Patent Publication Number: US-6336053-B1

Title: Graphical user interface shop floor control system

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention generally relates to a shop floor control system that tracks, controls and reports information relating to the operation of a factory. In particular, this invention is directed to a graphical user interface for a shop floor control system. Specifically, this invention is directed to a graphical user interface that represents the physical layout of the factory. 
     2. Description of Related Art 
     A shop floor control system is an industry standard term describing a computer-based system that tracks, controls and reports information related to the operation of a factory. Shop floor control systems typically track inventory, production and labor hours. Traditionally, the conventional shop floor control systems have been accessed by employees through a set of menus, including pull down menus, data entry forms, including dialog boxes, and browsers. 
     For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,398,336 and 5,548,756 to Tantry et al. (which share the same specification) describe an object-oriented architecture for a factory floor management system that models factory floor entities as factory objects within a relational database. Workers on the factory floor interact with the factory floor management system through X-terminal or bar code devices. The workers+ interactions with these devices generate database service requests that are used to retrieve, manipulate and update data stored within the relational database. U.S. Pat. No. 5,530,857 to Gimza describes a shop floor control method and system having a menu-based user interface employed by the interface units of the system. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention provides a graphical user interface shop floor control system. 
     This invention further provides a graphical user interface shop floor control system that graphically represents the factory, including individual production machines, storage locations, offices and other pertinent areas. 
     This invention additionally provides a graphical user interface shop floor control system that uses selectable icons to represent the individual factory entities or elements, such as the production machines, storage locations, offices and other pertinent areas and elements of the factory. 
     This invention additionally provides a graphical user interface shop floor control system that displays areas of the factory, where the selectable icons are positioned within the interface at relative locations corresponding to the locations on the factory floor occupied by the represented element. 
     This invention further provides a graphical user interface shop floor control system where the selectable icons, when selected, allow information relating to the represented factory element within the shop floor control system to be displayed and/or updated. 
     This invention also provides a graphical user interface shop floor control system where the selectable icons are color-encoded according to the status of the represented factory element. 
     In the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, a company, and particularly a factory, are represented at different levels of detail. A main menu screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system provides buttons for accessing subscreens for particular portions of the factory, or more generally, the company. A manufacturing menu screen accessible through a manufacturing button of the main menu provides manufacturing-specific buttons providing access to different schedules, statistical analyses, supplies and inventories and the like. Most importantly, the manufacturing menu provides a shop layout button that provides access to factory screens that represent the actual physical layout of a factory at different levels of detail. Thus, the main menu screen and the various menus immediately under the main menu, such as the manufacturing menu screen, provide differing levels of details of the organizational structure of the company, while the shop layout screens provide differing levels of detail of the physical structure of the factory. A first shop layout screen of the shop floor graphical user interface depicts a factory at a first level of detail. Additional shop layout screens of the shop floor graphical user interface depict portions of the factory shown in the first level at increasing levels of detail, until a shop floor screen of the shop floor graphical user interface control system is reached. 
     At each level of detail, the displayed shop layout screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system contains a scale representation of the corresponding portion of the factory. Displayed entities or elements of the factory having corresponding screens in the graphical user interface shop floor control system are represented by selectable icons. The selectable icons have shapes or graphics that correspond to the actual shapes or appearances, respectively, of the represented entities or elements. Thus, on the first shop layout screen, the entire factory site is represented, in scale, with each area of the factory having its own screen in the graphical user interface shop floor control system represented by either a correspondingly-shaped icon or an icon containing a graphic corresponding to an appearance of the represented area. In a small factory, it is likely the next level of detail contains the shop floor screens for the actual shop floors of the factory, and the selectable icons on the first level screen represent those shop floors. In a very large factory, there may be intermediate level screens between the first level screen and the shop floor screens. 
     Each shop floor screen depicts the actual shop floor of the factory and includes icons representing the various machines, storage locations, offices and other factory elements of the shop floor. These icons are positioned at locations within the shop floor screen corresponding to the actual locations on the shop floor occupied by the represented factory elements. Each of the icons representing the various factory elements of the depicted shop floor either is shaped according to the actual shape of the represented factory element, or includes a graphic modeled after the represented factory element, or both. Each icon can be shown using a color coding that represents the actual status of the represented element. Most icons on the shop floor screen are selectable. The shop floor screen also includes a number of global function buttons that control the user&#39;s interaction with the selectable icons representing the factory elements of the depicted shop floor. 
     Depending on the function button selected, different control events or dialogue boxes are immediately displayed, or are displayed once one of the selectable icons is selected. These dialogue boxes include a machine status screen that allows the user to view and update the status of a machine element of the factory; a containers screen that allows the user to view and update data regarding containers stored within a storage area of the factory; a machine log-in screen that allows a user to determine which employees are logged into the various machines or onto other elements of the factory; a production screen that allows a user to assign new production jobs to various machine elements of the factory floor; and a machine log screen that allows maintenance on the machine elements of the factory floor to be scheduled and recorded. 
     Depending on the size and nature of the factory, additional shop layout screens for other functions can also be implemented. Such screens can include materials receiving and shipping docks, materials transport systems and the like. Similarly, other organizational portions of the company, such as sales, shipping and receiving, materials, supplies, purchasing, personnel, accounting and the like can have subsidiary screens allowing particular data to be viewed and/or entered into the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, and providing physical layouts of the offices of the company corresponding to these organizational structures. 
     Additionally, the various layout screens do not have to be static. That is, various animations can be provided for these layout screens to represent movement of materials both on the shop floor and acceptance of movement information corresponding to the moved materials by the graphical user interface shop floor control system. Furthermore, such movement information is not limited to materials but could include purchase orders and the like. Such animations also can include status-dependent animations of the various factory element icons of the various layout screens. Similarly, the data entry screens do not need to be static, but can import and display information on the various data entry screens from bar code scanners, keyboards, scales, and the like, and from the database of the graphical user interface shop floor control system. Moreover, one or more of the various selectable icons of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can be color encoded based on an assigned status of the underlying factory element represented by a particular selectable icon. 
     The shop floor screen also allows the status of machines to be changed, employees to be logged onto various machines; and data concerning the location of materials on the shop floor to be updated. 
     These and other features and advantages of this invention are described in or are apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The preferred embodiments of this invention will be described in detail, with reference to the following figures, wherein: 
     FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a networked computer system on which the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can be implemented; 
     FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing in greater detail the elements of the server system of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram showing in greater detail the elements of the client systems of FIG. 1; 
     FIG. 4 is a main menu screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention depicting the organizational structure of a company; 
     FIG. 5 is a menu factoring menu screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention depicting the organizational and physical structures of the manufacturing structure shown in FIG. 4; 
     FIG. 6 is a factory layout screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 7 is a first shop floor screen for a production shop of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention depicting the Threaded Rod area of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 8 is a second shop floor screen for a production shop of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention depicting the Specials Area  2  of FIG. 6; 
     FIG. 9 shows a machine status screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention for a machine having a “production” status; 
     FIG. 10 shows a second machine status screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention for a machine having a “maintenance” status; 
     FIG. 11 is a containers screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 12 is a shelf screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention for a large storage location; 
     FIG. 13 shows the threaded rod area shop floor screen when used to log a worker onto or off of one or more machine elements of the factory floor; 
     FIG. 14 shows a machine log-in screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 15 shows a new production screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 16 shows a select production screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 17 shows a machine log-maintenance record screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 18 shows the Threaded Rod Area shop floor screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention used to display the current location of a given container on the depicted shop floor; 
     FIG. 19 shows the Specials Area  2  shop floor screen used to enter data to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention when transferring materials within the depicted shop floor; 
     FIG. 20 is a compilation of a number of slightly different icon graphics for a particular machine for animating the production status for that machine; 
     FIG. 21 is a machine log screen of the manufacturing menu of FIG. 5 according to this invention; 
     FIG. 22 is a machine status summary screen of the reports and graphs menu of the manufacturing menu of FIG. 5 of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 23 is a machines list screen of the manufacturing menu of FIG. 5 of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 24 is a preventative maintenance schedule screen of the manufacturing menu of FIG. 5 according to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 25 is a task list screen of the manufacturing menu of FIG. 5 according to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; 
     FIG. 26 is a third type of shop screen for a job or production shop according to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention; and 
     FIG. 27 is a layout screen for a job shop according to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     The graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention represents a factory and its various departments, production areas, shop floors and other factory elements. Such factory elements can include machines, storage locations, shop floor offices, work centers, loading docks, material transport systems and the like. In general, in the following detailed description and claims, the term “shop floor” means any area or portion of the factory, or more generally, the manufacturing operation, that generates information about the manufacturing operation to be stored in the manufacturing information database described below. 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention is preferably implemented using a local area network  100 . In particular, the local area network  100  comprises a server system  112  positioned in a location A  110  of the factory. In general, the location A  110  will usually be in the administrative offices of the factory. The server system  112  is connected by the communications network  114  to a number of client systems. While only three client systems  124 ,  128  and  132  are shown in FIG. 1, it should be appreciated that any number of client systems can be connected to the server system  112  by the communications network  114 . 
     As shown in FIG. 1, the client system  124  is located on the shop floor of a shop  122  of a location B  120  of the factory. The location B  120  of the factory also includes a second shop  126  in which the second client system  128  is located. Similarly, the client system  132  is located in a material storage location A  130  of the factory. It should also be appreciated that, if the shop floors of the shops  122  and  126  are sufficiently large, any number of client systems can be located on such shop floors. Likewise, if the material storage location A  130  is sufficiently large, additional client systems can also be located in the material storage location A  130 . It should further be appreciated that the typical factory will have additional material storage locations and other material storage areas, and each of these will have at least one client system. 
     FIG. 2 shows in greater detail the server system  112  of FIG.  1 . As shown in FIG. 2, the server system  112  is preferably implemented on a general purpose computer  200  comprising, in part, a controller  210 , a ROM  220 , a hard drive  230 , a RAM  240 , a relational database  250  that stores the information described below, a display generator/interface  260 , a network interface  270 , and an input interface  280 . A touch-screen display  262  is connected to the output of the display generator-interface  260 . Connected to the general purpose computer  200  through the input interface  280  are one or more of a mouse  282 , a keyboard  284 , a bar code scanner  286  and the touch-screen display  262 . 
     It should be appreciated that, in FIG. 2, the various elements of the general purpose computer  200  are represented on a functional basis, rather than a structural basis. Thus, the input interface  280  and the display generator/interface  260  may actually be implemented by a number of different hardware structures, by a single hardware structure, or by two or more hardware structures that combine different ones of the functional features provided by the input interface  280  and the display generator/interface  260 . Similarly, the data structures represented by the relational database  250  may be stored, at various times, on the hard drive  230 , the RAM  240 , and/or an internal cache memory of the controller  210 . 
     Finally, it should be appreciated that, while FIG. 1 shows the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention implemented as a client/server local area network, any known system for interconnecting the server system  112  and the various client systems  124 ,  128  and  132  can instead be used. In particular, a wide area network, an intranet, the Internet, or any other type of distributed network can be used to implement the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
     Additionally, while FIG. 2 shows the server system  112  implemented using a general purpose computer  200 , it should be appreciated that the server system  112  can also be implemented on a special purpose computer, a programmed microprocessor or microcontroller and peripheral integrated circuit elements, and ASIC or other integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a hard wired electronic or a logic circuit such as a discrete element circuit, a programmable logic device such as a PLD, PLA, FPGA or PAL, or the like. In general, any device capable of implementing the relational database  250  and generating the various screens and other elements of the graphical user interface described below can be used to implement the server system  112 . 
     Similarly, the RAM  240  is preferably implemented using static or dynamic RAM. However, the RAM  240  can be implemented using any alterable randomly accessed memory, such as a floppy disk and disk drive, a writable optical disk and disk drive, a hard drive, flash memory or the like. Similarly, the hard drive  230  can be alternately implemented using a floppy disk and disk drive, a writable optical disk and disk drive, flash memory or the like. In general, the RAM  240  is used to provide operating memory to the controller  210 , while the hard drive is used to provide long-term non-volatile storage for the server system  112 . Accordingly, it may not be necessary to implement both the RAM  240  and the hard drive  230 . 
     The ROM  220  is preferably implemented using a standard ROM. However, the ROM  230  can also be implemented using a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, or a CD-ROM and disk drive, or the like. In general, the ROM  220  is used to store boot programs and other operating system programs for the controller  210 . However, depending on the implementation of the server system  112 , the RAM  240  and/or the hard drive  230 , it may not be necessary to include the ROM  220 . 
     Finally, while FIG. 2 shows the mouse  282 , the keyboard  284 , the bar code scanner  286  and the touch-screen display  262  connected to the input interface  280 , it may not be necessary to implement all of these elements. Thus, any one or more of these elements can be omitted from the server system  112 . It should be appreciated that it is not necessary to provide a touch-screen display  262  or  362 . Rather, the mouse  282  or  382  can instead be provided to allow the various buttons and selectable icons on the various screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system to be selected. In addition, rather than a mouse  282  or  382 , another controllable selection device, such as a joystick, a track ball, a touch pad, light pen or the like, can be used. However, due to the usually environmentally unfriendly conditions of the shop floor relative to mice, the touch-screen displays  262  and  362  are preferred. However, a touch pad can be used in place of the touch-screen display without generating the environmental contamination concerns present when using a mouse, a joystick or a track ball. 
     In operation, the server system  112  is connected to the communications network  114  via the network interface  270 . The server system  112  receives, from the various client systems distributed throughout the factory, data concerning the various factory elements and workers and uses this data to update the information about the manufacturing operation stored in the relational database  250 . 
     Each factory element of the factory and each worker has a corresponding record in the relational database  250 . As the operational status and jobs assigned to the various factory elements change, this information is updated using the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, and the updated information is stored in the corresponding records of the relational database. Similarly, as workers log onto and out of various factory elements of the factory and alter the jobs performed by such factory elements, the factory element records and workers records are correspondingly updated in the relational database. The relational database also includes records concerning the various jobs or orders the factory elements are to perform, so that material usage and labor hours associated with those jobs can be tracked. Thus, as information concerning material usage and labor hours by workers logged onto various factory elements performing the work necessary to complete various jobs are input to the relational database  250  using the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, the labor hours and materials consumed for such jobs are updated on the records in the relational database  250  for such jobs. 
     The relational database  250  is preferably any commercially available relational database capable of implementing manufacturing information functions, including, but not limited to, inventory tracking, production tracking and labor hours tracking, of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. In particular, the relational database  250  is preferably implemented using the PROGRESS RDBMS®, available from the Progress Software Corp., Bedford, Mass. 
     Similarly, any graphical user interface operating system or shell program can be used to implement the graphical user interface of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. In particular, Microsoft Windows 95® graphical user interface operating system is preferably used as the graphical user interface operating system for implementing this invention. Likewise, any graphical programming language, or integrated application program and graphical programming language, can be used to implement the graphical user interface screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. In particular, the PROGRESS 4GL® and the PROGRESS ADE®, available from the Progress Software Corp., Bedford, Mass., are preferably used to compliment the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
     FIG. 3 shows in greater detail the client systems  124 ,  128  and  132  of FIG.  1 . As shown in FIG. 3, the client system is implemented on a general purpose computer  300 , comprising, in part, a controller  310 , a ROM  320 , a hard drive  330 , a RAM  340 , a display generator/interface  360 , a network interface  370  and an input interface  380 . A touch-screen display  362  is connected to an output of the display generator/interface  360 . One or more of a mouse  382 , a keyboard  384 , a bar code scanner  386 , and the touch screen display  362  are connected to the input interface  380 . 
     In operation, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention is controlled primarily by the touch-screens display  262  and  362 . The user moves between the various screens of the graphical user interface and selects factory elements preferably using the touch-screen display  262  or  362 . The information from the touch screen display  262  or  362  is entered via the input interface  260  or  360  and processed by the controller  210  or  310 , which is executing the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. From the controller  310 , the processed information is then transmitted through the network interface  370 , over the communication network  114 , the network interface  270  and the controller  210 , to the relational database  250 . Other information not directly related to a factory element, such as employee information or container information can be entered via the keyboard  284  or  384  or the bar code scanner  286  or  386 . 
     For example, rather than creating separate icons for each material container, each material container is provided with a bar code label. When that container is moved about the factory floor, for example from a storage location to a machine tool, a particular container can be identified by scanning the bar code and then associating it with a particular factory element, such as a storage location or machine tool, by selecting that factory element. Alternately, a separate icon can be created for each container and accessed by selecting a storage location. This icon can then be moved about the graphical user interface from the storage location to another storage location or a production machine for converting the materials stored in that container into work-in-progress or finished goods. 
     FIG. 4 shows an exemplary main menu screen  400  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. The exemplary main menu screen  400  includes a menu bar  410  containing standard graphical user interface buttons, and therefore will not be further described herein. The exemplary main menu screen  400  further includes a number of buttons  420 - 494  that generally correspond to the organizational structure of the particular exemplary company implementing this example of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. Accordingly, while the exemplary main menu screen  400  shows particular buttons  420 - 494 , any combination of one or more of these buttons, and/or other buttons, could be used. 
     For the particular exemplary company represented by the exemplary main menu screen  400 , this company is organizationally divided into a sales department, represented by a SALES button  420 , a manufacturing department, represented by a MANUFACTURING button  430 , a shipping and receiving department, represented by a SHIPPING AND RECEIVING button  440 , a materials department, represented by a MATERIALS button  450 , a supplies department, represented by a SUPPLIES button  460 , a purchasing department, represented by a PURCHASING button  470 , a personnel department, represented by a PERSONNEL button  480 , an accounting department, represented by an ACCOUNTING button  490 , a mailroom, represented by a MAIL button  492 , and a system administration department, represented by a SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION button  494 . 
     Upon pressing any one of these buttons  420 - 494 , the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention will display additional screens generally specific to that particular portion of the organizational structure of the exemplary company. For example, when the MANUFACTURING button  430  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays an exemplary manufacturing menu screen  500  shown in FIG.  5 . 
     As set forth above, FIG. 5 shows the exemplary manufacturing menu screen  500 . The exemplary manufacturing menu  500  includes the menu bar  410  described above. The exemplary manufacturing menu screen  500  includes a number of buttons representing both the organizational structure of the manufacturing portion of the exemplary company, and the physical layout of the manufacturing portions of the exemplary company. The exemplary manufacturing menu screen  500  includes a SHOP LAYOUT button  510 , a CONTAINERS button  520 , a MACHINE LOG button  530 , a REPORTS AND GRAPHS button  540 , a MACHINE LIST button  550 , a PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE button  560 , a TASK LIST button  570 , a JOB SUPERVISION button  580 , a MACHINE SCHEDULE button  590 , and a RESTOCK ANALYSIS button  595 . When the SHOP LAYOUT button  510  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a first level, or factory, screen, such as the exemplary screen  600 , of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, as shown in FIG.  6 . 
     When the CONTAINERS button  520  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a containers screen, such as the exemplary screen  1000 , of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, as shown in FIG.  11 . When the MACHINE LOG button  530  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a machine log screen, such as the exemplary screen  1800 , of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, as shown in FIG.  21 . When the REPORTS AND GRAPHS button  540  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a reports and graphs menu, which provides a list of different reports and graphs that can be created. FIG. 22 shows an exemplary graph, a machine status summary graph  1900  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. When the MACHINE LIST button  550  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a machines screen, such as the exemplary screen  2000 , of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, as shown in FIG.  23 . When the PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE button  560  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a preventative maintenance schedules screen, such as the exemplary screen  2100 , of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, as shown in FIG.  24 . When the TASK LIST button  570  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a task list screen, such as the exemplary screen  2200 , of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, as shown in FIG.  25 . When the MACHINE SCHEDULE button  590  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a machine schedule screen, such as the exemplary screen  1400 , of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, as shown in FIG.  16 . Each of these screens will be described in greater detail below. 
     When either the JOB SUPERVISION button  580  or the RESTOCK ANALYSIS button  595  is selected, a specific data entry and/or data viewing screen is displayed that allows a user to view data stored by, and/or add data to, the database  250  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
     It should also be appreciated that it is not necessary to use either the main menu screen  400  or the manufacturing menu screen  500  as the initially displayed screen initially displayed when the graphical user interface shop floor control system is opened on a particular one of the client systems  124 ,  128  and/or  132  or the server system  112 . Rather, an appropriate one of the factory screen  600  or the shop floor screens  700 ,  800 ,  2300  or  2400  described below or some other appropriate one of the various screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system disclosed herein can be used as the initially displayed screen. This is especially true when the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention is used to represent a job shop, as in the job shop represented in FIG. 27, rather than the production factory represented in FIG.  6  and the production shops represented in FIGS. 7,  8  and  26 . 
     FIG. 6 shows an exemplary embodiment of the first level, or factory, screen  600  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. In particular, the exemplary factory screen  600  represents a production factory having a number of distinct shop floors. The factory screen  600  includes the menu bar  410  described above. 
     As shown in FIG. 6, the factory screen  600  presents an overhead plan view of the buildings, parking lots and other areas forming the factory represented by the factory screen  600 . Moreover, the various buildings, parking lots and other areas are shown in their actual relative locations and are shown to scale. Preferably, the various areas of the factory screen, are colored according to their function. For example, the non-improved, or grassy, areas  604  are colored green, while the various parking areas  606 ,  607 ,  608  and  609  are preferably colored light gray. Similarly, the road  602  cutting through the factory site is preferably colored dark gray. The light and dark gray colors are selected to represent the asphalt or concrete materials used to form the road  602  and the parking areas  606 - 609 . The various buildings  610 ,  620 ,  630  and  640  are preferably colored using some other distinctive color. 
     Selectable icons representing the various shop floors of the factory, for a small factory, or the various shop floors and intermediate functional or structural divisions of the buildings, for a large factory, are positioned within the bounds of the building icons representing the particular buildings containing the particular shop floors or intermediate functional or structural divisions. Thus, as shown in FIG. 6, the icon  630  representing Building  7  contains selectable icons  632  and  634  representing the Bar Mill and the Wire Mill, respectively, contained within Building  7 . Similarly, the icon  640  representing Building  10  contains within its bounds the selectable icons  642 ,  644 ,  646  and  648 , representing the Finished Goods Area, the Threaded Rod Shop, the Specials  2  Area and the Specials  1  Area, respectively, contained within Building  10 . Likewise, the icon  620  representing Building  14  contains within its bounds the icons  622  and  624  representing the TR area and the Spec Area, respectively, contained within Building  14 . 
     As shown in FIG. 6, each of the icons  610 ,  620 ,  630  and  640 , representing Buildings  12 ,  14 ,  7  and  10 , respectively, is shaped corresponding to the shape of the particular building that icon represents. Furthermore, each of the icons  610 ,  620 ,  630  and  640  is positioned within the plant screen  600  at a relative location and orientation corresponding to the actual relative location and orientation of the corresponding Buildings  12 ,  14 ,  7  and  10 , respectively. Additionally, the road  602 , the unimproved areas  604 , the parking areas  606 - 609  and the coil storage areas  650  and  652  are also positioned in the factory screen  600  at locations and orientations corresponding to the various represented portions of the actual factory. 
     In operation, the factory screen  600  is generally used by the various factory managers, who need to access all areas of the factory represented by the factory screen  600 . The factory screen  600  will generally be used by the workers of the factory only when they need to navigate among the various shop floor screens used to represent the various production areas of the factory, such as the shop floor screens representing the Bar Mill and Wire Mill of Building  7 , the Finished Goods, Threaded Rod, Specials  2 , and Specials  1  Areas of Building  10  and the TR and Spec Areas of Building  14 , as well as any outside storage areas outside of the various buildings, such as the coil storage areas  650  and  652 . Thus, the first level screen will usually not be the primary display of the various client systems, such as the client systems  124 ,  128  and  132 . Rather, each of these client systems will preferably use as its primary display the particular shop floor screen corresponding to the particular shop floor in which that client system is located. 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show two such exemplary shop floor screens  700  and  800 , representing the Threaded Rod area, represented by the selectable icon  644 , and the Specials Area  2 , represented by the selectable icon  646 , of the factory represented by the factory screen  600  of FIG.  6 . In particular, the exemplary shop floor screens  700  and  800  each represents the shop floor of a distinct production shop. 
     As shown in FIG. 7, the shop floor screen  700  comprises a menu bar  710  and a shop floor representation  750 . The menu bar  710  includes an EXIT button  712 , a HELP button  714 , a PRINT button  716 , a MAIN MENU button  718 , a MACHINE LOG button  720 , a LOGIN/OUT button  722 , a SELECT EMPLOYEES button  724 , a PULL PRODUCTION button  726 , a REFRESH button  728 , a PRODUCTION button  730 , a WAIT/MATL button  732 , a SETUP button  734 , a WAIT/SETUP button  736 , a MAINTENANCE button  738 , a WAIT/MAINT button  740 , a TASK LIST button  742  and an IDLE button  744 . The menu bar  710  also includes a bar code area  746  containing a bar code input box  748 . 
     The shop floor representation  750  comprises a number of material storage location icons, production machine element icons and other area icons, such as office area icons and the like. In particular, the material storage location icons of the shop floor representation  750  include a number of material storage location icons, including a YARD icon  752 , a pair of first COIL icons  754 , a BAR icon  756 , a trio of SHEAR icons  760 , a RACK icon  764 , a THREAD icon  766 , a second COIL icon  774  and a third COIL icon  776 . Similarly, the production machine element icons of the shop floor representation  750  include machine icons  758  representing six first-type wire drawing machines W 01 -W 06 , machine icons  762  representing twenty-one thread cutting machines T 01 -T 21 , a machine icon  768  representing a bar straightener machine, machine icons  770  representing two other thread cutting machines TS 1  and TS 2  and machine icons  772  representing six second-type wire drawing machines W 07 -W 12 . Finally, the shop floor representation  750  includes an office icon  780  representing the maintenance office for the Threaded Rod area. 
     It should be appreciated that each of the different types of machines represented by the machine icons  758 ,  762 ,  768 ,  770  and  772  are identified by using different graphic representations of the corresponding machines that are embedded in or contained within the various machine icons  758 ,  762 ,  768 ,  770  and  772 . In particular, each different graphic representation closely corresponds to the visual appearance of the correspondingly represented machine. Furthermore, the machine icon representing each particular machine is physically located within the shop floor representation  750  at a location that closely corresponds to the actual location of the represented machine on the shop floor of the Threaded Rod Area. Accordingly, even unsophisticated workers or workers completely unfamiliar with the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can readily relate each selectable machine icon with the corresponding machine on the shop floor. 
     Similarly, each of the various material storage location icons  752 ,  754 ,  756 ,  760 ,  764 ,  766 ,  774  and  776  include a graphic representation of, and alpha-numeric name indicating, the type of material stored in the corresponding materials storage locations on the shop floor of the Threaded Rod Area. Thus, the material storage location icons  752  and  754  for the YARD storage area and the COIL  1  and COIL  2  storage areas incorporate the same graphic, indicating these storage areas generally store the same type of material, but using names that distinguish the particular storage areas that store the same types of material. Thus, the material storage location icons  774  and  776  for the COIL  3  and COIL  4  storage areas, respectively, of the Threaded Rod Area use different graphics from each other and from the material storage location icons  752  and  754 . This clearly indicates that these storage areas generally store different types of materials from the COIL  1  and COIL  2  storage areas, even though their names are very similar. In contrast, the material storage location icons  756 ,  760 ,  764  and  766  use the same graphic icon to represent the BAR  01 , SHEAR  1 -SHEAR  3 , B 7  RACK, and THREAD  1  storage areas, thus clearly indicating that these storage areas store generally the same type of material despite the very different names of these storage areas. 
     Referring again to the menu bar  710 , the EXIT button  712 , the HELP button  714  and the PRINT button  716  provide the conventional functions for such buttons, as is commonly understood by those familiar with MS Windows 95® operating system. The MAIN MENU button  718  closes the currently displayed screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention and returns the user to the main menu  400  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention shown in FIG.  4 . 
     The MACHINE LOG button  720  is used to access the machine log-maintenance record screen  1500 , as shown in FIG.  17  and described in greater detail below. The MACHINE LOG button  720  also contains a graphic showing a generic machine and a logbook. This graphic clearly indicates to unsophisticated or unfamiliar users that the MACHINE LOG button is used to access the maintenance record for the machine represented by the selected one of the various machine icons shown in the shop floor representation  750 . 
     The LOGIN/OUT button  722  is used to switch the bar code portion  746  of the MENU button  710  to the login/out portion  790 , as shown in FIG.  13  and described in greater detail below. The SELECT EMPLOYEE button  724  is used to access the machine login screen  1200 , as shown in FIG.  14  and described in greater detail below. The PULL PRODUCTION button  726  is used to open the new production screen  1300 , as shown in FIG.  15  and described in greater detail below. The REFRESH button  728  is used to refresh the data of the graphical user interface shop floor control system stored locally on the particular client system displaying the currently displayed screen. The operation of the REFRESH button  728  will be described in greater detail below. 
     The right-most eight buttons  730 - 744  are collectively known as the machine status buttons. For the particular factory shown in FIGS. 6-25, the implemented machine status buttons include the PRODUCTION button  730 , the WAIT/MATL button  732 , the SETUP button  734 , the WAIT/SETUP button  736 , the MAINTENANCE button  738 , the WAIT/MAINT button  740 , the TASK LIST button  742  and the IDLE button  744 . However, it should be appreciated that the particularly implemented machine status buttons will differ between different implementations of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, depending on the particular needs and machines of the particular factory represented by the particular implementation of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
     The machine status buttons are used to update the data stored in the relational database  250  on the server system  112  when the status of one of the represented machines changes. In particular, to change the status of a particular machine, the user first selects one of the machine status buttons  730 - 744 , and then selects the machine icon corresponding to that particular machine. Furthermore, depending on the particular implementation of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, the machine status buttons can be used to submit requests for materials, setup or maintenance on a particular machine. 
     In addition, each of the machine status buttons has associated with it a particular color encoding. Accordingly, when a factory element icon displayed in the shop floor representation  750  is assigned a particular machine status, that icon takes, in addition to its embedded graphic, a color encoding corresponding to the particular assigned machine status. In this way, the various users of the system, including the workers and the supervisors on the shop floor and the various supervisors and managers in other parts of the factory, including the administrative offices, can quickly and visually determine the status of the various machines and other factory elements on the various shop floors. 
     In particular, the PRODUCTION button  730  uses a solid green color encoding, as shown in FIG.  7 . In an analogy to a green traffic light, the green color encoding indicates machines assigned the production status are currently operating to produce finished goods or work in progress. The WAIT/MATL button  732  has a green frame color encoding, as shown in FIG.  7 . This green frame indicates that while the particular machine is waiting for materials, as soon as the materials are provided, it can go into a production mode. 
     The SETUP key  734  uses a solid blue color encoding. The setup status indicates that the particular machine is currently being prepared for a new production operation and will be ready to be placed into either a production mode or the waiting-for-materials status as soon as the setup operation has been completed. The WAIT/SETUP button  736  uses a blue frame color encoding. The wait/setup status indicates the particular machine has finished its current production run and is waiting to be setup for a new production run but that the setup process has not yet begun. 
     The MAINTENANCE button  738  uses a solid red color encoding. The red color encoding, in an analogy to a red traffic light, indicates the machine has been stopped from a production run due to some maintenance problem, but that the machine is currently being maintained in order to resolve the maintenance problem. The WAIT/MAINT button  740  is color encoded using a red frame encoding. The red frame encoding indicates that the particular machine has been taken off line and is no longer in a production run due to a maintenance problem, but that the particular machine is not yet being maintained. 
     It should be appreciated that the WAIT/MATL, WAIT/SETUP and WAIT/MAINT buttons  732 ,  736  and  740  can be used merely to reflect the status of a particular machine. However, these buttons can also be used to generate material, setup or maintenance requests to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. That is, these buttons can be additionally used to send messages to various departments and/or workers to notify those departments and/or workers that a particular machine is currently waiting for materials, waiting for a setup crew or waiting for a maintenance crew. Thus, these buttons are not only capable of being used to passively provide data concerning the status of the represented machine to the relational database  250  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, but can also be used in actively participation in the day-to-day management of the factory. 
     The TASK LIST button  742  is used to access the exemplary task list screen  2200  shown in FIG. 25 without having to return to the exemplary manufacturing menu  500  shown in FIG.  5 . 
     Alternatively, instead of, or in addition to, the TASK LIST button  742 , the menu bar  710  can include a CLOSE DEPT button. The CLOSE DEPT button is used to close down the shop floor. That is, the CLOSE DEPT bottom represents a “lights out” state of the shop floor, such as when the shop floor is closed down between shifts. For example, a shop floor supervisor will use the CLOSE DEPT button to change the status of all factory elements of the shop floor to “closed” or “shut down” just before the shop floor is closed for the night. The CLOSE DEPT status is used to distinguish time periods when the entire shop is shut down from time periods where the shop floor is open, but various machines are idle or otherwise not producing parts. The CLOSE DEPT button could use a gray color encoding. 
     The IDLE button  744  is used to indicate that a particular machine is currently inactive, i.e., not running production or otherwise engaged, and thus it is available to be used for any new production orders that may be received. As shown in FIG. 7, the IDLE button  744  uses a yellow frame color encoding. 
     The bar code portion  746  of the menu bar  710  is used to display the data input when scanning a bar code, or when inputting the bar code data through the keyboard  284  or  384 . The bar code scanner  286  or  386  is used to scan bar code labels. These bar code labels are generally used to identify containers of input materials, work-in-progress, or finished goods. In addition, each worker can be issued a badge containing a bar code that identifies that worker. A worker&#39;s bar code can then be scanned by the worker when logging into or out of various machines or other factory elements of the factory. 
     Alternately, rather than, or in addition to, the bar code scanner, the keyboard  284  or  384  can be used to input the alphanumeric bar code by hand. However, it is not necessary to provide both the bar code scanner and the keyboard. Furthermore, if the keyboard  284  or  384  is provided, it does not need to be a full typewriter-style keyboard. Rather, the keyboard  284  or  384  need merely have enough keys to input the alphanumeric bar codes associated with the containers, and possibly the workers. 
     In operation, when the status of a machine on the actual shop floor changes, one of the workers on the shop floor goes to the nearest client system. If the shop floor screen for this shop floor is not already displayed on the display  262 , the worker navigates through the various screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system until the shop floor screen for the particular shop is displayed. That worker, who is generally the operator of the particular machine, selects the particular machine status button corresponding to the current status of the particular machine for which the operator wishes to update the status. The operator then selects the icon corresponding to that machine. Because the display  262  or  362  is a touch-screen display, the worker selects the various icons by physically touching the touch-screen display  262  or  362 . In response, the touch-screen display  262  or  362  generates electrical signals that indicate to the graphical user interface shop floor control system which button and which machine icon were touched. Thus, when the term “selected” is used herein, it should be understood that “selected” includes selecting a button or selectable icon with a mouse, touch-pad, track ball, light pen, joystick or the like, or touching a button or selectable icon using the touch screen  262  or  362 . 
     The graphical user interface shop floor control system then alters the displayed shop floor screen to change the color coding for the selected icon so that it corresponds to the color coding of the selected status button. At the same time, the graphical user interface shop floor control system provides updated status information for the particular machine to the relational database  250 . In particular, the particular record in the relational database  250  corresponding to that machine is a machine log record that maintains a detailed log of every action and status change that occurs to that machine. 
     The REFRESH button  728  is used to control how the displayed information is updated on the various screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. In particular, because there will generally be a number of client systems within each shop floor, data concerning the various machines on each particular shop floor will be input to the relational database  250  through a number of different client systems. The information displayed on those client systems can be updated using any one of a number of refresh modes. In general, the information displayed in any screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention is updated each time that screen is initially displayed. The refresh modes described below are used after the particular screen is initially displayed. 
     After the particular screen is initially displayed, the graphical user interface shop floor control system is in a first refresh mode. In this first refresh mode, the displayed screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system is updated only to reflect information entered through that particular client system. Thus, in this first refresh mode, the displayed screen on a particular client system is not updated to reflect other information entered into the relational database  250  through other ones of the client systems. 
     This other information can be obtained in either one of two ways. First, the currently displayed screen can be closed and reopened, thus again initially displaying the screen with the complete current information for this screen as stored in the relational database  250 . Alternately, the REFRESH button  728  can be pressed a single time to place the graphical user interface shop floor control system for this client system into a second refresh mode. 
     In the second refresh mode, the displayed screen is updated automatically once every predetermined time period. Preferably, this predetermined time period is one second. Thus, every one second, the client system placed in the second refresh mode obtains a complete snapshot of the information currently stored in the relational database  250  for the factory elements being displayed. Accordingly, for each shop floor screen  700  placed in this second refresh mode, the instantaneous status of the various factory elements in the shop floor representation  750  of the particular shop floor represented by the shop floor screen  700  are continuously displayed. 
     The MAINTENANCE icon  780 , representing the maintenance office of the Threaded Rod Area shop floor, can also be selected. When selected, various maintenance system screens can be displayed, such as, for example, the exemplary preventative maintenance screen  2100 , as shown in FIG. 24 or a screen providing a more detailed representation of the maintenance office. This more detailed screen could allow the preventative maintenance schedule and the specific supply stores for this shop floor to be selected. The particular maintenance system screens that can be displayed will depend upon the various preventative maintenance systems and/or schedules that are used by the particular factory represented by the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. In addition, various spare parts screens can be implemented to allow spare parts inventory to be maintained and accessed. Again, the particular supplies and/or spare parts screens to be implemented will depend upon the supplies and/or spare parts systems used by the factory represented by the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
     As set forth above with respect to the main menu screen  400  shown in FIG. 4, various organizational entities of the exemplary company represented by the main menu screen  400  shown in FIG. 4 can be accessed through the buttons  420 - 494 . By selecting one or more of the buttons  420 - 494 , specific further screens, including one or more of data input screens or data displaying screens, can be accessed to allow the employees of the company to provide data to, or view data in, the database  250  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
     Alternately, rather than providing the organizational structure shown in the main menu screen  400 , one or more shop floor screens for the non-manufacturing portions of the company, comprising the various organizational offices of the company, could be provided. That is, offices can be represented as information processing factory elements. For example, an order can be received by a sales office and entered into the relational database  250  using one or more screens accessed through a “Sales Office” icon of an “Administration” shop floor screen. The “Sales Office” can thus represent a gateway into an order inputting procedure controlled by one or more “Order Input” screens. For example, the “Administration” shop floor screen of the factory represented by the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention could represent the administrative offices of the factory. This “Administration” shop floor screen could include the “Sales Office”, an “Engineering Office”, a “Purchasing Office”, a “Quality Control Office” and the like. 
     When the sales staff of the factory receives a new order, the sales staff would enter the order into the relational database  250  through one or more screens entered by selecting the “Sales Office” icon of the “Administration” shop floor control screen. This order would indicate the customer, the part ordered and all other relevant information. The order could then be placed in a first storage location of the “Administration” shop floor control screen. Then, one of the engineering staff could move the order from the first storage location into the “Engineering Office”, to indicate that the order is being worked on by the engineering staff. For example, the engineering staff may need to either create the engineering drawings for the particular part indicated in the order, pull the engineering drawings for that part from archives, or modify a current engineering drawing to represent a new part. Once the engineering office staff has completed processing the order, the order could be placed in a second storage location of the “Administration” shop floor control screen, between the “Engineering Office” and the “Purchasing Office”. 
     Someone in the purchasing staff could then move the order from the second storage location into the “Purchasing Office”, to indicate that the order is being worked on by the purchasing office staff. In particular, this involves generating the purchasing orders for obtaining the materials necessary to produce the requested part at the requested quantities. Once the purchasing office staff has completed processing the order, the order can then be moved to a third storage location of the “Administration” shop floor control screen, between the “Purchasing Office” and an office for the manager of the particular shop floor responsible for producing the requested part. The manager of that shop floor could then move that order into a “Manager&#39;s Office” for scheduling that order on one or more of the machines of the shop floor. In this way, the various offices of the factory can be modeled and the information flow between the various offices tracked and maintained. 
     FIG. 8 shows a second shop floor screen  800  having a different shop floor representation  850  that represents a different shop floor of the factory. In particular, the shop floor representation  850  represents the shop floor of the Special Areas  2  of the factory. As shown in FIG. 8, the various buttons  712 - 744  and the bar code area  746  and input box  748  are the same as in the first shop floor screen  700 . In general, these buttons will not change between the various shop floor screens representing the various shop floors of the factory. 
     As shown in FIG. 8, the shop floor representation  850  of the second shop floor screen  800  includes a material storage location icon  862 , representing a MISCELLANEOUS storage area, a material storage location icon  864 , representing a SPCL-FG (special FG) storage area and a material storage location icon  866  representing the STAINLESS  3  storage area. The shop floor representation  850  also includes PALLET work center icons  870  representing PALLET work centers, PKBG and PKBG 1  work center icons,  876  representing bagging packaging work centers, and a WRAPPER work center icon  880  representing a WRAPPER work center. A work center is an area of the shop floor that represents a group of employees performing a physical task, such as packaging parts into bags, wrappers or pallets, or the like. In particular, the work centers are not associated with any specific machine, and so cannot be represented with a machine icon. Likewise, the work centers are not merely storage locations, as work is performed on the parts in the work centers. Thus, they cannot be represented by storage location icons. 
     The shop floor representation  850  also includes machine icons  852  representation the machines BEB 1 -BEB 3 , UB 1 -UB 5 , AB 1  and AB 6 -AB 11 , SL 1  and D 1 -D 3 , machine icons  854  representing the machines F 1 -F 7 , machine icon  856  representing the machine PS 1 , a machine icon  858  representing a welding machine WLI, a machine icon  860  representing the machine P 7 , machine icons  868  representing machines V 1  and V 2 , machine icons  872  representing the machines BR 1 -BR 3 , a machine icon  874  representing the press machine BRS 1 , a machine icon  878  representing the machine SM 1 , and machine icons  882  representing the header machine H 12 , PUC 1 , CS 1  and CS 2 . 
     It should be appreciated that similar types of machines use the same type of machine icon, while different makes or subtypes of machines use different letter codes and individual machines use different number codes. Thus, the machines BEB 1 -BEB 3 , UB 1 -UB 5 , AB 1  and AB 6 -AB 11 , and D 1 -D 3  are all represented on the shop floor representation  850  with the same machine icon, while the machine icons  852  use different letter codes to distinguish between the anchor bolt producing machines, the U-bolt producing machines, and the various makes of particular anchor bolt and/or U-bolt producing machines. Similarly, machine icons  856 ,  872 ,  874 ,  878  and  882  all represent different presses, while the letter codes indicate the different makes and/or the different subtypes of presses. Thus, while the same icon is used to represent similar types of machines, the alphanumeric code for each particular icon indicates both the specific type of machine and the particular machine represented by each icon. 
     The shop floor representation  850  of the shop floor screen  800  also includes a BAB truck icon  884  and a Spec Truck icon  886 . These truck icons  884  and  886  represent different loading docks of the Special Area  2 . The graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can use a number of different types of loading docks. For example, one of these loading docks can be used to represent the location of containers that have been shipped off-site to subcontractors for specialized processing, such as plating. In this case, when a container has been shipped off-site for such special processing, the container icon for that container is moved from one of the storage areas  862 - 866 , one of the machines  852 - 860 ,  868 ,  872 ,  874 ,  878  or  882 , or one of the work centers  870 ,  876  or  880  to the corresponding one of the truck icons  884  or  886  to advise the database  250  that that container has been shipped to the off-site subcontractor. When that container is returned from the off-site special processing, the container icon for that container is moved from the corresponding truck icon to the appropriate next location on the shop floor representation to advise the database  250  that that container has been returned by the off-site subcontractor. 
     Alternatively, one of these loading docks can be used to represent the location of containers that have been shipped to the customer ordering the parts stored in that container. Accordingly, when a container has been placed onto a truck for transport to a customer, the container icon representing that container is moved from one of the storage areas  862 - 866 , one of the machines  852 - 860 ,  868 ,  872 ,  874 ,  878  or  882 , or one of the work centers  870 ,  876  or  880  to one of the truck icons  884  or  886  to advise the database  250  that that container has been placed onto the truck. 
     The shop floor representation  850  also includes a scroll button  888  that allows a portion of the shop floor representation  850 , which does not fit onto the touch screen  262  or  362  at the required resolution, to be viewed. 
     As in FIG. 7, the various machine icons  852 ,  860 ,  864 ,  868 ,  872 ,  874 ,  878 , and  882  are color-encoded according to the status information for the represented machines stored in the relational database  250 . In particular, the color encoding of the machine icons for the machines F 7 , UB 1  and SL 1  indicate these machines are being maintained, the color encoding of the machine icons for the machines UB 2 , F 4 , AB 7 , AB 8 , AB 10 , BRS 1 , BR 1 - 3 , SM 1 , H 12 , and CS 1  indicate these machines are in production, and the color encoding of the machine icons for the other machines indicate the other machines are idle. 
     FIG. 9 shows the machine status screen  900 . As described above, when one of the shop floor screens, such as the first or second shop floor screens  700  and  800 , is displayed, and the user first selects one of the machine status buttons  730 - 744 , and then selects one of the machine icons, the user can alter the status information for that machine. In contrast, if the user selects one of the machine icons in the shop floor representation  750  or  850  without first selecting one of the status buttons  730 - 744 , the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention instead displays the machine status screen  900 . The machine status screen provides more details about what is currently happening on the machine represented by the selected machine icon. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the machine status screen  900  shows the machine status information for machine T 15  located on the Threaded Rod shop floor. 
     As shown in FIG. 9, the machine status screen  900  includes a menu bar  910 , a status portion  920 , a production portion  930 , an employee logged-in portion  940 , a containers produced portion  950 , a containers at machine portion  960 , and a machine schedule  970 . In particular, the menu bar  910  includes a CANCEL button  912 , a HELP button  914 , a PRINT button  916 , a JOB button  917 , and an OK button  918 . The menu bar  910  also indicates the particular machine number and the machine name for the selected machine. In this case, the machine number is T 15  and this machine is, in particular, a TESKER 35 cylinder threader. The CANCEL button  912  closes the machine status screen  900  and cancels any changes that have been made to any of the various portions of the machine status screen  900  while the OK button  918  closes the machine status screen  900  and accepts any changes. The HELP button  914  and the PRINT button  916  operate similarly to the HELP button  714  and the PRINT button  716  of the menu bar  710  of the shop floor screens  700  and  800 . 
     The status portion  920  indicates the current status of the selected machine, the date and time the status was last changed, and any flags that may be present on that machine. In particular, the status portion  920  of the machine status screen  900  for the machine T 15  indicates this machine is currently in a production run and has been in the production run since 11:20 a.m. on Sep. 25, 1997. Additionally, there are no flags set on the status of this machine. 
     The status flag includes a CLEAR FLAG check box portion  922  and a details portion  924 . When the check box portion  922  is not checked, the alphanumeric machine identifier portion of the machine icon corresponding to the machine displayed in the machine status screen is changed from black to red. That is, when the flag portion  922  is checked, the alphanumeric identifier is displayed using black text. However, when the flag portion  922  is not checked, indicating this machine has a status flag associated with it, that flag is indicated on the shop floor screen by changing the alphanumeric identifier from black to red color encoding. 
     The details box  924  is used to indicate the nature of the flag. The flag can be used to provide any additional information about the corresponding machine to the system. In particular, the flag is often used to indicate that some preventative maintenance needs to be performed on the machine, even though it is not necessary to take the machine out of production status. The flag can also be used to indicate to the graphical user interface shop floor control system some other piece of information about the particular machine. To access the information input into the details box  924 , the machine screen  2000  shown in FIG. 23 or the machine log screen  1800  shown on FIG. 21 can be displayed, or a report requesting all flag details from the relational database  250  can be generated. 
     The production portion  930  indicates the particular part and job number of the production run being produced by the selected machine, as well as the quantity and the order number, if any. In particular, the production portion  930  of the machine status screen  900  for this machine indicates that it is currently producing part number ATR 3/8X10 for job number J0007405 and is producing 500,000 pounds of these parts. It should also be appreciated that, as the status indicated in the status portion  920  changes, the information disclosed in the portion  930  of the machine status screen  900  changes correspondingly, as shown in the machine status screen  900  of FIG.  10 . 
     The employee logged-in portion  940  indicates all of the employees currently logged onto this machine and the time and date each employee logged on. The graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention uses this information to attribute labor hours to different production jobs, and to determine maintenance activity, production efficiency calculations, and the like. 
     The employee logged-in portion  940  includes a NAME title button and column  941 , a LOGIN DATE title button and column  942  and a TIME title button and column  943 . The name column  941  lists the names of the employees currently logged onto the selected machine. The login date column  942  indicates the date at which that person last logged in for the current machine. The time column  943  indicates the time of day that the employee last logged in. The employees logged-in portion  940  also includes a scroll bar  944 . 
     The containers produced portion  950  is used to indicate the full or completed containers of work-in-progress or finished goods that have been produced by this machine, and transferred to another machine, a storage location or shipping to the customer. In the containers produced portion  950  of the machine status screen  900  for the machine T 15 , at least three different containers have been produced by this machine. 
     The containers produced portion  950  includes a CONTAINER title button and column  951 , a TYPE title button and column  952 , a QUANTITY title button and column  953 , a UNIT title button and column  954 , a DATE title button and column  955 , a TIME title button and column  956  and a USER title button and column  957 . The container column  951  lists the number of bar code label attached to each of the various containers produced by the selected machine. The type column  952  indicates the type of storage in that container. The quantity column  953  indicates the amount of material in the container. The unit column  954  indicates the units of the quantity. The date column  955  indicates the date the container was produced, while the time column  956  indicates the time of day that container was produced. The user column  957  indicates the particular operator that produced that container. The containers produced portion  950  also includes a scroll bar  958 . 
     The containers-at-machine portion  960  indicates the source containers that are currently at the selected machine, i.e., the containers supplying source material for the production of the part indicated in the production portion  930 . In particular, as shown in FIG. 9, the containers-at-machine portion  960  of the machine status screen  900  for the machine T 15  lists three containers, having ID numbers C10739, C107373 and C107413, and which contain a bundles of 254, 243 and 2656 pounds, respectively, of parts having a part number DSC330X120. 
     The containers-at-machine portion  960  includes a CONTAINER title button and column  961 , a PART NO title button and column  962 , a TYPE title button and column  963 , a QUANTITY title button and column  964 , a PACKS title button and column  965 , a UNITS title button and column  966 , a STATUS title button and column  967  and a NOTE title button and column  968 . The containers-at-machine also includes a scroll bar  969 . The container column  961  indicates the number of the bar code label of the source container associated with the selected machine. The part number column  962  indicates the part number of the material or work in progress stored in that container. The type column  963  indicates the storage type for the part or materials stored in that container. The quantity column  964  indicates the amount of parts in that container when it was first associated with the selected machine. The packs column  965  is used to indicate the type of packaging or grouping when the parts are stored in the container in packages or groups, such as boxes or other types of packaging. The unit column  966  indicates the units for the quantity of parts, or packages, stored in that container. The status column  967  indicates the status of that container. In general, the status will be “source”, indicating this container is being used as a source of material to produce the parts selected in the machine schedule portion  970 . The note portion  968  provides a location for the operator or other worker of the factory to provide notes about the material stored in that particular container. 
     Finally, the machine schedule portion  970  of the machine status screen  900  indicates the current job being produced and the next jobs that have already been scheduled for production on the selected machine. In particular, as shown in FIG. 9, the machine schedule portion  970  of the machine status screen  900  for the machine T 15  indicates that for the current job, the current job was due on Feb. 23, 1998. The machine schedule portion  970  also indicates that of the 500,000 pounds of parts to be produced, approximately 91,000, or 18%, have been produced and an estimated 408.7 hours of production run time are required to complete the job. 
     In addition to the current job, the machine schedule portion  970  shows the next two jobs scheduled for machine T 15 . If there are other jobs scheduled for this machine, they can be viewed by selecting the up and down arrows of the scroll bar  972  to display such jobs. It should be appreciated that each of the employee logged-in portion  970 , the containers produced portion  950  and the containers-at-machine portion  960  also have scroll bars that allow additional information to be viewed that could not otherwise be displayed. In response to selecting the JOB button  917 , the job sheet, described below with respect to the JOB SHEET button  1420  of the machine schedule screen  1400  shown in FIG. 16, is displayed for the selected job in the machine schedule portion  970 . 
     The machine schedule portion  970  includes a DUE DATE title button and column  980 , a JOB NO title button and column  981 , a ORDER NO title button and column  982 , a PART NO title button and column  983 , a OPERATION title button and column  984 , a QUANTITY title button and column  985 , a PRODUCED title button and column  986 , a UNIT title button and column  987 , a COMPLETE title button and column  988  and an HOURS LEFT title button and column  989 . The due date column  980  indicates the due date for the particular job. The job number column  981  indicates the particular job numbers assigned to the particular jobs associated with the selected machine. The order number column  982  indicates any particular order number that may be associated with the particular job. The part number column  983  indicates the particular part number that is to be produced for the particular job. The operation column  984  indicates the next operation to be performed on the particular part for the particular job. 
     The quantity column  985  indicates the number of units of the particular part to be produced for that job. The produced column  986  indicates the number of units of parts that have actually been produced based on the current information stored in the database  250  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system. The unit column  987  indicates the number of units of the quantity that is to be produced. As shown in FIG. 9, the units can be pounds or pieces or the like. The complete column  988  indicates, based on the value in the produced column  986  and the quantity column  985 , the percentage of completion of that job. The hours left column  989  indicates, based on current production rates, the amount of machine hours required to produce the remaining amount of quantity of parts for that job. 
     It should be appreciated that each of the title buttons  941 - 943 ,  951 - 957 ,  961 - 968  and  980 - 989  is selectable. Selecting any one of these title buttons sorts the records displayed in that particular portion of the machine status screen  900  in descending order based on the data for that column. Pressing that title button again resorts the records for that portion based on the data for that column in ascending order. Pressing a different title button of that portion resorts the records for that portion in descending order based on the data for that column. 
     It should be appreciated that the employee logged-in portion  940  can be used to indicate to the database  250  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention which of the logged-in employees is currently operating the selected machine. This is performed by selecting the row corresponding to that employee or by using the scroll bar  942  to scroll through the list of logged-in employees. 
     It should be appreciated that, as set forth below with respect to FIG. 15, that a particular container is associated with a particular job when that container is pulled from a previous machine or storage location and moved to the selected machine. Thus, indicate the various source containers located at the selected machine. In general, because each source container is associated with a specific job, selecting a particular job for production when the PRODUCTION button  730  is pressed, as set forth below with respect to FIG. 16, automatically selects the associated source container. However, the containers-at-machine portion  960  could be used to select the particular source container that is being used to supply input parts and/or raw materials to the selected machine for generating the currently produced parts. As above, the particular source container can be selected either by directly selecting the particular row associated with that container or by using the scroll bar  962  to scroll through the source containers at the selected machine. 
     Finally, while a particular job for production is usually selected when the PRODUCTION button  730  is pressed, as set forth below with respect to FIG. 16, the machine schedule portion  970  can be used to select the particular job to which the current operation of the selected machine should be attributed. As indicated above, the particular job can be either directly selected by sorting the particular column corresponding to that job, or by using the scroll bar  972  to select the job. 
     As set forth above, if the status is SET UP, MAINTENANCE, IDLE, WEIGHT/MATL, WEIGHT/SETUP or WEIGHT/MAINT instead of PRODUCTION, the information displayed in the production portion  930  of the machines status screen  900  will change correspondingly to a setup portion, a maintenance portion, an idle portion, a waiting-for-materials portion, a waiting-for-setup portion or a waiting-for-maintenance portion, respectively. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, when the status in the status portion  920  is “maintenance” instead of “production”, the production portion  930  is replaced with the maintenance portion  930 ′. The maintenance portion  930 ′ includes a type  932 ′ that identifies the type of maintenance to be performed on the machine and an input box  934 ′. 
     As shown in FIG. 10, in this example, the type  932 ′ indicates an electrical problem with this machine. Once the technician has fixed the problem on this machine, the description of the maintenance performed on the electrical systems of this machine is input to the database  250  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention through the input box  934 ′. In all other respects, except that the JOB button  917  is grayed-out, the machine status screen  900  as shown in FIG. 10 is identical to the machine status screen  900  shown in FIG.  9 . 
     FIG. 11 shows the containers screen  1000  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. In the same way that the machine status screen  900  pops up whenever a machine icon is selected, as described above, whenever a storage location icon is selected, the containers screen  1000  is displayed to display the current information stored in the relational database  250  concerning the various containers stored within that storage location. In particular, the containers screen  1000  includes a menu bar  1010 , a container type selection portion  1040 , a containers display portion  1050  and an inventory portion  1060 . 
     The menu bar  1010  includes an EXIT button  1012 , a HELP button  1014 , a PRINT button  1016 , a FILTER button  1018 , a LOOKUP button  1020 , an ADD button  1022 , a COPY button  1024 , an EDIT button  1026 , a RETIRE button  1028 , a VIEW button  1030 , a REPORTS button  1032 , a STATUS button  1034 , a LABEL button  1036 , and a SETUP button  1038 . The EXIT, HELP, and PRINT buttons  1012 ,  1014  and  1016  operate as described above with respect to the EXIT, HELP, and PRINT buttons  712 ,  714 , and  716 . Accordingly, no further description of these buttons is provided. The FILTER button  1018  is used to input search parameters to select certain ones of the containers for display in the display portion  1050 . The EDIT button  1026  allows the information displayed in the display portion  1050  to be modified. The RETIRE button  1028  retires the selected container from the containers list displayed in the display portion  1050 . That is, the RETIRE button  1028  changes the status of the selected container from “current” to “retired”. The VIEW button  1030  allows all database record fields for the selected container to be displayed. That is, the VIEW button  1030  displays detailed information about the selected container. The REPORTS button  1032 , when selected, causes the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention to display the available reports for the container screen  1000 . Once a particular report has been selected, it can be viewed on screen or printed. 
     The LABEL button  1036  generates bar code labels for the selected containers selected in the display portion  1050 . The SETUP button  1038  is used when initially setting up the containers screen when initially setting up the graphical user interface shop floor control system for a particular factory or application. The set-up screens include one to twelve screens that are used to identify the allowable storage locations, the allowable types of containers, allowable container states, and other configuration information. Generally, this button will not be used after initial setup. 
     While the LOOKUP button  1020 , the ADD button  1022  and the COPY button  1024  are provided on the menu bar  1010 , these buttons are not enabled and thus are shown in a grayed-out format. The LOOKUP button  1020  provides a way of obtaining a list of available choices when entering data into data input boxes or data input screens. Thus, when the LOOKUP button  1020  is selected, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a pop-up window for a selected field of an input box or screen. The ADD button  1022  adds a record to the containers file of the database  250 . In response to selecting the ADD button  1022 , the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a data input screen that allows the relevant data for a new container to be added to the database  250 . The COPY button  1024  works similarly to the ADD button  1022 , but not only creates a new record but adds the data of an existing selected record to that new record. However, because these buttons are grayed-out, this indicates that these functions are not normally available when the container screen  1000  is displayed on one of the client systems  124 ,  128  or  132  present on the shop floor. 
     The container type portion  1040  contains a pair of option, or “radio”, buttons  1042  and  1044 . When the current containers option button  1042  is pressed, only the current containers stored in the selected storage area will be displayed in the display portion  1050 . In contrast, if the retired containers option button  1044  is selected, only the retired containers associated with the selected storage location will be displayed in the display portion  1050 . 
     The display portion  1050  displays all of the containers that have been identified to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention as being located in the selected storage location. In particular, only the containers meeting the filter parameters, if any, and corresponding to the selected option button  1042  and/or  1044  will be displayed in the display portion  1050 . For each such displayed container, data corresponding to the container number, the part number, the quantity and units of material stored in the storage container, its current location (which should be the selected storage location when the containers screen  1000  is accessed by selecting a particular storage location icon), the operation to be performed on that container, the status of that storage container, and the type of that storage container are displayed. The particular containers are selected by selecting them using the touch-screen display  262  or  362 . If more containers are to be listed than can be displayed on the container screen  1000 , the scroll bar  1052  can be used to display any information extending off the bottom of the container screen  1000 . 
     The display portion  1050  includes a CONTAINER title button and column  1070 , a PART NO title button and column  1071 , a QUANTITY title button and column  1072 , a UNIT title button and column  1073 , a JOB NO title button and column  1074 , a LOCATION title button and column  1075 , an OPERATION title button and column  1076 , a STATUS title button and column  1077 , a TYPE title button and column  1078  and a NOTE title button and column  1079 . The container column  1070  indicates the number of the bar code label for each container displayed in the display portion  1050 . The part number column  1071  indicates the part number stored in that container. The quantity column  1072  indicates the quantity of materials stored in the particular container. The unit column  1073  indicates the units of quantity for each particular container. 
     The job number column  1074  indicates any particular job number that may be associated with a container when that container contains work in progress rather than raw material. The location column  1075  indicates the particular storage location for each container. In general, when the container screen  1000  is accessed by selecting a particular storage location icon and a particular shop floor screen, the location column  1075  will indicate that location. In contrast, when the container screen  1000  is accessed through the CONTAINERS button  520  of the manufacturing menu  500 , the list of displayed containers will not be limited to a single storage location. 
     The operation column  1076  indicates the particular operation last performed on the part stored in the particular container. The status column  1077  indicates the particular status for that container. For example, if the container stores raw materials, the status for that container will be “source”. In contrast, when a particular container stores work in progress, whether for a particular job or in anticipation of future jobs, that container&#39;s status will be “storage”. The type column  1078  indicates the type of storage of the parts in a particular container. The note column  1079  provides a place for an operator to provide comments about the particular part or material stored in a particular container. 
     As set forth above with respect to the machine status screen  900 , each of the buttons  1070 - 1079  is selectable and operates as described above with respect to the buttons  941 - 943 ,  951 - 957 ,  961 - 968  and  980 - 989 . Accordingly, no further description of the operation of these title buttons will be provided. 
     The FILTER button  1018  can be used to filter the list of containers. Finally, the CALCULATE INVENTORY button  1062  of the inventory portion  1060  is used to calculate the totals for the displayed fields for the listed containers. As shown in FIG. 11, the displayed fields for the inventory portion  1060  can include the amounts for the different units such as pounds or pieces, and the number of containers based on the containers displayed in the display portion  1050 . 
     It should also be appreciated that the containers screen  1000  is accessible not only by selecting a particular storage location of a shop floor screen of the shop floor control system of this invention. Rather, as indicated above, the containers screen  1000  can also be accessed by selecting the CONTAINERS button  520  of the manufacturing menu  500 . In this case, the container screen  1000 , if otherwise unfiltered, would display all of the containers for the entire manufacturing operation. In contrast, by accessing the container screen  1000  by selecting a particular container icon of a particular shop floor screen of the shop floor control system of this invention, the container screen  1000  is displayed with an initial filter to limit the displayed containers to those stored in the selected storage location. 
     FIG. 12 shows an exemplary shelf screen  2200 . When a storage location is very large, such as when the storage location is part of a warehouse or other area storing a large number of containers, parts or the like, that storage location may be organized into a number of sublocations to aid the worker in locating the container, the part or the like that is being pulled from or added to that storage location. In the previous discussion of a storage location, the storage location was assumed to be small enough that any container, part or the like could be readily located within the storage location without any specific notation indicating where in the storage location that container, part or the like was actually located. 
     However, when the storage location is sufficiently large, this assumption no longer holds true. In this case, when the storage location is selected, before the containers screen  1000  is displayed, the shelf screen  1100  is displayed to allow the user to select a sublocation within the selected storage location, where each sublocation is represented by one of the shelves of the shelf screen. It should be appreciated that a “shelf” can represent any type of sublocation with in a storage location, not just a “shelf”. 
     The shelf screen  1100  includes the menu bar  910  of the machine status screen  900  shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 and a shelf portion  1110 . The menu bar  910  is identical to the menu bar  910  shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, except that it also includes a LOOK-UP button  919  corresponding to a LOOK-UP button  1020  of the container screen  1000  shown in FIG. 11, and does not include the JOB button  917 . 
     The shelf portion  1110  includes a SHELF  1  portion  1120 , a SHELF  2  portion  1130 , a SHELF  3  portion  1140 , a SHELF  4  portion  1140 , a SHELF  5  portion  1150  and a SHELF  6  portion  1170 . Each of these SHELF portions  1120 - 1170  can be further selected to display the containers screen  1000  for the containers that are stored on that shelf, and thus have been associated with that shelf portion. Similarly, when moving a container to a particular sublocation of such a large storage location, the shelf screen  1100  will be displayed to allow that container to be associated with a particular shelf portion corresponding to the particular sublocation of that large storage location. 
     FIG. 13 shows how the shop floor screen  700  is modified when the LOGIN/OUT button  722  is pressed. In particular, when the LOGIN/OUT button  722  is pressed, the bar code portion  746  is replaced with the employee login portion  790  and all of the menu buttons  712 - 744  are grayed-out except the PRINT button  716 , the LOGIN/OUT button  722  and the TASK LIST button  742 . 
     When the employee login portion  790  is displayed, the input box  792  is used to display the employee number of the employee being logged into or out of various ones of the machines of the shop floor represented by the shop floor representation  750 . In operation, the employee number data is input either by using the bar code scanner  286  or  386 , or the keyboard  284  or  384 . Once the employee number is entered, the user logs the employee represented by the input employee number onto machines that that employee is not already logged into by selecting the machine icon corresponding to that machine. At the same time, the user can log out the employee corresponding to the input employee number from any machines that that employee is already logged into by selecting the machine icons corresponding to those machines. That is, selecting any machine icon toggles its status from logged-in to logged-out and back. 
     In particular, in the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, each operator is responsible for logging himself or herself into the machines he or she is running. That operator&#39;s labor hours are then allocated to the jobs that are produced with that machine while that operator is logged onto that machine. When the operator selects the LOGIN/OUT button  722 , the shop floor representation  750  is modified to display a color coded graphic with the word “logged in” on each machine that operator is already logged into. In particular, the color coding should be different from the color coding for any other machine status. Preferably, as shown in FIG. 13, the color purple is used as the color coding indicating that the identified operator is logged onto a particular machine. The operator then selects the machine icons corresponding to the machines that he is not already logged into and the icon for that machine is converted to display the purple “logged in” graphic. Alternately, when the operator selects machine icons for machines that that operator is already logged into, the purple “logged in” graphic is replaced with the normal graphic for that machine. 
     As shown in FIG. 13, the employee having the employee number “123456” is currently logged into the machines W 01 , W 02  and W 03 , as indicated by the purple “logged in” graphic displayed on the machine icons corresponding to these machines. Once the operator has finished logging him or herself into and out of the appropriate machines, the operator again presses the LOGIN/OUT button  722  to finish the login/out process and send the updated login/out information to the relational database  250 . 
     FIG. 14 shows the machine login screen  1200 . The machine login screen  1200  is displayed when the SELECT EMPLOYEE button  724  is selected. The machine login screen  1200  provides a list of all machines and all of the operators logged into those machines. In general, the machine login screen is used by a supervisor who may want to log an operator into a machine, see an overview of all those logged onto all the various machines of the factory, or log an operator out of the machine. 
     The machine login screen  1200  includes a menu bar  1210 , a SELECT button  1220 , an option, or “radio”, button portion  1230 , and a display portion  1240 . The menu bar  1210  includes the buttons  1012 - 1032  of the menu bar  1010  shown in FIG.  11 . Moreover, the menu bar  1210  includes the same active and disabled ones of the buttons  1010 - 1032  as the menu bar  1010 , except that the ADD button  1022  is active, rather than disabled, in the menu bar  1210  and that the RETIRE button  1028  is replaced with a DELETE button  1029 , which is grayed out. The DELETE button  1029 , if it were enabled, would allow the user to delete the selected record from the database  250 . Thus, in the machine login screen  1200 , only the EXIT button  1012 , the HELP button  1014 , the FILTER button  1018 , the PRINT button  1016  and the ADD button  1022  are not grayed out. 
     The SELECT button  1220  allows a supervisor to “become” the selected employee, so that the supervisor can log that employee onto or off of various ones of the machines, as described above with respect to FIG.  13 . Thus, if a particular employee had to leave the shop floor due to an emergency, the supervisor can use the SELECT button  1220  to “become” that employee so that the supervisor can log that employee off of whatever machines that employee may be logged onto. Alternately, if the employee is a temporary or new employee who is either unfamiliar with the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, or for some reason has been denied access to the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, the supervisor can act in that employee&#39;s stead to log that employee onto or off of various machines. 
     The option button portion  1230  includes a “Me” option button  1232 , a “People I supervise” option button  1234  and an “Everyone” option button  1236 . The option buttons  1232 ,  1234  and  1236  are used to easily change the selection, or filter, rules for selecting the employees to be displayed in the display portion  1240 . The “Me” option button is used to select only the current operator and the machines that operator is logged into for display in the display portion  1240 . In contrast, the “People I supervise” option button  1234  is used to select the people supervised by the current operator for display in the display portion  1240 . Finally, the “Everyone” option button  1236  is used to display everyone who is currently logged onto at least one machine. 
     The display portion  1240  displays the name of each person logged onto at least one machine that meets the selection rules input through the selection buttons  1232 - 1236  and/or the FILTER button  1018 . The NAME title button and column  1241  of the display portion  1240  displays the name of the employee. The TITLE title button and column  1242  displays the title of that employee, while the SHIFT title button and column  1243  indicates that employee&#39;s shift. The DEPARTMENT title button and column  1244  indicates that employee&#39;s department. The MACHINE title button and column  1245  indicates the machine or machines that employee is logged onto. In particular, if an employee is logged onto more than one machine, one row for that employee will be displayed for each such machine. The LOGIN DATE title button and column  1246  indicates the date that employee was logged onto that machine, while the TIME title button and column  1247  indicates the time of day that employee was logged onto that machine. The scroll bar  1248  allows the data displayed in the display portion  1240  that extends beyond the bottom of the display portion  1240  to be viewed. 
     The sorting order for the employees to be displayed in the display portion  1240  can be controlled by selecting one of the title buttons  1241 - 1247  for the columns  1241 - 1247 . The first time a title button  1241 - 1247  is selected, the employees are sorted in alphabetical or numerical order for that column, in descending order. Selecting that title button again sorts the employees alphabetically and/or numerically in ascending order. Selecting the title button  1241 - 1247  for another column sorts the employees in descending order according to the data for that column. 
     FIG. 15 displays the new production screen  1300  displayed in response to selecting the PULL PRODUCTION button  726 . As a machine produces either work-in-progress or finished goods, containers of produced parts are completed either when the container is filled or when the particular job is completed. When a machine produces a new container of parts, the operator of the machine or a materials transport worker, such as a forklift driver, selects the PULL PRODUCTION button  726  on the shop floor screen  700  or  800 . As a result, the new production screen  1300  is displayed. 
     As shown in FIG. 15, the new production screen  1300  includes the menu bar  910 , a source container portion  1310 , a machine portion  1320  and a new production container portion  1330 . The menu bar  910  includes the menu buttons  912 - 918  and has been described previously. Accordingly, no further description of these buttons will be made. 
     The source container portion  1310  identifies the part number of the parts stored in that container, that container&#39;s container number, the job number for which the parts stored in that source container were produced, the operation used to generate those parts, a lot number, a current quantity of parts stored in the source container, including the units for that quantity, the type of storage, and any notes. The source container was previously associated with a particular one of the machines, using the container moving procedure described below with respect to FIGS. 18 and 19. The machine portion  1320  displays the machine number that the source container has been associated with and the graphic for that machine. Similarly, the new production container portion  1330  indicates the part number of the part produced, the new container number to be assigned to the container storing that part and the corresponding job number, the operation, and the lot number. 
     Because the relational database  250  had been previously provided with the information about the source container when it was associated with the particular machine, and the particular part being produced by the machine when the order was associated with that machine, the part number, job number, operation and lot number are automatically added to the new production container portion  1330  when the new production container screen  1300  is displayed. In particular, the part number, the job number and the operation are obtained from the order being produced by the particular machine. The lot number is taken directly from the source container to allow the material lot to be fully traced through the production of parts. Finally, the container number is automatically assigned by the graphical user interface shop floor control system when the new production container screen  1300  is displayed. 
     In particular, the new production container portion  1330  provides input boxes  1332 - 1338  for inputting the quantity, the units, the type and any relevant notes for this container. Typically, the quantity units and type are automatically entered into the quantity input box  1332 , the unit input box  1334 , and the type input box  1336  of the new production container portion  1330  because the quantity would be read electronically from a production weight-count scale attached to the client system and the unit and the type would be automatically provided by the database  250 . When production is pulled, a bar code label is printed and a new container record is created, which updates the real-time inventory and the production tracking records. 
     That is, after the operator either fills the container or finishes producing the part, the operator carries the container over to the client system for entering the information via the new production container screen  1300 . Typically, an electronic scale will also be attached to the client system and the container would be placed on that electronic scale. That electronic scale will automatically fill in the quantity information in the quantity input box  1332  while the database  250  automatically supplies the data for the unit input box  1334  and the type input box  1336 . The user can also select the unit and type using the drop-down menus available at the center input box  1334  and the type input box  1336 . Finally, the user can enter any information in the note input box  1338  of the new production container portion  1330 . 
     The user then selects the OK button  918 . At that time, the new production container information is transmitted to the relational database  250  and a new production container record is created. At the same time, the client system generates a new bar code label for attaching to the container. The new production container screen  1300  then closes and the container moving process and animation, described below with respect to FIGS. 18 and 19, is used to indicate the new location for this new production container to the graphical user interface shop floor control system. 
     FIG. 16 shows the machine schedule screen  1400 , which is displayed in response to selecting the PRODUCTION button  730  of the shop floor screen  700  or  800 . As set forth above, when the status of a particular machine is to be changed to “production”, the worker at that machine selects the PRODUCTION button  730  and then selects the machine icon corresponding to that particular machine. Similarly, if the worker needs to stop producing parts for one job and being producing parts for another job, the worker at that machine selects the PRODUCTION button  730  and then selects the machine icon corresponding to that particular machine. This is true even if the part to be produced is the same part. In either case, the machine schedule screen  1400  is displayed to allow the worker to select the job to which the next use of the selected machine will be attributed. 
     Thus, the machine schedule screen  1400  is displayed to allow the worker to select the particular job to which the currently produced parts will be attributed. The machine schedule screen  1400  includes the menu bar  1210 , a machine schedule portion  1410  and a JOB SHEET button  1420 . 
     Normally, a job is scheduled on a machine using the new production screen  1300  described above and the container movement process described below with respect to FIGS. 18 and 19, when a new container is produced and moved to the selected machine for further processing of the parts stored in that container. Similarly, when a container storing work-in-progress is moved from a storage location to a particular machine, the job associated with that container is scheduled to that particular machine. The JOB SUPERVISION button  580  of the manufacturing menu  500  can also be used to schedule a job on a particular machine, for example, as part of moving a container storing raw materials to that particular machine. Often, a container storing raw materials does not yet have a job associated with it. One use of the JOB SUPERVISION button  580  is to associate a job with that raw materials-storing container. 
     The machine schedule portion  1410  includes a JOB NO title button and column  1411 , a PART NO title button and column  1412 , a QUANTITY title button and column  1413 , a PRODUCED title button and column  1414 , a NOTE title button and column  1415 , a COMP title button and column  1416 , a DUE DATE title button and column  1417 , an HOURS column  1418 , and a scroll bar  1419 . As set forth above with respect to the display portion  1240  of the machine login screen  1200 , selecting any one of the title buttons  1411 - 1418  of the machine schedule portion  1410  sorts the records of the machine schedule for the selected machine in descending order based on the values for the selected title button. Selecting that title button again resorts the records in the machine schedule for the selected machine so they are displayed in the machine schedule portion  1410  in ascending order based on the values for the selecting column. Selecting a different one of the title buttons  1411 - 1418  causes the records displayed in the machine schedule portion  1410  to be resorted in descending order according to the values for that column. 
     The JOB NO column  1411  indicates the job number assigned to the particular jobs scheduled for production on the selected machine. The PART NO column  1412  indicates the part number to be produced for this job. The QUANTITY column  1413  indicates the total quantity of parts, in pieces, weight, packages or the like. The PRODUCED column  1414  indicates the quantity of parts actually produced so far for this job. The NOTE column  1415  provides a place for the worker or others to put notes about the job. The COMP (completed proportion) column  1416  indicates the proportion of the total quantity for the job that the quantity in the PRODUCED column represents. The DUE DATE column  1417  indicates the date by which the job should be completed. The HOURS column  1418  indicates the number of labor hours that have been consumed so far in completing the job. The scroll bar  1419  allows the worker to scroll through the jobs scheduled on the selected machine if more jobs than can be displayed in the machine schedule portion  1410  have been scheduled on the selected machine. 
     When the machine schedule screen  1400  is displayed in response to selecting the PRODUCTION button  730 , the displayed machine schedule is for the selected machine. The machine schedule screen  1400  can also be displayed in response to selecting the MACHINE SCHEDULE button  590  of the manufacturing menu  500 . In this case, the displayed machine schedule is for all machines. In this case, the FILTER button  1018  is used to select the particular machine or machines the machine schedule screen  1400  will display the schedule for. Additionally, the machine schedule screen could include the department and machine portions  1810  and  1820 , described below with respect to FIG. 21, to allow the user to select the particular department and machine the machine schedule screen  1400  will display the schedule for. 
     The JOB SHEET button  1420  is used to view a description of the machining operations that are necessary to complete a job. Thus, if the worker at a particular machine is not sure what machining operation or operations that worker is to perform next on the part for the selected job, that worker can select the JOB SHEET button  1420  to review the description of the machining operations for the selected job. 
     FIG. 17 shows the machine log-maintenance record screen  1500 , which is displayed in response to selecting the MAINTENANCE button  738  of the shop floor screen  700  or  800 . In particular, when a maintenance crew begins performing maintenance on a particular machine, the maintenance crew first selects the MAINTENANCE button  738 , then selects the particular machine icon corresponding to the machine that is about to be serviced. As a result, the machine log-maintenance record screen  1500  is displayed. 
     The machine log-maintenance record screen  1500  includes the menu bar  910 , a maintenance type input box  1510 , a notes input box  1520 , and a flag input box  1530  and a flag check box  1540 . The menu bar  910  contains the menu buttons  912 - 918  and has been described previously. Accordingly, no further description of these buttons is provided. 
     The maintenance type input box  1510  is used to identify the general type of maintenance being performed on the machine. In general, the various maintenance types will include electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, and the like. The particular maintenance types will of course depend on the particular types of machines present in the factory. The maintenance type input box  1510  includes a drop down menu to aid the maintenance crew in selecting the type of maintenance performed. 
     The notes input box  1520  is used to input a detailed description of the maintenance services provided by the maintenance crew on the selected machine. This data becomes part of the permanent machine log and is also provided to a preventative maintenance system, if the factory has such a system. The flag input box  1530  is used to provide a description of ongoing problems or warnings that should be provided to the next maintenance crew when that next maintenance crew next works on the selected machine. The flag check box  1540  is used to indicate whether the flag color encoding of the alpha-numeric code for the machine icon for this machine should be set or cleared. 
     Additionally, in an alternative embodiment, the machine log maintenance record screen  1500  can also be accessed through the WAIT/MAINT button  740 . In this case, the machine log maintenance record screen  1500  would be used by an operator of the selected machine to notify the maintenance department of a particular maintenance problem that needs to be dealt with for the selected machine. That is, the machine log-maintenance record screen  1500  can also be used to provide details of a maintenance problem to the maintenance department and/or to input data into a maintenance queue. Accordingly, the machine log maintenance record screen  1500  can also be used to actively request maintenance on a particular machine, as well as to passively record the maintenance performed on a particular machine. 
     FIGS. 18 and 19 illustrates how the shop floor screen  700  or  800  of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can be used to provide data to the relational database  250  about the location and movement of storage containers about the shop floor. As described above, bar code labels are used to track containers as they move through the factory. In general, containers are usually moved as part of the process of creating a new container, as described above with respect to FIG.  15 . To move a container outside of creating a new container, the operator either scans the bar code label attached to the container using the bar code scanner  286  or  386 , or uses the keyboard  284  or  384  to enter the alphanumeric bar code in the input box  748  of the bar code portion  746  of the shop floor screen  700  or  800 . 
     In either case, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention then accesses the relational database  250  to determine the current location of the identified container from the data stored in the relational database  250 . The current location of the container, as indicated by the data stored in the relational database  250 , is displayed on the shop floor representation  750  or  850  as a red-colored square box or “dot”  1610 , as shown in FIG.  17 . This red-colored “dot”  1610  corresponds to the “you are here” dots displayed on maps of malls, theme parks and the like. The red-colored box or dot  1610  is displayed in the shop floor representation  750  or  850  overlying the icon representing the factory element where that container is located. Thus, as shown in FIG. 18, when a bar code, such as the bar code “C0107459” is entered into the bar code input box  748  of the bar code portion  746 , all of the menu buttons  710 - 744  of the menu bar  710 , except the PRINT button  726  and the TASK LIST button  742 , are grayed out. At the same time, the current location of the container “C0107459” is displayed on the shop floor representation  750  as the red-colored box or dot  1610 . It should also be appreciated that, as shown in FIG. 19, it is not necessary to gray out the menu buttons  712 ,  714   718 - 740  or  744  of the menu bar  710 . As shown in FIG. 18, the container having the bar code label “C0107459” is associated with the machine W 03 , and thus is displayed as the box  1610  overlying the machine icon for the machine W 03 . Similarly, as shown in FIG. 19, the red block or dot  1620  for the container having the bar code label “C0107458” is displayed overlying the machine icon  852  for the machine UB 3 . 
     Then, the operator selects the factory element displayed in the shop floor representation  750  or  850  that corresponds to the location to which that container will be, or has been, moved. In response, as shown in FIG. 19, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention displays a graphic animation  1620  of an employee. The animated employee  1620  “picks up” the red block or dot  1610  representing the container at its current location, “walks” the red block or dot  1610  over to the new location and “sets” the red block or dot  1610  down over the selected factory element representing the new location for the selected container. At the same time, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention updates the record in the relational database  250  corresponding to that container to indicate its new location. This animation is designed to inform the operator in a graphical way, that the system has acknowledged the movement of the container from the current location to the next location. 
     In operation, the user will either inform the relational database  250  of the movement of the container using the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention either immediately before or immediately after the corresponding container is physically moved from its current location to its next location. However, in a first preferred embodiment of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, it is the responsibility of the operator to ensure the container is actually moved from its current location to its next location. 
     In an alternate embodiment of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention, this process cannot only be used to inform the relational database of the new location for this container, but can also be used to generate a request to a materials handling department to have the particular container moved from its current location to the new location. Thus, in this embodiment, the operator does not actually move the container from its present location to its new location. Rather, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention uses this movement procedure on the shop floor representation  850  to dispatch a forklift driver or the like to move the container from its present location to the new location. 
     In yet another embodiment of this movement procedure, it is possible that the factory has an automated materials transport and handling system. Such automated materials transport and handling systems are used in, for example, semiconductor chip manufacturing plants to transport the semiconductor wafers between processing operations. Accordingly, if the factory is equipped with such an automated materials handling and transport system, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can use this movement procedure to generate the routing information required by the automated materials handling and transport system to automatically move the container from its current location to the next location. 
     In a further alternate embodiment of this invention, additional animations can be provided. For example, rather than a single static machine icon for each different type of machine, the selectable icons associated with each machine can be formed as a series of slightly different icons that are displayed in rapid succession provide an animation of the machine. Thus, a press or forge would have a portion that moves up and down or otherwise reciprocates. Similarly, a thread cutter or lathe would have a rotating spindle. 
     FIG. 20 shows a series  1700  of icons  1704 - 1792  used to animate a threader machine, such as the threaders  762 , labeled T 01 -T 21 , and shown in FIG.  7 . Because this series of animations represents operation of the threader, the background for this animation is green to indicate the production status. In the icon  1704 , the threader is shown having a part to be threaded extending out of the input side of the threader. As each of the icons  1708 - 1792  is displayed in sequence, the part to be threaded slowly disappears from the input side of the threader and begins appearing at the output side of the threader. Thus, by the time the icon  1792  is displayed, the part has completely passed through the threader and is ready for removal at the output side. Then, after the icon  1792  is displayed, in quick succession, the icon  1704  is redisplayed and the series begins again. Thus, the series  1700  of the icons  1704 - 1792  shows a part being input by the threader and subsequently output by the threader, thus animating the threading operation provided by the threader. 
     In yet another embodiment of this invention, the machines themselves can be directly connected to the graphical interface shop floor control system of this invention, to provide real time status information to the relational database  250 . This allows more accurate information to be provided to the relational database  250  and also reduces the burden on the operators to quickly and accurately interact with the client systems to update the status information each time the status of a particular machine changes. However, the user can still enter this information through the shop floor screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. Thus, the relational database  250  can obtain data through either path. 
     FIG. 21 shows a machine log screen  1800 . As described above, this machine log screen  1800  is accessible by selecting the MACHINE LOG button  530  of the manufacturing menu  500 . The machine log screen  1800  includes the menu bar  1210  described above with respect to the machine login screen  1200  shown in FIG.  14 . The machine log screen  1800  also includes a department portion  1810 , a machine portion  1820 , a machine log portion  1830 , a containers produced portion  1840 , a supplies portion  1850  and a labor portion  1860 . In particular, the department portion  1810  lists each of the organizational departments that the manufacturing operation represented by the various shop screens accessible through the SHOP LAYOUT button  510  is divided into. 
     The departments displayed in the department portion  1810  can be modified by scrolling through the various listed departments using the scroll bar  1812 . A particular department can be selected either directly or by using the scroll bar. Once a particular department has been selected, the machines organizationally associated with that department are displayed in the machine portion  1820 . Again, the list of machines displayed in the machine portion  1820  can be changed by scrolling through various machines associated with the selected department using the scroll bar  1822 . 
     Once a particular machine has been selected using the machine portion  1820 , a log for that machine is displayed in the machine log portion  1830 . The machine log portion includes a DATE title button and column  1831 , a STATUS title button and column  1832 , a DAY title button and column  1833 , a PART NO title button and column  1834 , a TIME title button and column  1835 , a JOB title button and column  1836 , a OPERATION title button and column  1837 , a MAINT TYPE title button and column  1838 , and an HOURS title button and column  1839 . As set forth above with respect to the display portion  1240  of the machine login screen  1200 , selecting any one of the title buttons  1831 - 1839  of the machine log portion  1830  sorts the records of the machine log for the selected machine in descending order based on the values for the selected title button. Selecting that title button again resorts the records in the machine log for the selected machine so they are displayed in the machine log portion  1830  in ascending order based on the values for the selecting column. Selecting a different one of the title buttons  1831 - 1839  causes the records displayed in the machine log portion  1830  to be resorted in descending order according to the values for that column. 
     As shown in FIG. 21, the machine log portion  1830  displays the eight-most recent records in the machine log file stored in the database  250  for the machine “T05” of the department “TR-THREADING”. As shown in the machine log portion  1830  of FIG. 21, the machine T 05  is currently in production as of Feb. 15, 1998 producing part “ATR 3/4X10” beginning at 10:13 p.m., for job “J007421”. The previous two entries indicate that the machine T 05  became idle beginning on Saturday, February 14 at 4:59 a.m. and remained idle for 41.3 hours. The fourth entry in the machine log  1830  indicates the machine T 05  began producing part “ATR 3/4X10” on Friday, February 13, for job J 007421 , at 3:52 p.m. and produced parts for this job for 13.1 hours. The next two entries displayed in the machine log portion  1830  indicate that the machine T 05  began producing part “ATR 3/4X3” on February 13, for job “J007426”, at 11:27 a.m. and worked on this job for 4.4 hours. The seventh entry for the machine T 05  indicates that this machine began producing part “ATR 3/4X6” on Thursday, February 12 for job “J007423”, at 10:49 and worked on this job for 12.6 hours. Finally, the last displayed entry indicates that the machine T 05  began producing part “ATR 3/4X10” on February 12, for job “J00742”, at 3:52 p.m. and worked on this job for 7.0 hours. 
     If additional records stored in the machine log file of the data  250  for the machine T 05  need to be displayed, the scroll bar  1829  of the machine log portion  1830  can be used to scroll through the records for this machine. 
     The containers produced portions  1840  includes a CONTAINER title button and column  1841 , a TYPE title button and column  1842 , a QUANTITY title button and column  1843 , and a scroll bar  1844 . The containers produced portions  1840  displays the list of containers produced by the selected machine. As set forth above with respect to the machine log portions  1830 , selecting a title button once sorts the list of produced containers in descending order according to the values for the selected column, selecting that title button again resorts the list of produced containers in ascending order for that column, and selecting a different title button resorts the list of produced containers in descending order according to the values of the newly-selected column. 
     The supplies portion  1850  includes a scroll bar  1852  and displays a list of the supplies recently consumed by the selected machine as it was used to produce the containers indicated in the containers produced portion  1840 . These supplies include replacement parts installed in the selected machine in response to either scheduled preventative maintenance or to a maintenance problem. These supplies also include tools used by the machine to produce the parts stored in the containers indicated in the containers produced portion  1840 . These tools can include things like saw blades, cutting bits, dies, drill bits, taps, grinding or polishing wheels, sanding belts, welding tips, workpiece holding devices, and other tools that must either be discarded or resharpened based on the number of parts produced. These supplies also include consumables used to produce the parts, such as cutting oils and fluids, polishing pastes and the like, bluing fluids, paints, filters, binders, welding rods, solders, gases, and the like. These supplies are associated with the selected machine and are managed using a graphical user interface supplies control system accessible through the MATERIALS and SUPPLIES buttons  450  and  460  of the main menu  400 . This graphical user interface supplies control system will not be further described herein. 
     The labor portion  1860  includes an EMPLOYEE title button and column  1861 , a START title button and column  1862 , a STOP title button and column  1863 , an HOURS title button and column  1864  and a USAGE title button and column  1866  and a scroll bar  1866 . The labor portion  1860  is used to attribute the labor hours, and thus the labor cost of the various employees logged onto the selected machines, to the various jobs produced by the selected machine while the selected employee was logged on that machine. Thus, the employee column  1861  lists the various employees, while the start column  1862  and the stop column  1863  indicates when that employee logged on and the subsequently logged off the selected machine. The hours column  1864  indicates the total number of hours, while the user was logged onto the selected machine, that machine was producing that particular part indicated in the usage column  1865 . 
     It should be appreciated that there are two different modes for attributing an employee&#39;s labor hours to particular jobs. In a first mode that is less computationally complex but more intrusive on the employee as each employee arrives each morning, that employee is required to log on to the machine he will initially be working on. As that employee works on different machines throughout the day, he is required to log on and log off of the various machines so that his labor hours for that day are properly attributed. Furthermore, when the employee leaves for the day, he is required to log off of all machines which he is currently logged onto. Moreover, if the employee should work overtime, he is nevertheless required to log off and then re-log on to the various machines so that his differential labor costs can be properly attributed. 
     In a more sophisticated version of the graphical user interface shop floor control system with this invention, the employee does not have to log on a machine each morning and log off the machines each evening. Rather, the graphical interface shop floor control system of this invention recognizes which shift a particular employee is on and recognizes, when the status of the machine is changed from production to idle at the end of a shift, and then changed from idle to production at the beginning of a shift, the production time for that machine for the previous shift is attributed to the employee who works the previous shift and the production time for the current shift is attributable to the employee for this current shift. Furthermore, the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can attribute the production hours when there is no idle time between shifts or after a final shift for a particular day, to the employee for the previous shift as overtime hours. 
     FIG. 22 shows an exemplary graph screen  1900  accessible through the REPORTS AND GRAPHS button  540  of the manufacturing menu  500 . It should be appreciated that when the REPORTS AND GRAPHS button  540  is selected, an intermediate screen providing a list of available reports and graphs is displayed. FIG. 22 shows one of the available graphs, a graph displaying a machine status summary as a pie chart. Thus, while the following description is described relative to this machine status summary pie chart, it should be appreciated that the exemplary graph screen  1900  shown in FIG. 22 is not limited to either displaying the machine status summary or displaying a pie chart. 
     Thus, the exemplary graph screen  1900  includes a menu bar  1910 , a department portion  1920 , a machine portion  1930 , a time portion  1940 , a graphing type  1950 , and a graph portion  1960 . The menu bar  1910  includes an EXIT button  1912 , a HELP button  1914  and a PRINT button  1960 , which provide the standard functions attributable to these buttons, as described above. The menu bar  1910  also includes a GRAPH button  1918  that causes a graph to be generated and displayed in the graph portion  1960  based on the particular items set forth in the department portion  1920 , the machine portion  1930 , the time portion  1940  and the type portion  1950 . 
     The department portion  1920  displays the particular department for which a graph will be created in the graph portion  1960 . In particular, the graph portion  1920  includes a drop down menu  1922  that lists all of the possible departments that could be selected in the department portion  1920 , including groupings of departments, such as all of the sub-departments in the threading department, and an “ALL” entry for selecting all departments, and/or any other desired supersets and subsets of these departments. The machine portion  1930  displays the selected machine for which the graph displayed in the graph portion  1960  will be created. The machine portion  1930  also includes a drop down menu  1932 , that, like the drop down menu  1922 , allows any single machine, all machines, or any desired set, subset or superset of machines to be selected. 
     The time portion  740  displays the time period over which the data for the selected department and the selected machine will be selected from the database  250  to generate the graph displayed in the graph portion  1960 . The time portion  1940  includes an up button  1942  and a down button  1944  to allow the time period to be easily adjusted. It should be understood, depending on the particular graph to be generated in the graph portion  1960 , that the department portion  1920 , the machine portion  1930  and the time portion  1940  either be slightly different, or replaced by other portions. Thus, the particular portions  1920 - 1940  and their particular structure as shown in FIG. 22 is exemplary only and should not be considered limiting. Those of ordinary skill in the art who clearly understand how to modify the exemplary graph screen  1900  depending on the particular information to be displayed in the graph potion  1960 . 
     The display type portion  1950  is used to control how the graph  1966  displayed in the graph portion  1960  is displayed. In particular, as shown in FIG. 22, the display type portion  1950  includes a solid option button  1952  and an exploded option button  1954 . When the solid option button  1952  is selected, the graph  1966  shown in the graph portion  1960  is shown as a solid graph. When the exploded option button  1954  is selected, the graph  1966  is shown in exploded form, as in FIG.  22 . 
     The graph portion  1960  includes a title portion  1962 , a legend portion  1964  and a graph  1966 . The title portion  1962  indicates the particular information displayed in the graph  1966 . The legend portion  1964  provides a key indicating the color coding of the particular data values used to create the graph  1966 . The graph  1966 , which is shown as a pie chart in FIG. 22, provides a graphical representation of the information in the database  250  for the selected time period, the selected department and the selected machines, for example. It should be appreciated that the graph portion  1966  is not limited to a pie chart, and can include a bar chart, a histogram, a two or three axis scatter plot, or any other known or later developed graphing technique. 
     FIG. 23 shows an exemplary machines screen  2000  accessible by selecting the MACHINE LIST button  550  of the manufacturing menu  500 . The machines screen  2000  is used to view more details about each of the machines than can be obtained by viewing the corresponding shop floor screen. That is, the corresponding shop floor screen indicates the statuses of the various machines, but does not directly indicate what parts the production-status machines are producing, or what maintenance is being performed on the maintenance-status machines, unless the machine icon for a particular machine is selected to view the machine status screen  900  for that machine. The machines screen  2000  allows this information to be viewed for all of the machines of a selected department. 
     The machines screen  2000  includes the menu bar  1210 , described above with respect to the employees screen  1200  shown in FIG.  14 . However, in the machines screen  2000 , the menu bar  1210  also includes the SET-UP button  1038  described above with respect to the containers screen  1000  shown in FIG.  11 . Furthermore, in the machines screen  2000 , the REPORTS button  1032  is enabled and thus is not shown in grayed-out format. 
     The exemplary machines screen  2000  also includes a department portion  2010 , a machines portion  2020  and an operations portion  2030 . The department portion  2010  includes a scroll bar  2012  for scrolling through the list of departments for the particular factory and operates similarly to the department portion  1810 , and thus will not be described further. 
     The machines portion  2020  includes a MACHINE title button and column  2021 , a MODEL title button and column  2022 , a FLAG title button and column  2023 , a STATUS title button and column  2024 , a PART NO title button and column  2025 , a MAINTENANCE title button and column  2026  and a scroll bar  2027 . The title buttons  2021 - 2026  operate as described above with respect to FIGS. 9-11. Thus, the particular operation of these title buttons  2021 - 2026  will not be further described. The machine column  2021  lists the machine numbers for the machines associated with the particular departments selected in the department portion  2010 . The model column  2022  indicates the particular model for each machine of the selected department. The flag column  2023  displays any flags that may have been set for the machines of the selected department using the flag portion  924  of the machine status screens  900  shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. 
     The status column  2024  indicates the particular statuses for the various machines of the selected department currently stored in the database  250  and set using the status buttons  730 - 744  of the menu bar  710  shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The part number column  2025  displays the current part number being produced by the machines of the selected department based on the part number displayed in the production portion  930  and selected using the machine schedule portion  970  of the machine status screens  900  shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The maintenance column  2026  displays the type of maintenance requested or being performed on the machines of the selected department for those machines having either a MAINTENANCE or a WAITING-FOR-MAINTENANCE status and based on the type of maintenance indicated in the maintenance portion  930 ′. The scroll bar  2027  allows the user to scroll through the list of machines if the number of machines of the selected department cannot fit in the viewable area of the machines portion  2020 . 
     The operations portion  2030  includes a scroll bar  2032  and displays the various operations available for a particular selected machine selected through the machines portion  2020 . As shown in FIG. 23, the machine T 01  is selected and is only capable of a threading operation. 
     FIG. 24 shows an exemplary preventative maintenance schedule screen  2100  accessible by selecting the PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE button  560  of the manufacturing menu  500 . It should also be appreciated that the preventative maintenance schedule screen  2100  could also be accessed by selecting a maintenance icon of a shop floor screen, such as the maintenance office icon  780  of the shop floor screen  700  shown in FIG.  7 . In this case, the preventative maintenance schedule would automatically select the department of the department portion  2110  corresponding to the particular shop floor screen containing the selected maintenance icon. 
     The exemplary preventative maintenance schedule screen  2100  includes the menu bar  1210  except that the REPORTS button  1032  is also enabled. 
     The exemplary preventative maintenance schedule screen  2100  also includes a department portion  2110 , a machine portion  2120  and a preventative maintenance schedule portion  2130 . The department portion  2110  and the machine portion  2120  are identical to the department portion  1810  and the machine portion  1820  of the machine log screen  1800  shown in FIG.  21 . Thus, the department portion  2110  and the machine portion  2120  would not be further described. 
     The exemplary preventative maintenance schedule portion  2130  includes a MAINTENANCE TYPE title button and column  2131 , a FREQUENCY (DAYS) title button and column  2132 , a RESPONSIBILITY title button and column  2133 , a LAST PERFORMED title button and column  2134 , a STATUS title button and column  2135 , a DUE DATE title button and column  2136 , a NOTE title button and column  2137 , and a scroll bar  2138 . The title buttons  2131 - 2137  and the scroll bar  2138  operate identically to the various title buttons and scroll bars described above, and thus the operation of these title buttons  2131 - 2137  and the scroll bar  2138  will not be further described. 
     The maintenance type column  2131  provides a general description of the particular preventative maintenance to be performed. The frequency (days) column  2132  indicates how often that particular type of preventative maintenance is to be performed. The responsibility column  2133  indicates the employee whose responsibility it is to perform that particular preventative maintenance. The last performed column  2134  indicates when that particular type of preventative maintenance was last performed. The status column  2135  indicates whether the particular preventative maintenance for the selected machine was completed or whether there was a problem. The due date column  2136  indicates when the particular type of preventative maintenance is to be next performed on the selected machine. The note column  2137  provides location where notes, regarding the preventative maintenance performed, entered through the note portion  1520  of the machine log-maintenance record screen  1500 , can be displayed. 
     FIG. 25 shows an exemplary task list screen  2200  accessible by selecting the TASK LIST button  570  of the manufacturing menu  500 . The exemplary task list screen  2200  includes the menu bar  1210 , a department portion  2210  and a task portion  2220 . The menu bar  1210  is identical to the menu bar  1210  of the machine login screen  1200  shown in FIG. 14, except that both the DELETE button  1029  and the REPORTS button  1032  are enabled. Moreover, the department portion  2210  is identical to the department portion  1810  of the machine log screen  1800  and thus will not be further described. 
     The task portion  2220  includes a TASK title button and column  1021 , an ASSIGNED TO title button and column  2222 , a PRIORITY title button and column  2223 , a REQUIRED DATE title button and column  1024 , an “incomplete” option button  2225 , a “complete” option button  2226  and a scroll bar  1027 . The exemplary task list screen  2200  also includes a PRINT TASK button  2230 . 
     The title buttons  2221 - 2224 , the option buttons  2225  and  2226 , and the scroll bar  2227  operate identically to the various title buttons, option buttons and scroll bars described earlier and their operation will not be described further herein, except to the extent it departs from the previous descriptions. The task column  2221  provides a description of the various tasks, outside of the preventative maintenance schedule and the like, that need to be performed for the particular department selected in the department portion  2210 . The assigned to column  2222  indicates the particular person to whom this particular task has been assigned. 
     The priority column  2223  indicates the priority of the various tasks, where a lower number indicates a higher priority. The required date column  2224  indicates the date by which the task is required to be completed. The incomplete option button  1025  and the complete option button  1026  are used to indicate, for a selected one of the tasks, whether that task is incomplete or complete. When a particular task is entered into the task list displayed in the task portion  1020 , it is automatically assigned an incomplete status. When the task is completed, the particular task is displayed and then selected on the task portion  2220  and the complete option button  1026  is selected to change the status of that task from incomplete to complete. 
     The PRINT TASK button  2230  is used to print a particular task and a full description of what is involved in completing that task. 
     It should also be appreciated that the task list screen  2200  shown in FIG. 25 can also be accessible using the TASK LIST status button  742  of the menu bar  710  shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. In this case, the department portion  1020  will automatically be set to the particular department corresponding to the shop floor screen  700  displayed when the TASK LIST button  742  was selected. 
     FIG. 26 shows another exemplary production shop floor screen  2300  according to this invention for a different production factory than the exemplary factory for which the exemplary factory and shop floor screens  600 - 800  shown in FIGS. 6-8 were created. The exemplary production shop floor screen  2300  includes the menu bar  410  of the main menu  400  shown in FIG. 4, a machine status legend portion  2310  and a shop floor representation  2330 . The shop floor representation  2330  operates similarly to the shop floor representations  750  and  850  described above, using the various screens shown in FIGS. 9-25. Thus, the shop floor representation  2330  will not be further described. However, it should be appreciated that the shop floor representation  2330  does not use the same status buttons  730 - 744  as the shop floor representations  750  and  850  described above. 
     In particular, as shown in FIG. 26, the machine status legend portion  2310  includes a PRODUCTION button  2312 , a SETUP button  2314 , an EXCESS SETUP button  2316 , a JOB TROUBLE button  2318 , a MAINTENANCE button  2320  and an IDLE button  2322 . The PRODUCTION and SETUP buttons  2312  and  2314  operate identically to the PRODUCTION and SETUP buttons  730  and  734  described above, and thus will not be described further. 
     The MAINTENANCE and IDLE buttons  2320  and  2322  also operate identically to the MAINTENANCE and IDLE buttons  738  and  744  described above, except that different color encoding is used for the MAINTENANCE and IDLE buttons  2320  and  2322  of the shop floor screen  2300  of FIG.  26 . In particular, instead of the red color coding used for the MAINTENANCE button  738 , the MAINTENANCE button  2320  uses a blue color coding. Similarly, instead of the yellow frame coloring coding used by the IDLE button  744 , the IDLE button  2320  uses a gray coloring coding. 
     The EXCESS SETUP button  2316  is used to attribute the initial set-up time, labor and supplies to a particular job separately from the normal set-up time, labor and supplies. That is, set-up procedures are classified as “excess set-up” the first time a particular machine must be set up to produce a particular part. Once a particular machine has been set up to produce a particular part, setting up that machine, or other models of that machine, to produce that part is generally straightforward and easy to accomplish. This type of set-up procedures is thus classified as regular “setup”. In contrast, the first time a particular machine must be set up to produce a particular part, the set-up of that machine must be “debugged” in order to obtain the desired part. This set-up debugging is often time and labor consuming and requires consuming a significant amount of source materials before the resulting parts are acceptable. The large number of unacceptable parts are thus wasted. The excess setup status helps account for the increased time, labor and materials consumed during an initial setup of a particular machine to produce a particular part. 
     The JOB TROUBLE button  2318  is not used to indicate a maintenance problem, but rather is used to indicate that, while a particular machine is producing parts, the produced parts are, for some reason, unacceptable. This allows the shop floor manager to quickly identify a machine that could be put back into production if the reason why that machine is producing unacceptable parts were determined and solved. 
     It should be appreciated, from FIGS. 7,  8  and  27 , that any set of appropriate machine statuses could be implemented in the shop floor screen according to this invention. In particular, the specific machine statuses that will be used for a particular implementation of the shop floor screens according to this invention will depend on the particular cost and/or labor accounting systems used by the represented factory, the types of machines used by, the types of products made by, and the size of the jobs produced by the represented factory. Thus, the particular status buttons and machine statuses described above are merely illustrative, and a shop floor screen according to this invention can use any combination of the statuses described above, and, more generally, any combination of any known or later developed machine statuses. 
     It should also be appreciated that, while FIGS. 9-11,  15 ,  18 - 19  and  21  are described above with respect to storage containers storing collections of parts or material, when the various screens shown in these figures are used with the job shop shown in FIG. 27, these screens will be altered to refer to individual parts or materials rather than storage containers of parts or material. Thus, it should be understood that the terms “storage container” and “containers” can equally apply to both individual parts or materials as well as storage containers storing collections of parts or material. 
     FIG. 27 shows yet another exemplary shop floor screen  2400  according to this invention. In contrast to the shop floor screens shown in FIGS. 7,  8  and  27 , the shop floor represented by the shop floor screen  2400  is a job shop rather than a production shop. In general, a job shop differs from a production shop in that a production shop produces large quantities of relatively low value parts, while a job shop produces very small quantities of relatively high value parts. Accordingly, while the production shop floors described above stored, maintained and moved raw material and parts around the shop floor using containers of parts, a job shop stores raw material and parts on an individual basis. Thus, in the job shop described below, individual parts, rather than containers of parts, are bar-code labeled and their individual locations maintained using the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. 
     As shown in FIG. 27, the exemplary job shop floor screen  2400  includes a menu bar  2410 , a bar code portion  2446  and a job shop floor representation  2450 . The menu bar  2410  includes a EXIT button  2412 , a HELP button  2414 , a SHOP LOCATION LIST button  2416 , a BILL OF MATERIALS button  2418 , a JOB/ORDERS button  2420 , an INVENTORY button  2422 , a MATERIAL ORDERS button  2424 , a LABOR button  2426 , a SHIPPING/INVOICING button  2428 , an ATTEND button  2430 , a NOTES button  2432  and an E-MAIL SYSTEM button  2434 . Because the shop floor screen  2400  represents a job shop, the shop floor screen actually represents the entire factory for this job shop. Accordingly, when this example of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention is initially opened, it opens directly on the shop floor screen  2400 . 
     The EXIT button  2412  allows the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention to be closed. The HELP button  2414  provides help to the user of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. The SHOP LOCATION LIST button  2416  provides a list of suppliers to and customers of the job shop represented by the shop floor screen  2400 . The BILL OF MATERIALS button  2418  provides, for a particular part, a list of raw materials and supplies that were consumed or used to create that part. The JOB/ORDERS button  2420  provides a list of jobs or orders and the current status of the jobs or orders received by this job shop. The INVENTORY button  2422  provides a list of work-in-progress. The MATERIAL ORDERS button  2424  allows a user to order raw materials and provides a list of suppliers and the materials each supplies, and possibly a list of available raw materials at this job shop. 
     The LABOR button  2426  allows a worker to attribute his labor time to a particular job or to a particular individual workpiece. The SHIPPING/INVOICING button  2428  allows a user to access a shipping and invoicing subsystem of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention for finished parts that have been or are to be shipped to the customer. The ATTEND button  2430  provides access to an attendance and personnel subsystem of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. The NOTES button  2432  allows a worker to enter notes into the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention on anything about the job shop, including notes for a part whose bar code number appears in the bar code display portion  2448 . The E-MAIL SYSTEM button  2434  provides access to the E-Mail system of the represented job shop. 
     The bar code portion  2446  includes a display portion  2448  for displaying a bar code typed in through the keyboard  284  or  384  or scanned using the bar code scanner  286  or  386 . The bar code portion  2446  operates similarly to the bar code portion  746  described above and thus will not be further described. 
     The shop floor representation  2450  includes a number of machine icons  2460  representing the different machines of this job shop, a number of bench icons  2470 - 2474  representing different places raw materials, work-in-progress and finished inventory can be stored, a shipping icon  2480 , a receiving icon  2482 , a customer icon  2490  and a supplier icon  2492 . 
     Because the job shop works on a part-by-part basis, rather than on a container basis, the shop floor representation  2400  does not include container storage locations in the same way storage locations were used by the shop floor representations  700 ,  800  and  2300 . Rather, the shop floor representation  2450  includes the “bench” icons  2470 - 2474 , which represent the benches on which the individual parts are placed and stored as work-in-progress or as finished inventory. In the job shop represented by the shop floor representation  2450 , there are a number of different types of benches. 
     A first bench icon  2470  is located adjacent to a machine icon  2460 , and represents the location of parts to next be worked on by the machine represented by that machine icon. Thus, the parts stored on a bench next to a machine also represent the schedule of jobs for that machine. A second type of bench stores work-in-progress that has not yet been assigned to a particular machine. Thus, this second type of bench is not associated with any particular machine. These second type benches are represented by the second bench icons  2472  A third type of bench stores raw materials. These third type benches are represented by the third bench icons  2474 . 
     The shipping icon  2480  represents a location where finished inventory ready for shipping to the appropriate customer can be placed for invoicing and shipping to that customer. In contrast, the receiving icon  2482  represents a location where newly received raw materials and other items from suppliers can be placed so they can be entered into the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention and have bar code labels assigned to, printed and affixed to each different item and/or each separate piece of raw material. 
     The customer icon  2490  and the supplier icon  2492  are used to display lists of customers and their orders for which parts are to be produced and suppliers from which raw material is bought. 
     In operation, to produce a new part, a worker selects the customer icon  2490  to view the uncompleted jobs, so that worker can select a job or part for production. Once a job or part to be produced is selected, the worker removes the appropriate raw materials from a bench storing the piece or pieces of raw material for that job or part. The worker scans the bar code or codes for the selected raw materials, and an icon, corresponding to the container icon  1610  shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, is displayed at the bench icon  2474  corresponding to the location at which the selected raw material is stored. The worker moves this icon to the bench icon  2470  adjacent to the machine icon  2460  corresponding to the machine the worker will use to being making the selected part. 
     As the worker uses that machine to make the selected part or complete the selected job, the worker will select the LABOR button  2426  to attribute his labor to the selected job or part and the BILL OF MATERIALS button  2418  to attribute to the selected job or part any other materials or supplies used to complete the selected job or make the selected part. Once the worker has finished using that machine, the worker will move the work-in-progress from that bench icon  2470  either to a bench icon  2470  adjacent to a machine icon  2460  corresponding to the next machine to be used to complete the selected job or make the selected part, or to a bench icon  2472  corresponding to a bench used to store work-in-progress until the work-in-progress is moved to the next machine to be used to complete that job or make that part. 
     When the worker has completed the selected job or finished making the selected part, he will move that part, or the part or part for the selected job, to the shipping area, and will move the icon for that part, or the icons for each such part of the selected job, to the shipping icon  2490 . The part or parts can then be shipped to the customer, and the shipping and invoicing will be done by selecting the SHIPPING/INVOICING button  2428  to access the shipping and invoicing subsystem. 
     It should be appreciated that, in FIGS. 7-25, the various icons use graphics that show the represented machines and other factory elements in a perspective view from a front of the machine or other factory element. In contrast, in FIGS. 26 and 27, the various icons use graphics that show the represented machines and other factory elements in a plan view from above the machine or other factory element. It should be appreciated that any desired view could be used to generate the graphics for the machines and other factory elements for the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention. It should also be appreciated that any combination of the various sets of status buttons and the various screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention described above with respect to FIGS. 4-27 could be used to implement the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention for a particular factory or shop. Thus, the various screens described above with respect to FIGS. 4-27 are exemplary only, and a particular implementation of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention may use any one, any combination of, or all of the various screens described above with respect to FIGS. 4-27. 
     It should be appreciated that the various menu bars  410 ,  710 ,  910 ,  1010 ,  1210 ,  1910  and  2310  that can be used in more than one screen of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can be implemented by one or more software objects that can be reused and instantiated with different sets of displayed buttons and different sets enabled ones of the displayed buttons. Thus, the various screens of the graphical user interface shop floor control system of this invention can easily be provided with an appropriate menu bar with little programming overhead. 
     While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specific embodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention, as set forth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.