Most automation projects in manufacturing don’t fail because the technology is flawed, they fail because the data feeding the workflows is incomplete, inconsistent, or unreliable. Before you digitize a process, add AI into a workflow, or automate a repetitive task, you must first understand the data that powers it.
In mid-sized plants running on paper, spreadsheets, tribal knowledge, and aging ERPs, the hardest part of automation is not the automation itself, it’s establishing a clean, usable foundation of real operational inputs.

Automation only works when the data behind it is:

• Accurate

• Consistent

• Structured

• Timely

• Captured at the right moment

• Captured by the right person

• Relevant to the decisions you want to automate

This guide shows exactly how to collect the right data before automating any workflow so the automation is stable, trusted, and genuinely improves plant operations.

The 3 Questions You Must Answer Before Automating Anything

1. What decision are we trying to improve?

Automation is simply decision support made faster and more reliable.
Before collecting data, define the decision:

• Are we trying to reduce scrap?

• Speed up troubleshooting?

• Improve changeovers?

• Accelerate maintenance?

• Eliminate paperwork?

• Improve shift communication?

The decision determines the dataset, not the other way around.

2. Who currently has the information needed to support the decision?

Is the required information held by:

• Operators?

• Supervisors?

• Maintenance?

• Quality?

• A machine controller?

• A spreadsheet?

• A paper traveler?

You cannot automate decisions if the input data lives in the wrong place or the wrong format.

3. When does the data need to be captured for the automation to work?

Bad timing kills automation.
Data must be captured when the event occurs, not at the end of shift or during a rushed handoff.

The 5 Principles of Collecting the Right Data for Automation

1. Start With “Minimum Viable Data” (MVD), Not Complete Data

Plants do not need a complete dataset to automate a workflow, they need a useful one.

MVD asks:
“What is the smallest set of fields that enables accurate decision-making?”

For example:

• Downtime codes → maybe 5 categories, not 40

• Scrap causes → 6 high-level drivers

• Setup verification → 5 key checkpoints

• Maintenance triage → 3 priority levels

• Shift summary → top 3 issues + notes

Complexity kills consistency.
Start small and refine as needed.

2. Collect Data as Close to the Source as Possible

Automation accuracy collapses when data passes through too many hands.

Ideal capture sequence:

• Operators log downtime and scrap

• Machines provide run/stop and cycle time

• Supervisors categorize patterns

• Maintenance confirms failure causes

Paper sheets, delayed logging, and after-the-fact transcription create noise that destroys automation reliability.

3. Prioritize Data That Reflects Behavior, Not Just Events

Most plants track what happened.
Automation requires understanding why it happened.

Useful fields:

• Reason codes

• Operator notes

• Machine state before the issue

• Material lot information

• Temperature or speed variance

• Time of day / shift pattern

Behavior reveals patterns, patterns power automation.

4. Validate Data Consistency Across Shifts

One shift tagging scrap as “material,” another as “adjustment,” another as “equipment,” makes automation impossible.

Consistency comes from:

• Clear definitions

• Simple categories

• Supervisor coaching

• Quick refresher training

• Operator-friendly tools

Automation requires data that means the same thing across people and shifts.

5. Capture Data in a Workflow That Reflects Reality

Automation fails when the data model assumes a perfect world.

Examples of mistakes:

• Expecting operators to type long notes

• Forcing maintenance to log every step

• Requiring supervisors to reclassify everything

• Adding forms during peak hours

Data collection must fit into:

• Natural breaks

• Natural pauses

• Natural transitions

• Natural operator behaviors

If the workflow is inconvenient, data will degrade, and automation breaks.

The 4-Step Workflow for Collecting the Right Data Before Automating

Step 1 ,  Map the Existing Process

Understand:

• Who touches the process

• What triggers the workflow

• Where delays occur

• What information is currently missing

• What paperwork or spreadsheets exist

Do not automate anything you haven’t observed directly.

Step 2 ,  Define the Required Data Inputs

For each step in the workflow, identify what data is essential.

Example: Automating downtime categorization
You need:

• Timestamp

• Machine state (run/stop)

• Operator reason code

• Optional operator note

Example: Automating maintenance triage
You need:

• Failure type

• Duration

• Priority

• Equipment ID

• Leading symptoms

Define the minimum, not the maximum.

Step 3 ,  Simplify the Data Model

Use:

• Short dropdown lists

• One-tap categories

• Voice input

• Auto-filled fields

• Defaults where possible

Make it nearly impossible to log data incorrectly.

Step 4 ,  Collect Data for 2–4 Weeks Before Automation

This is the “confidence-building” phase.

Goals:

• Confirm data consistency

• Confirm operator adoption

• Identify missing fields

• Establish baseline patterns

• Test early AI insights in shadow mode

Once the data reaches consistent quality, automation becomes stable.

What Good Pre-Automation Data Looks Like

You’re ready to automate when data is:

• Consistent across shifts

• Captured by the right person

• Captured in real time

• Simple to log

• Structured (dropdowns, categories)

• Behaviorally relevant

• Validated by supervisors

• Reinforced by the daily rhythm

Most plants reach this point in 30–45 days with the right workflows.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Over-collecting data that doesn’t change decisions

• Building complex forms operators ignore

• Expecting perfect accuracy on Day 1

• Delaying automation until integrations are complete

• Letting every shift use different definitions

• Using a massive taxonomy that nobody remembers

• Attempting automation before validating patterns

• Assigning data entry to the wrong role

Avoid friction → improve data → enable automation.

How Harmony Helps Plants Collect the Right Data

Harmony works on-site to design operator-ready workflows and collect high-quality data before automation begins.

Harmony helps manufacturers:

• Map workflows on the floor

• Identify minimum viable data fields

• Build simple, bilingual digital forms

• Deploy one-tap and voice-enabled logging

• Introduce AI in shadow mode

• Validate patterns and consistency

• Prepare workflows for automation

• Roll out automation safely and incrementally

This ensures automation is built on reliable, real-world data, not assumptions.

Key Takeaways

• Automation is only as good as the data behind it.

• Collect minimum viable data, not complete data.

• Capture inputs at the source and at the moment events occur.

• Standardize categories and definitions before automating.

• Use shadow mode to validate insights before relying on them.

• A 2–4 week clean data capture period dramatically increases automation success.

Want help collecting the right data before automating your next workflow?

Harmony leads on-site data capture, workflow design, and AI-ready deployment for mid-sized manufacturers.

Visit TryHarmony.ai