Andon Board
ProBeya Andon Board brings real-time KPI visibility to the shopfloor by rendering full-viewport, TV-optimized displays that require no authentication. Andon screens are powered by token-based URLs that can be opened on any browser -- from a 55-inch production floor TV to a kiosk tablet -- and auto-refresh to show the latest operational status at all times.
Overview
In lean manufacturing, the Andon system is a visual management tool that signals production status at a glance. ProBeya digitalizes this concept by projecting live KPI data from your boards onto dedicated displays. Each Andon screen is tied to a specific board and configured with a layout, theme, and refresh interval. The token-based URL means no login is required -- just open the link on a shopfloor TV and the display starts immediately.
This documentation covers the user-facing Andon display and the token management workflow. For admin-level Andon configuration (creating and revoking tokens), see the settings page documentation.
Getting Started
- Create an Andon token -- Navigate to
Settings > Andon Screensand click "Create Token". - Select a board -- Choose which board's KPI data should be displayed.
- Configure the display -- Set the layout (SQCDP, grid, focus, or alerts), theme (dark, light, or high-contrast), and refresh interval.
- Copy the URL -- After creation, copy the generated URL (shown once). This is the public display link.
- Open on a TV -- Navigate to the URL on the shopfloor TV's browser. The display renders immediately in full-viewport mode.
- Set to kiosk mode -- Configure the TV browser to run in kiosk/full-screen mode for an uncluttered display.
Key Concepts
- Andon Token -- A secure embed token that grants public, read-only access to a specific board's KPI data. Tokens can be set to expire on a specific date or remain active indefinitely.
- Layout -- The visual arrangement of KPIs on the display:
- SQCDP -- Groups KPIs by Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and People categories (the standard lean visual management layout).
- Grid -- Arranges all KPIs in an equal-sized grid.
- Focus -- Highlights a single KPI prominently with supporting context.
- Alerts -- Shows only KPIs that are currently in alert status (red or amber threshold).
- Theme -- Visual appearance optimized for different environments:
- Dark -- High-contrast dark background, ideal for dimly lit production areas.
- Light -- White background for well-lit offices or clean environments.
- High-Contrast -- Maximum visibility for distant viewing on large screens.
- Refresh Interval -- How often the display reloads to fetch fresh data (15 seconds to 5 minutes). Uses HTML
meta refreshfor maximum reliability -- survives JavaScript crashes. - Sparklines -- Miniature trend charts showing the last 7 data points for each KPI, giving operators a quick sense of direction without needing to open the full dashboard.
How It Works
Token Creation
When an admin creates an Andon token, the system:
- Verifies the selected board belongs to the current organization
- Creates an embed token record with
entityType: "andon"and Andon-specific configuration stored in the JSONBconfigfield - Returns the generated token value (displayed once for copying)
- Logs the creation in the activity trail
Public Display Rendering
The Andon display page at /andon/{token} is a Server Component that:
- Validates the embed token and checks expiration
- Fetches the associated board's KPI definitions
- For each KPI, retrieves the latest value, active target, and last 7 values for sparklines
- Passes all data to the
AndonScreenclient component for rendering - Injects a
<meta http-equiv="refresh">tag for automatic page reload
Data Scope
The Andon display exposes only KPI data -- definitions, current values, targets, thresholds, and sparkline history. It does not expose board items, comments, user data, or any other sensitive information. This minimal data scope reduces the security surface of the public endpoint.
Token Lifecycle
| Action | Effect |
|---|---|
| Create | Generates a new token URL; display becomes accessible |
| Revoke | Immediately invalidates the URL; display shows "not found" |
| Expire | After the expiration date, display shows "expired" message |
Configuration
Token Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Board | Source board for KPI data | Required |
| Label | Friendly name for the token (admin reference) | Required |
| Layout | Display arrangement (sqcdp, grid, focus, alerts) | sqcdp |
| Theme | Visual theme (dark, light, high-contrast) | dark |
| Refresh Interval | Auto-refresh period in seconds | 30s |
| Focus KPI | KPI to highlight in focus layout | Optional |
| Alert Audio | Play audio on KPI alert state changes | Off |
| Expires At | Optional token expiration date | No expiry |
Layout Cycle
When multiple layouts are configured via the layouts array, the display automatically cycles between them at the configured cycleDuration (10-3600 seconds, default 60s). This is useful for rotating between SQCDP overview and alert-focused views on a single screen.
Permissions
| Role | Access |
|---|---|
| Organization Owner / Tenant Admin | Create, list, and revoke Andon tokens |
| Site Admin / Workspace Admin | Create, list, and revoke Andon tokens |
| Any person with the URL | View the Andon display (read-only, KPI data only) |
Token management is restricted to authenticated administrators. The Andon display itself requires no authentication -- anyone with the token URL can view it. This is by design for shopfloor TV deployment.
Tips & Best Practices
The dark theme provides the best contrast in typical manufacturing environments with mixed lighting. Reserve the light theme for clean office environments where screens are viewed up close.
If KPIs are updated hourly, a 60-second refresh is sufficient. For real-time process data updated every few seconds, use the 15-second interval. Shorter intervals increase server load, so match the refresh to your actual data cadence.
When creating temporary Andon displays for site visitors or regulatory audits, set an expiration date. This ensures the public URL automatically becomes inactive after the event, reducing security exposure.
Configure multiple layouts (e.g., SQCDP + alerts) with a 60-second cycle duration to give operators both an overview and a focused alert view on a single screen.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| "Display Not Found" | Token URL is invalid or has been revoked | Create a new Andon token from the settings page |
| "Display Expired" | Token has passed its expiration date | Create a new token or update the expiration date |
| "Board Not Found" | The board linked to the token was deleted | Create a new token linked to an active board |
| No KPI data shown | The board has no KPI definitions | Add KPI definitions to the board before creating an Andon display |
| Display not refreshing | Browser blocking meta refresh or JavaScript disabled | Ensure the browser is not blocking auto-refresh; use a kiosk-mode browser |
| Stale data on screen | Refresh interval too long or KPI update pipeline delayed | Reduce the refresh interval; verify that KPI data is being updated upstream |
Related Features
- KPI Boards -- The source boards and KPI definitions displayed on Andon screens
- Tier Meeting -- SQCDP/TIER routines that complement shopfloor visual management
- Embeddable Widgets -- Other embeddable displays and dashboards
- PWA & Offline -- Offline-capable progressive web app for shopfloor devices