Downtime Category Hierarchies in Kanoa MES v1.14: For Structured Downtime Tracking

Downtime tracking is one of the most important parts of any MES deployment — but it’s also one of the most variable.

Some manufacturing teams want a simple, lightweight way to record downtime reasons:

• Mechanical
• Material
• Operator
• Quality

That approach works well in many environments, especially early in a rollout.

Other organizations, however, need more structure:

• They have internal downtime classification standards
• They want deeper granularity for reliability analysis
• They integrate downtime data into CMMS or ERP systems
• They need consistent reporting across multiple lines or sites

To support those more structured use cases, Kanoa MES v1.14 introduces hierarchical downtime categories.

This feature doesn’t replace flat categorization — it simply adds an additional level of flexibility for teams that want it.

From Flat Lists to Hierarchies (When You Need Them)

Before v1.14, every downtime state in Kanoa MES was assigned a category from a single-level list.

Now, downtime categories can optionally be organized into a hierarchy.

So instead of selecting only:

Mechanical

A team can choose something more specific, such as:

Mechanical → Maintenance → Lubrication

Or:

Mechanical → Breakdown → Bearing Failure

This provides a way to capture additional context without forcing every implementation into a more complex structure.

If a flat list is sufficient for your operation, nothing changes — you can continue using it exactly as before.

A Key Distinction: State Type vs Downtime Category

One important design detail in Kanoa MES is that downtime categories are separate from downtime accounting types.

Every state in Kanoa has a State Type, such as:

• Running
• Planned Downtime
• Unplanned Downtime

That State Type answers:

How should this time be treated in OEE and availability calculations?

Downtime categories answer a different question:

What was the reason or context for this downtime?

For example:

• State Type: Unplanned Downtime
• Category: Mechanical → Breakdown → Bearing Failure

Or:

• State Type: Planned Downtime
• Category: Mechanical → Maintenance → Inspection

This separation keeps production accounting consistent, while allowing downtime reasons to be as simple or as detailed as your organization needs.

Why Add Hierarchical Categories?

Hierarchical downtime categories are useful in cases where teams want to group downtime reasons at multiple levels.

Some common scenarios include:

More Granular Root Cause Tracking

A single category like “Mechanical” may be enough for reporting — but some teams want to distinguish between:

• Routine maintenance work
• True equipment breakdowns
• Specific failure modes

Hierarchies make that kind of distinction easier.

Standardization Across Lines or Sites

In multi-line or multi-site deployments, different teams often use slightly different terminology.

A hierarchy allows organizations to define:

• Shared top-level categories
• Site-specific subcategories underneath

This supports consistency without losing flexibility.

Integration with Maintenance and Reliability Systems

Some manufacturers structure downtime data to align with CMMS workflows, maintenance reporting, or reliability programs.

Hierarchical categories can provide cleaner mappings into those systems.

Better Reporting Rollups and Drill-Down

Hierarchies allow teams to answer both:

• “How much downtime was mechanical overall?”
• “What portion of that was lubrication vs breakdowns?”

This is especially helpful for teams doing deeper continuous improvement work.

Example Category Hierarchies

Here are a few realistic examples of how integrators might structure downtime categories.

Mechanical

• Mechanical
  • Maintenance
    • Lubrication
    • Scheduled Inspection
    • Belt Replacement
  • Breakdown
    • Bearing Failure
    • Seal Leak
    • Gearbox Fault

Electrical

• Electrical
  • Sensors
    • Photoeye Misalignment
    • Encoder Failure
  • Drives
    • VFD Trip
    • Motor Overload
  • Controls
    • PLC Fault
    • Network Loss

Process-Related

• Process
  • Material Flow
    • Jam
    • Hopper Empty
  • Setup / Startup
    • Parameter Adjustment
    • Changeover Stabilization

Operator / Workflow

• Operator
  • Staffing
    • Shift Change
    • Break Coverage
  • Procedure
    • Manual Intervention
    • Training Needed

Again, these are optional — some customers may only ever use the top level, and that’s perfectly valid.

The hierarchy is there for teams who want additional structure.

What This Means for Integrators

For systems integrators and implementation teams, this feature adds another tool for tailoring Kanoa MES to customer requirements.

It enables deployments that can support:

• Simple downtime tracking out of the box
• More detailed classification when needed
• Customer-specific standards and terminology
• Long-term scalability as reporting maturity increases

Most importantly, it allows integrators to meet customers where they are:

• Start simple
• Add granularity over time
• Structure downtime data in a way that fits the operation

A Small Feature That Unlocks More Flexibility

Downtime categorization is not one-size-fits-all.

Some teams want broad visibility.
Others want deep reliability insight.
Many evolve from one to the other over time.

With hierarchical downtime categories in Kanoa MES v1.14, we’re making it easier to support both — without forcing complexity on anyone who doesn’t need it.