered through an SMS gateway and an email server.
SERVER
Server & Message Center
Rule engine, message routing and data storage, with regular database backups.
NETWORK
Shop Floor Network
The wireless network carries the intercom, and the production network carries call signals and data.
MOM
Works with the MOM Platform
Can be linked with MES, QMS and EAM, feeding exception handling data back into quality and equipment analysis.
Application
Typical Use Cases
For manufacturing shop floors with many lines and exception types that need fast cross-department response.
SMT Line Exceptions
Equipment failures, placement pickup errors and material shortages are called in with one touch, and engineers swipe their card on arrival to handle them.
Material & Quality Exceptions
Missing materials and quality issues call the matching department by type, and causes are kept on file.
Night & Rotating Shifts
Notified staff switch automatically between day and night shifts, so night exceptions are also answered and chased.
Response Time Evaluation
Blocked time and daily lists are used to evaluate each department's response speed and drive continuous improvement.
FAQ
Common questions on response assurance, permission control and hardware configuration.
How is a response guaranteed after a call?
A call triggers the signal tower, intercom voice announcement and SMS notification at the same time. If nobody responds within the set time, the system escalates level by level up to the manager. All thresholds are configurable.
How does the system prevent departments from passing the buck?
Employee card numbers are bound to call types, so only cards of the department that was called can clear the alarm. The handler must select an exception cause and a solution, and production staff must confirm by card before the call can be closed.
How are night-shift and day-shift notifications separated?
The system switches between day-shift and night-shift staff automatically according to the shift plan. SMS goes only to the staff on duty, and notifications can be targeted by workstation type and intercom channel.
What hardware is required?
A typical setup includes a three-color signal tower with control box, an intercom base station and handsets, IC card readers, workstation terminals and an SMS gateway. Existing on-site equipment can be assessed for reuse, and not every component is mandatory.
Make Every Exception Seen, Answered and Closed
Light, voice and SMS alerts, a card closed loop and timeout escalation build shop floor exception response that is enforceable, traceable and measurable.
