On Friday 19th September Devtank ran our Monthly SBI Dashboard Working Group online session with customer attendees being joined by our technical team members. It’s a forum designed to get the most out of your OpenSmartMonitor dashboard, to share best practices, to ask questions on data or display of data and for us to share updates.
In today’s manufacturing and industrial sectors, data is no longer a “nice-to-have” thing, it’s the driver of efficiency, compliance, and sustainability. But raw numbers on energy usage, environmental performance, or machine health can easily overwhelm people unless they’re turned into clear, actionable insights.
That’s where Devtank’s Sustainable Business Intelligence (SBI) dashboards for OpenSmartMonitor is a proven major benefit for businesses.
What are SBI Dashboards?
At their core, SBI dashboards bring together real-time monitoring hardware (from OpenSense sensors) with an easy-to-use, browser-based platform. The result? A live window into your operations, from energy use and emissions to workplace conditions and machine performance.
Whether you’re a business director, operations director, health & safety manager, plant manager, sustainability officer, or finance lead, the dashboards present the data in a way that make sense to you. Engineers can drill down into detailed technical graphs, while managers can glance at high-level overviews showing energy costs, CO₂ savings, or compliance metrics.
Key features
There are several standout features with Devtank’s SBI Dashboards including:
- Multi-parameter monitoring: track electricity, water, gas, temperature, humidity, particulates, noise, and more from a single dashboard.
- Real-time and historical data: switch between “last 24 hours” or any custom date range to identify patterns or anomalies.
- Zoom and drill-down tools: hover for details, drag to zoom, and explore exactly when and where issues occur.
- Audience-specific overviews: environmental, energy, and managerial dashboards are designed for different stakeholders, so everyone gets clarity without clutter.
How SBI Dashboards works in practice
When you purchase the complete OpenSmartMonitor package, you’ll receive a welcome pack with login details and a personalised dashboard link.
From there:
- Log in via your browser (no special software required)
- Select your dashboard from the home screen (organised by site, machine, or parameter – whatever has been specified with your OpenSmartMonitors order)
- Navigate easily with a side menu to jump between dashboards or return to the overview list
If anything doesn’t work, Devtank’s support team is on hand to help because making data accessible is the whole point.
The technology behind the Devtank dashboards
Under the hood, SBI dashboards are powered by Grafana, a leading open-source visualisation tool. This allows for clear, customisable charts and panels that make environmental and energy data instantly understandable.
Paired with OpenSense devices (which can measure up to 20 parameters depending on configuration), the dashboards provide both the depth and flexibility modern businesses need to translate data into meaningful and useable information.
Why businesses are using SBI
The benefits go well beyond flashy charts:
- Identify inefficiencies fast: spot abnormal spikes in consumption and fix issues before they become costly
- Stay compliant: meet environmental regulations with reliable, timestamped records
- Save costs: cut energy and resource waste by making informed decisions
- Empower decision-makers: give both technical staff and executives the data they need, presented in the right way.
Recognition and real-world impact
OpenSmartMonitor isn’t just theory; it’s already making an impact at a range of businesses from metal manufacturers to bakeries, within the rail sector and within recycling.
OpenSmartMonitors have been recognised through the Made Smarter Smart Manufacturing Data Hub (Lighthouse Project), helping UK manufacturers access cutting-edge monitoring tools with some financial support. Devtank has also earned an OpenUK Sustainability Award (2023) for our contribution to sustainable, open-source innovation.
These recognitions show how SBI dashboards are more than just tech, they’re tools reshaping how industries approach sustainability and efficiency in times when both are important to achieve.
Ready to see SBI and OpenSmartMonitor in action?
Devtank’s OpenSmartMonitor make it easy to explore the dashboards for yourself. Request a demo, and you’ll see how quickly the platform can turn your factory, plant, or site data into a clear, actionable story.
Because at the end of the day, sustainability and profitability go hand in hand and SBI dashboards put that connection right in front of you.
