What a Hospital Visit Taught Me About Real-Time Manufacturing Data
- Matt Ulepic
- Jun 12
- 4 min read

Three days before relocating my family to Harrisburg, PA, my son broke his arm attempting a jump in Tempe, AZ. I’ve been mountain biking for 40 years, and I’d never try the things my kids do!
The break was bad enough to require surgery, but we were fortunate to wait a few days as we made the drive from Arizona to Pennsylvania. When we arrived, we scheduled the procedure at Lancaster Medical Center in PA.
During our visit, something stood out to me that perfectly parallels the value of real-time data in manufacturing—and it left a lasting impression.
Real-Time Information Brings Peace of Mind
At Lancaster Medical Center, the waiting room had real-time display screens that showed exactly where patients were in the surgical process.
We could see:
When our son was in pre-op
When the surgery began
When he was in recovery
Even an estimated time when we would be discharged
As a parent, this was incredibly reassuring. We weren’t left guessing what was happening behind closed doors. We didn’t have to interrupt busy staff to ask for updates. We could simply glance at the display and know exactly where things stood.
The result? Less stress, more trust in the process.
This experience got me thinking—why does this feel so rare in other industries?
The Power of Real-Time Data in Manufacturing
Just a few days later, I visited one of our MachineTracking.com customers: ROM in Belton, MO, a Safe Fleet company.
ROM uses Machine Tracking to monitor welding and assembly progress on their shop floor. As I toured their facility, I realized the parallel between what I had just experienced in the hospital and what we enable for manufacturers every day.
Their production team leverages real-time displays to communicate:
What jobs are being worked on
How far along each job is
When each job is expected to be completed
In both settings—the hospital and the manufacturing floor—this kind of visibility has the same effect:
✅ Reduces stress
✅ Builds trust
✅ Keeps everyone informed
✅ Aligns the team around common expectations
Why Real-Time Visibility Matters
In a hospital, knowing where your loved one is during surgery reduces anxiety and creates a sense of control during an uncertain process.
In manufacturing, real-time visibility offers similar benefits:
For operators:
They know what’s expected of them
They can track their progress visually
They feel more ownership of their work
For supervisors:
They don’t need to chase down status updates
They can proactively manage bottlenecks
They gain trust from their team by keeping information transparent
For leadership:
They can monitor key metrics in real time
They can align teams on delivery expectations
They can reinforce a culture of accountability and transparency
Ultimately, real-time data fosters a culture of trust and alignment—whether you’re managing patients or managing production.
Bridging the Gap Between Data and Action
One of the reasons I’m passionate about Machine Tracking is that we make real-time production data accessible and actionable.
Far too often, manufacturers have valuable data trapped in complex systems:
ERP reports that get reviewed once a month
Spreadsheets that require manual updates
Metrics that only a few people ever see
When data is hidden or difficult to access, it becomes reactive, not proactive.
But when you put simple, visual displays on the shop floor, you’re empowering your entire team to:
See what’s happening now
Understand what needs to be done next
Spot issues early, before they impact delivery
It’s exactly like the waiting room displays at the hospital. The information wasn’t locked away on a nurse’s computer—it was shared openly, building trust and keeping everyone aligned.
Why This Approach Works
At MachineTracking.com, we’ve seen time and again that real-time visibility changes behavior:
Teams become more engaged when they can see their progress.
Managers become more proactive when they can spot trends early.
Leadership gains confidence when they know their data is accurate and current.
And most importantly, customers tell us this level of visibility drives measurable improvements in:
Machine uptime
Machine utilization
Production output
On-time delivery
A Broader Lesson for Manufacturers
My experience at the hospital reminded me that manufacturers can’t underestimate the power of visibility.
Yes, we all want to improve uptime and output. But beyond the numbers, real-time visibility improves how people feel about their work and how aligned your teams are.
When people trust the data and know where things stand, you build:
Ownership among operators
Accountability among supervisors
Confidence among leadership
That’s a competitive advantage you won’t find in a spreadsheet.
Real-time visibility isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s becoming an expectation. The same way I now expect a hospital to keep me informed during my son’s surgery, more and more manufacturing teams are expecting to know:
Which machines are running
What progress is being made
When work will be completed
When that information is readily available and easy to understand, everyone wins.
At MachineTracking.com, we’re proud to help manufacturers bring that level of clarity to their shop floors every day.
And if a simple display in a hospital can ease the minds of nervous parents, imagine what the right visibility can do for your production team.
If you’re ready to put real-time data to work in your operation, let’s talk.