Alerts & Notifications Configuration
Learn how to configure alerts and notifications to stay informed about production issues and opportunities
Stay informed about critical production events with Attainment Tracker’s intelligent alerting system. Get notified instantly when issues arise or opportunities appear.
📸 Screenshot needed: Alerts dashboard showing active alerts
Alert System Overview
What Are Alerts?
Alerts are automated notifications triggered when specific conditions are met:
- Production Alerts: Behind schedule, no activity, target achieved
- Quality Alerts: High scrap rate, consecutive defects, quality holds
- Downtime Alerts: Extended downtime, recurring issues, equipment problems
- System Alerts: Sync errors, device offline, low battery
Alert Delivery Methods
In-App Notifications
- Bell icon badge with count
- Slide-out notification panel
- Real-time banner alerts
📸 Screenshot needed: In-app notification bell with badge
Email Notifications
- Instant email delivery
- Summary digest (configurable frequency)
- Include alert details and quick actions
SMS/Text Messages (Professional & Enterprise)
- Critical alerts only
- Instant delivery
- Character-limited summary
Mobile Push Notifications
- Attainment Tracker mobile app
- Lock screen notifications
- Sound and vibration
Webhook/API (Enterprise)
- Send to third-party systems
- Integrate with Slack, Teams, etc.
- Custom alert routing
📸 Screenshot needed: Different notification delivery methods
Configuring Alerts
Accessing Alert Configuration
- Navigate to ⚙️ Settings → Alerts & Notifications
- View all configured alerts
- Create, edit, or disable alerts
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert configuration page
Creating a New Alert
Step 1: Choose Alert Type
Click + Create Alert and select type:
Production Alerts:
- Behind schedule
- No production activity
- Target achieved
- Low throughput
- Production complete
Quality Alerts:
- Scrap rate threshold exceeded
- Consecutive scrap parts
- Rework rate threshold
- Quality hold issued
- First article inspection failed
Downtime Alerts:
- Downtime duration exceeded
- Specific downtime reason
- Repeated downtime
- Equipment offline
- Maintenance required
System Alerts:
- Device disconnected
- Sync failed
- Low battery
- Storage low
- App version outdated
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert type selector
Step 2: Configure Alert Conditions
For Production Alerts - “Behind Schedule”:
- Threshold: Minutes behind schedule (e.g., 15 minutes)
- Applies to: All cells, specific cells, or cell groups
- During: All shifts, specific shifts only
- Cooldown: Don’t repeat alert within X minutes
Example Configuration:
Alert when: Production is 15+ minutes behind schedule
For cells: All machining cells
During shifts: Day and afternoon shift only
Cooldown: 30 minutes (don't re-alert if still behind)
📸 Screenshot needed: Behind schedule alert configuration
For Quality Alerts - “Scrap Rate Exceeded”:
- Threshold: Scrap percentage (e.g., 5%)
- Sample size: Minimum parts before alerting (e.g., 20 parts)
- Time window: Within shift, rolling hour, etc.
- Applies to: Cells or specific parts
Example Configuration:
Alert when: Scrap rate exceeds 5%
After: At least 20 parts produced
Time window: Current shift
For: All cells producing Part #12345
📸 Screenshot needed: Quality alert configuration
For Downtime Alerts - “Extended Downtime”:
- Duration threshold: Minutes of downtime (e.g., 10 minutes)
- Downtime type: All, or specific reasons only
- Escalation: Alert different people after longer durations
- Auto-create ticket: Create maintenance ticket
Example Configuration:
Alert when: Unplanned downtime exceeds 10 minutes
For reasons: Machine issues or tooling only
First alert: Supervisor
Escalate after 30 min: Maintenance manager
Auto-create: Maintenance ticket
📸 Screenshot needed: Downtime alert with escalation
Step 3: Set Alert Recipients
Who should be notified?
By Role:
- ☑️ Cell operator (on-device only)
- ☑️ Supervisor
- ☑️ Department manager
- ☑️ Maintenance team
- ☑️ Quality team
- ☑️ Plant manager
By Individual:
- Add specific email addresses
- Add phone numbers for SMS
By Cell Assignment:
- Automatically notify supervisor assigned to that cell
- Notify operators on that cell
📸 Screenshot needed: Recipient selection interface
Step 4: Choose Notification Method
For each recipient, select how they receive the alert:
| Recipient | In-App | SMS | Push | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Supervisor | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Dept Manager | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Operator | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
Notification Preferences:
- Instant: Send immediately when triggered
- Digest: Batch alerts and send summary (hourly, daily)
- Business hours only: Don’t send outside work hours
- Escalation: Send to different people if not acknowledged
📸 Screenshot needed: Notification method preferences
Step 5: Customize Alert Message
Alert Title:
🔴 Cell {cell_name} Behind Schedule
Alert Message:
Cell {cell_name} is {minutes_behind} minutes behind target.
Target: {target_parts} parts
Actual: {actual_parts} parts
Current pace will miss target by {estimated_shortage} parts.
Available Variables:
{cell_name},{part_number},{operator}{target_parts},{actual_parts},{shortage}{scrap_rate},{downtime_minutes},{oee}- And many more…
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert message customization with variables
Step 6: Set Alert Actions
Automatic Actions (optional):
- ☑️ Create maintenance ticket
- ☑️ Log incident in system
- ☑️ Send data snapshot to recipient
- ☑️ Trigger webhook (Enterprise)
- ☑️ Pause related cells
- ☑️ Adjust production schedule
Manual Actions (shown in alert):
- “Acknowledge” button
- “View Cell” link
- “Contact Maintenance” button
- “Add Note” field
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert actions configuration
Step 7: Test & Save
- Click Test Alert to see how it looks
- Verify test notification is delivered
- Adjust as needed
- Click Save Alert
- Alert is now active
📸 Screenshot needed: Test alert preview
Managing Active Alerts
Alert Dashboard
View all active alerts in one place:
Filter by:
- Alert type (production, quality, downtime, system)
- Severity (critical, warning, info)
- Cell or department
- Acknowledged vs. unacknowledged
- Date range
Sort by:
- Most recent first
- Highest severity
- Longest duration
- Most frequent
📸 Screenshot needed: Active alerts dashboard with filters
Alert Status
Alert Lifecycle:
- Triggered: Condition met, alert sent
- Active: Condition still true
- Acknowledged: Someone clicked “acknowledge”
- Resolved: Condition no longer true
- Closed: Manually closed or auto-closed
Status Indicators:
- 🔴 Critical (red) - Immediate attention required
- 🟡 Warning (yellow) - Should address soon
- 🔵 Info (blue) - FYI, no action needed
- 🟢 Resolved (green) - Issue fixed
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert status indicators
Acknowledging Alerts
When you receive an alert:
- View Alert: Click notification or view in dashboard
- Review Details: See what triggered it
- Acknowledge: Click “Acknowledge” button
- Add Note (optional): Document what action you’re taking
- Alert Status Updates: Shows who acknowledged and when
Why Acknowledge?
- Prevents duplicate escalation
- Shows team someone is addressing it
- Creates accountability trail
- Stops repeat notifications (if configured)
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert acknowledgment flow
Alert History
View past alerts to identify patterns:
Alert History Shows:
- When alert triggered
- How long it was active
- Who acknowledged it
- How it was resolved
- Notes and actions taken
- Time to resolution
Use Cases:
- Identify recurring issues
- Track response times
- Review team performance
- Improve alert configuration
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert history with timeline
Pre-Configured Alert Templates
Attainment Tracker includes ready-to-use alert templates:
Production Templates
📋 “Behind Schedule Alert”
- Triggers: 15 minutes behind target
- Notifies: Supervisor
- Method: In-app + email
- Escalates: Manager after 30 minutes
📋 “No Activity Alert”
- Triggers: No production recorded in 15 minutes during scheduled shift
- Notifies: Supervisor + operator device
- Method: In-app + push notification
📋 “Target Achieved”
- Triggers: Daily production target reached
- Notifies: Supervisor + operator
- Method: In-app + push (celebration!)
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert templates library
Quality Templates
📋 “High Scrap Rate”
- Triggers: Scrap rate >5% after 20 parts
- Notifies: Quality team + supervisor
- Method: Email + in-app
- Action: Create quality investigation
📋 “Consecutive Defects”
- Triggers: 3 scrap parts in a row
- Notifies: Operator + supervisor
- Method: Device notification + in-app
- Action: Pause production pending review
Downtime Templates
📋 “Extended Downtime”
- Triggers: Unplanned downtime >10 minutes
- Notifies: Supervisor → Maintenance (escalation)
- Method: In-app + SMS
- Action: Create maintenance ticket
📋 “Repeat Downtime”
- Triggers: Same downtime reason 3x in one shift
- Notifies: Maintenance manager
- Method: Email with detailed log
System Templates
📋 “Device Offline”
- Triggers: Device not syncing for 30 minutes during shift
- Notifies: IT + supervisor
- Method: Email
📋 “Low Battery Warning”
- Triggers: Device battery <20%
- Notifies: Operator device only
- Method: On-device notification
Using Templates:
- Click + Create Alert → Use Template
- Select template
- Customize as needed (or use as-is)
- Save
📸 Screenshot needed: Using an alert template
Alert Best Practices
✅ Do’s
-
Start with Templates
- Use proven configurations
- Modify based on your needs
- Don’t reinvent the wheel
-
Set Appropriate Thresholds
- Not too sensitive (alert fatigue)
- Not too loose (miss issues)
- Adjust based on experience
-
Use Escalation
- First alert to people who can act
- Escalate to managers if unresolved
- Set reasonable escalation timeframes
-
Include Context in Messages
- Use variables for specific data
- Include quick action links
- Make it clear what’s wrong and why it matters
-
Review Alert History
- Weekly review of alerts
- Identify patterns
- Adjust configuration as needed
-
Test Alerts Before Deploying
- Send test notifications
- Verify recipients receive them
- Confirm messages are clear
❌ Don’ts
-
Don’t Over-Alert
- Too many alerts = ignored alerts
- Focus on actionable issues
- Use cooldowns to prevent spam
-
Don’t Alert Everyone for Everything
- Target alerts to who can address them
- Respect people’s time and attention
- Use role-based routing
-
Don’t Set Unrealistic Thresholds
- “Alert when 1 second behind” → noise
- Base thresholds on actual capability
- Allow for normal variation
-
Don’t Forget to Update Alerts
- As processes improve, adjust thresholds
- Disable alerts that aren’t useful
- Regularly audit alert configuration
-
Don’t Ignore Alert Analytics
- Track which alerts are most common
- Measure response times
- Use data to improve processes
Advanced Alert Features
Conditional Alerts
Complex Conditions:
Alert when all of these are true:
- Cell is behind schedule by >15 minutes
- AND scrap rate is >3%
- AND shift is day shift
- AND part number is #12345 or #12346
📸 Screenshot needed: Complex conditional alert builder
Smart Alerts (AI-Powered)
Attainment Tracker supports smart alert capabilities:
Anomaly Detection:
- Alert when OEE drops suddenly (even if above threshold)
- Detect unusual patterns in downtime
- Identify unexpected quality trends
Predictive Alerts:
- Predict likely equipment failure
- Forecast production shortage
- Anticipate quality issues
Pattern Recognition:
- Same issue at same time daily
- Correlation between variables
- Trend deterioration
📸 Screenshot needed: Predictive alert example
Alert Groups
Group related alerts together:
Example: “Quality Issue Response”
- Alert 1: Notify operator to stop production
- Alert 2: Notify quality team to inspect
- Alert 3: Notify supervisor
- Alert 4: Create investigation ticket
- Alert 5: Send data to engineering
All triggered from single quality event
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert group configuration
Integration Alerts
Send alerts to third-party systems:
Slack Integration:
Post to #production-alerts channel when:
- Critical downtime alert triggered
- Include cell name, issue, and "View Details" link
Microsoft Teams:
- Post cards with rich formatting
- Include action buttons
- @mention specific people
Email Ticketing Systems:
- Auto-create tickets in maintenance system
- Include all alert context
- Track to resolution
Custom Webhooks:
- Send JSON payload to any endpoint
- Integrate with your own systems
- Full customization
📸 Screenshot needed: Slack alert integration example
Alert Analytics
Measuring Alert Effectiveness
Key Metrics:
Response Time:
- Average time from alert to acknowledgment
- By alert type, by recipient
- Track improvement over time
Resolution Time:
- How long until issue is fixed
- Correlate with alert severity
- Identify persistent problems
Alert Frequency:
- Which alerts trigger most often
- Are certain cells generating more alerts?
- Is frequency increasing or decreasing?
Alert Usefulness:
- How many alerts lead to action?
- How many are false positives?
- Should thresholds be adjusted?
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert analytics dashboard
Alert Reports
Weekly Alert Summary:
- Total alerts by type
- Most common alerts
- Fastest/slowest response times
- Trends vs. previous week
Monthly Alert Analysis:
- Alert volume trends
- Top alerting cells
- Response time averages
- Recommendations for improvement
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert summary report
Notification Preferences (User Settings)
Each user can customize their personal notification preferences:
Personal Notification Settings
- Go to User Menu → Settings → Notifications
- Configure your preferences
📸 Screenshot needed: Personal notification settings page
Global Settings:
- ☑️ Enable email notifications
- ☑️ Enable SMS notifications (if available)
- ☑️ Enable push notifications (mobile app)
- ☑️ Enable in-app notifications
Quiet Hours:
- Don’t send notifications between 10 PM - 6 AM
- Except critical alerts
- Weekend preferences
Digest Settings:
- Send daily summary at 7:00 AM
- Include unacknowledged alerts only
- Group by cell
Alert Grouping:
- Combine similar alerts into one notification
- Prevent notification spam
- Summary format: “3 cells behind schedule”
Per-Alert Preferences:
- Override settings for specific alert types
- Example: Always SMS for critical downtime, but email for quality
📸 Screenshot needed: Digest notification example
Troubleshooting Alerts
Alerts Not Triggering
Check:
- ✅ Alert is enabled (not paused/disabled)
- ✅ Conditions are actually being met
- ✅ Cell is included in alert scope
- ✅ Current time is within alert active hours
- ✅ Cooldown period hasn’t prevented re-trigger
Not Receiving Notifications
Check:
- ✅ You’re listed as a recipient
- ✅ Email address is correct
- ✅ Check spam/junk folder
- ✅ Phone number is correct (for SMS)
- ✅ Push notifications enabled on device
- ✅ Your notification preferences allow this alert type
Too Many Alerts
Solutions:
- Adjust thresholds (make less sensitive)
- Add cooldown periods
- Use alert grouping
- Switch to digest mode
- Disable low-value alerts
Alerts Triggering Incorrectly
Review:
- Alert condition logic
- Data quality (is input data correct?)
- Cell configuration (cycle times, targets)
- Recent system changes
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert diagnostics panel
Quick Reference
Alert Severity Levels
| Level | Color | Use When | Delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🔴 Critical | Red | Immediate action required | SMS + Email + Push + In-app |
| 🟡 Warning | Yellow | Address soon | Email + In-app |
| 🔵 Info | Blue | FYI, no urgency | In-app only |
| 🟢 Success | Green | Positive milestones | In-app |
Common Alert Thresholds
| Alert Type | Typical Threshold |
|---|---|
| Behind Schedule | 15 minutes |
| No Activity | 10 minutes (during shift) |
| Scrap Rate | 5% after 20 parts |
| Consecutive Scrap | 3 parts |
| Downtime Duration | 10 minutes unplanned |
| OEE Drop | Below 75% |
| Device Offline | 30 minutes |
Need Help with Alerts?
- Documentation: Alert troubleshooting →
- Support: support@swiptools.com
- Live Chat: Click the chat bubble
Best Practice Tip: Start with 3-5 critical alerts, then expand based on what proves useful. Too many alerts at once leads to alert fatigue!
📸 Screenshot needed: Alert best practices infographic
Screenshots