Industry & manufacturing

From improvised rotas to sustained production

AI-powered shift planning for industry and manufacturing. Production lines always covered, workers assigned by skills, and overtime under control.

Book a demo See features
Shifts by production line Multi-skilling Payroll variables Time tracking Demand forecasting
Production lines

Scheduling by role, skill and production line

Every worker has a competency profile: the lines they can operate, the roles they master and their assignment priorities. Plain cross-references that data with production demand and generates schedules where there is always a qualified person on every line — no reliance on the line manager's memory.

  • Skills and certifications per worker
  • Multi-skilling: assignment to the highest-priority available line
  • Configurable line priority per shift and day
  • Alerts for lines without qualified coverage before publishing
Scheduling by production lines — Plain
AI Engine

The entire plant schedule, generated in seconds

Plain evaluates dozens of constraints simultaneously — skills, rest periods, collective agreement, demand, multi-skilling — and builds the optimal schedule at 15-minute granularity. What used to take hours now takes seconds.

1
Loads production demand
15-minute slots per line, shift and day. Distinguishes campaign peaks, scheduled stoppages and maintenance windows.
2
Cross-references each worker's profile
Certified skills, approved lines, contracts, availability, holidays and medical restrictions.
3
Solves the optimal assignment problem
Minimises overtime and cost, maximises coverage and balances workload across the team. Result in seconds.

Examples of constraints it handles

Min. 12h rest between shifts Max. 5 consecutive nights Line 3 requires level 2 H&S cert Min. 1 supervisor per shift Max. 9h working day Fair rotation of public holidays No 2 new starters on critical line Multi-skilling: assign to priority line Holiday freeze during audit week Fixed shift preference by contract
AI Engine · Week 23 · North Plant ✓ Generated in 4s
42
workers assigned
100%
lines covered
0
violations detected
Worker
Morning
Afternoon
Night
Pedro M.
Line A
06:00–14:00
—
—
Rosa V.
Line B · Line A
—
14:00–22:00
—
Iván T.
Maintenance
—
—
22:00–06:00
Nuria S.
Quality
07:00–15:00
—
—
Luis C.
Supervisor
06:00–14:00
—
—
Verified constraints ✓ Minimum rest periods ✓ Skills per line ✓ Maximum hours ✓ Supervisor assigned
Worker app

Everything the worker needs, in their pocket

The team checks their shift, clocks in, requests holidays and signs documents from their phone. No paper, no notice boards, no calls to the line manager. The app works on iOS and Android and is included in all plans.

  • Shifts published with instant push notification
  • Shift swap and holiday requests from the app
  • Tablet clock-in terminal installed on the factory floor
  • Payslips and documents accessible at any time
Plain App · Pedro M. Online
Your shift today
06:00 — 14:00
Line A · North Plant
Clocked in ✓
Clock-in 05:58
View schedule
Swap shift
Request holiday
My documents
Schedule published — week 24
Monday 06:00 · Tuesday off · Wednesday 14:00
Payroll

Payroll variables connected to operational reality

Scheduling decisions have a direct impact on payroll. Plain centralises the salary variables generated day to day — shifts, nights, public holidays, overtime, absences and last-minute changes — and translates them into reliable, consistent data.

  • Overtime, night shift premium and public holidays exported to payroll
  • Compatible with SAP, Integrho, a3, Grupo Castilla
  • No more checking spreadsheets or copying data between systems
Payroll export Synced
SAP
SAP HCM
a3
a3innuva
GC
Grupo Castilla
IH
Integrho
June 2026 export
86 workers · 24 night shifts · 8 hours overtime
Ready
Time tracking

Digital time tracking, without friction

Meet working time recording requirements without complex installations or unnecessary hardware or software costs. The team logs in and out from their phone or via a tablet clock-in terminal on the factory floor.

  • Clock-in from mobile or terminal on the factory floor
  • Automatic alerts for shift deviations
  • Automatic reports ready for labour inspections
Clock-in terminal · Plant Online
PM
Pedro Morales · Line A
Clock-in: 06:01 · Morning shift
On shift
IT
Iván Torres · Maintenance
Clock-in: 22:02 · Night shift
On shift
Working hours — Legally compliant
Vacations & absences

Two-level approval and hourly absences

The worker requests from the app. The line manager approves or rejects first. HR reviews and confirms as the second level. Everything is recorded, with automatic notifications at each step and no need for calls or paperwork.

  • Configurable workflow: line manager → HR
  • Hourly absences: medical appointments, errands, personal leave
  • Holiday balance and hours bank always up to date
  • Team visibility to prevent uncovered lines
Requests · North Plant 2 pending
PM
Pedro M. — Holiday
14 Jul – 21 Jul · 5 working days
Level 1 · Line manager
Approved
Level 2 · HR
Pending
RV
Rosa V. — Hourly absence
Today · 10:00–12:00 · Medical
Level 1 · Line manager
Approved
Level 2 · HR
Approved
18
days available
4h
hours bank used
2
active requests
Document management

All your team's documentation, paperless and inbox-free

Contracts, machinery certifications, payslips and H&S documents signed digitally. Accessible from any device, on the factory floor or in the office.

One folder per worker, instant access

Centralise contracts, machinery certifications, H&S records and professional category documents linked to each worker. HR manages them from the dashboard and employees view them from the app.

  • Contracts, renewals and professional categories
  • Machinery, forklift and H&S certifications
  • Accessible from web and mobile app
Documents · Javier M.
Permanent contract.pdfView
Forklift cert.pdfView
ID (front).jpgView
H&S record — Line 3.pdfView
+ Upload document

Features

Everything Plain includes for industry

AI & Scheduling
AI engine with 15-minute granularity · Dozens of simultaneous constraints · Multi-skilling and line priority · Schedule generated in seconds
Skills & lines
Certifications and competencies per worker · Assignment to highest-priority line · Alerts for lines without qualified coverage · H&S and licence management
Time tracking
Tablet clock-in terminal · Mobile clock-in with geolocation · Legally valid time records · Reports for labour inspections
Payroll variables
Automatic overtime, night shift premium and public holidays · Integration with SAP, a3, Integrho, Grupo Castilla · No copying data between systems
Vacations & absences
Request and approval from the app · Hours bank and holiday balance · Sick leave and incident management · Real-time team visibility
Document management
Contracts and certifications per worker · Payslip distribution · Digital signing with Signaturit · Secure storage of H&S documents

Frequently asked questions

How does Plain work for industry?

Plain is a cloud solution for scheduling shifts, managing absences and holidays, and tracking working hours in industrial environments. It lets you create schedules by location, plant or production line, prioritising skills, roles and key profiles according to operational needs. Everything is centralised and updated in real time, regardless of department or location, and is accessible from any device.

Do you need to be an HR specialist to use it?

No. Plain is designed with a clear, straightforward user experience, built for teams where many people are not technical profiles. Anyone can use it without prior training, from day one. The team accesses their shifts from their phone and communicates changes, incidents or absences in real time, without complex processes or intermediaries.

What plans does Plain offer?

Plain works on a single per-user pricing plan. Each active person is priced from €2.50 per month, with access to all features. You can add or remove users at any time from the control panel, with no lock-in or complications.

Can I create custom reports?

Yes. All activity is recorded and monitored. Plain lets you generate custom reports on shifts, hours worked, absences and labour costs, making it easy to take decisions based on the real situation of the company and the team.

Demo available now

The best factories
use Plain

In 30 minutes we'll show you how Plain can transform shift planning at your industrial plant. No commitment, no jargon.

Book a free demo
611 991 978 [email protected]