Andon Boards
Configure and deploy Andon display screens for real-time shopfloor KPI visibility without user authentication.
Overview
Andon boards are large-screen displays designed for shopfloor visibility. They show real-time KPI data, safety metrics, and alert status on TVs, monitors, or projectors without requiring users to log in. Each Andon board is powered by a secure embed token that grants read-only access to a specific board’s KPI data.
The term “Andon” comes from lean manufacturing — a visual management tool that signals the current state of production, typically using color-coded indicators.
How Andon Boards Work
- An admin creates an Andon token for a specific board.
- The token generates a unique URL that can be opened on any device.
- The display automatically refreshes KPI data at the configured interval.
- No login is required — the token authenticates the display.
The Andon page fetches data through a public API endpoint (andon.getData) that validates the embed token and returns only KPI data — no items, comments, or user information are exposed.
Creating an Andon Token
Open Andon Settings
Navigate to Settings > Andon Boards in your organization admin panel.
Select a Board
Choose the board whose KPI data the Andon display should show. The dropdown lists all boards in your organization.
Configure the Display
Fill in the token settings:
| Setting | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Label | A name for this Andon screen (e.g., “Line-3 Shopfloor TV”) | Required |
| Layout | Display layout mode (see layouts below) | sqcdp |
| Theme | Visual theme: dark, light, or high-contrast | dark |
| Cycle Duration | Seconds between layout rotations (10-3600) | 60 |
| Refresh Interval | Seconds between data refreshes (15-3600) | 30 |
| Focus KPI | Optional single KPI to highlight in focus layout | None |
| Alert Audio | Play an audio alert when a KPI breaches its threshold | Off |
| Expiration | Optional token expiration date | No expiration |
Copy the Display URL
After creation, copy the Andon display URL. Open this URL in a browser on your shopfloor display device.
Layout Modes
| Layout | Description |
|---|---|
| SQCDP | Five-panel layout organized by Safety, Quality, Cost, Delivery, and People categories. Each panel shows relevant KPIs with traffic-light status. |
| Grid | A responsive grid of KPI cards, auto-sized to fill the screen. Best for displays showing many KPIs at once. |
| Focus | A single large KPI display with trend chart. Use the focusKpiId setting to select which KPI to spotlight. |
| Alerts | Shows only KPIs that are currently in amber or red status. The screen is blank (green) when all KPIs are healthy. |
Layout Cycling
When multiple layouts are configured (via the layouts array), the display automatically rotates between them at the configured cycle duration. For example, you can cycle between SQCDP and Alerts views every 60 seconds.
Theme Options
| Theme | Best For |
|---|---|
| Dark | Well-lit shopfloor environments with glare. White text on dark background provides high readability. |
| Light | Office environments or conference rooms with controlled lighting. |
| High-contrast | Maximum visibility at distance. Uses bold colors and large fonts optimized for large-screen displays mounted far from viewers. |
Managing Andon Tokens
Listing Tokens
The Andon settings page lists all active tokens for your organization with:
- Token label and associated board name
- Layout and theme settings
- Creation date
- Expiration date (if set)
Revoking a Token
Click Revoke to permanently invalidate an Andon token. The display will stop receiving data immediately and show an authentication error. This action cannot be undone — to restore the display, create a new token.
Revoking a token immediately disconnects the Andon display. If the display is in a production area, coordinate with the shift supervisor before revoking.
Security Model
- Andon tokens are stored in the
embed_tokenstable withentityType: "andon". - The
getDataendpoint is a public procedure — no user session is required. Authentication is performed by validating the embed token. - Only KPI data is returned through the public endpoint. Items, comments, user information, and other board data are never exposed.
- Token creation, listing, and revocation require an authenticated admin session.
- All token operations are scoped to the current organization for multi-tenant isolation.
- Token activity (creation, revocation) is recorded in the organization’s audit log.
Deployment Guide
Recommended Hardware
| Component | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Display | 43” or larger TV/monitor, 1080p minimum, landscape orientation |
| Device | Raspberry Pi 4, Intel NUC, or any device with a modern browser |
| Browser | Chromium in kiosk mode (--kiosk --app=URL) |
| Network | Wired Ethernet preferred for reliability |
Kiosk Mode Setup
To run the Andon display in full-screen kiosk mode on a Raspberry Pi:
chromium-browser --kiosk --app="https://acme.probeya.com/andon/{token}" \
--disable-restore-session-state --noerrdialogs
Set the device to auto-start the browser on boot and configure automatic power management to turn the display on/off with the shift schedule.
Best Practices
- Use dark theme on shopfloors — it reduces glare and improves readability under fluorescent lighting.
- Set refresh intervals appropriately — 30 seconds is suitable for most KPIs. Reduce to 15 seconds only for safety-critical metrics.
- Use focus layout for critical KPIs — when one metric demands immediate attention (e.g., during a product launch), use focus mode to put it front and center.
- Set token expiration — for temporary displays (e.g., during a kaizen event), set an expiration date so the token auto-expires when no longer needed.
- Test before mounting — verify the display URL works correctly on the target device before mounting hardware on the shopfloor wall.
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