Why it matters
A machine doesn't stop when you do. Load a long run at the end of the day and it keeps cutting after you've gone home — and nothing about your clock-out says so.
That's why machine time is tracked separately from your time. You tap Start when the machine begins and Stop when you're back to it. You don't have to be clocked in for either one.
For a run that finishes overnight, stop it when you come in and then correct the end time to when the machine actually finished — that's the Fix the end time step below. FabWise flags the correction for your supervisor, so the record shows both what you tapped and what you told it.
It also means the shop can see what you actually kept moving. If you're tending three machines at once, your clocked hours don't show that — your machine runs do.
How it works
- Every machine on the account shows up on the Machines page, either in your department's list or across the whole shop.
- Tap Start on an idle machine to begin a run. You're now watching that run automatically.
- While a machine is running, you can tap +1 Cycle each time you complete a cycle — this timestamps the tap so FabWise can show your real pace, not just a total.
- Tap Stop (or Finish) to end the run for everyone — anyone can stop a run, not just the person who started it. At Finish you can optionally enter how many pieces or cycles you completed; leave it blank to keep whatever count you already logged with +1 Cycle taps.
- Machine time is NOT shift time. You don't need to be clocked in to start or stop a machine, and starting a machine doesn't clock you in.
Where to find it
- Page: Workstation — Machines
- Who can use it: any worker on a Workstation device
What you'll see
Your department's machines (default view)
The Machines page opens to your own department's machines. Tap All machines to see every machine on the account — every machine you can see, you can start.
An idle machine
Shows a Start button. Tapping it begins a run with you as the starter.
A running machine
Shows who started it, how long it's been running, and +1 Cycle / Stop buttons. You don't have to be the one who started it to stop it or add a cycle.
A machine that's been running a very long time
If a run looks stuck — usually because whoever was running it forgot to tap Stop — and you started it (or you're in the same department as the machine), the machine shows a note reading "This run looks longer than expected." Under it is a Fix the end time link. Open it, put the real finish time in Corrected end time, and tap Save corrected end time.
The prompt only appears on a completed run that ran abnormally long and hasn't already been self-corrected — so you'll see it exactly when it's useful and not otherwise.
What to do
- Tap Start before you begin running a machine.
- Tap +1 Cycle each time you finish a cycle, if you want FabWise to track your pace.
- Tap Stop or Finish when you're done, and enter your final counts if you haven't been logging them.
- If a machine shows as still running from a while ago and it wasn't you, check with whoever started it before assuming it's stuck.
Common questions
Q: Do I need to be clocked in to start a machine?
A: No. Machine tracking works whether or not you're on the clock.
Q: Can I stop a machine someone else started?
A: Yes — Stop/Finish works for anyone, not just the starter.
Q: What if I forgot to log cycles as I went?
A: Enter your final count at Finish instead — it works the same either way.
Q: I see a machine that's been "running" for days. What happened?
A: Someone likely forgot to tap Stop. If you started that run, or you're in the machine's department, you can fix it yourself: tap Fix the end time under the "This run looks longer than expected" note, enter the real finish time, and save. If you don't see the prompt, a supervisor can correct it from the admin side — see Reviewing and Correcting Machine Runs.
Related
Last updated: 2026-07-23