Available Action Types in the K2 App Rule Engine
Discover below all about our action types you can configure in the K2 App rules engine
Introduction
In Industry 4.0, process optimization is built on automation, responsiveness, and intelligent data transformation. The rule engine of the K2 App is a foundational component for automating industrial workflows by triggering customized actions based on predefined conditions.
These automated actions enable enhanced industrial performance, improved traceability, and real-time responsiveness to production events.
1. API Call
Triggers an HTTP (REST) request to an external application or system.
Use Cases:
- Automatic synchronization with external software (ERP, CRM).
- Launching business processes via platforms like Power Automate or Zapier.
- Communication with a MES or CMMS tool.
Best Practice: Ensure REST compatibility (methods such as GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) across your systems and use token-based authentication to secure communication between platforms.
2. Email
Instantly sends an email to one or more recipients.
Use Cases:
- Sending a quality report after a nonconformity is detected.
- Automatic downtime alert sent to the production supervisor.
Tip: Customize your emails with dynamic variables for precise, concise, and contextual messaging.
3. Event
Creates a structured record of an event in the K2 App database with key data fields.
Use Cases:
- Logging a manual intervention.
- Detecting and recording a machine cleaning or batch change.
Recommendation: Structure your data with clear key/value pairs to facilitate future analysis (e.g., { "type":"batch_change", "zone":"Line_3" }).
4. Machine Parameters
Automatically updates a business-related parameter assigned to a machine or process.
Use Cases:
- Automatically assigning a SKU when a production order changes.
- Automatically assigning a logged-in operator to a workstation.
Tip: Combine this action with barcode scanning to streamline transitions without manual input.
5. Machine State
Activates or forces a machine to a given state—running, stopped, or assigns a predefined stop cause.
Use Cases:
- Enables precise tracking of uptime and downtime.
- Automatically logs a predefined reason for a detected stop.
Example: Schedule the machine state “Preventive Maintenance” every Tuesday at 2:00 PM.
6. MQTT Message
Sends a message over an MQTT topic to control connected equipment.
Use Cases:
- Activating a visual indicator (andon).
- Triggering an audible alarm on a secured door.
Best Practice: Properly configure the MQTT topic and test the connection to ensure the message is correctly received on the equipment side.
7. Parts
Automatically creates an entry for part counts: input, output, or rejected.
Use Cases:
- Auto-incrementing the production counter after each machine cycle.
- Detecting quantities at the beginning and end of a line to determine WIP and nonconformities.
- Automatic detection and logging of a rejected part.
Recommendation: Standardize part types across machines to maintain consistency in performance metrics (use a common unit of measure).
8. Performance
Logs a performance slowdown distinct from a full machine stop.
Use Cases:
- Detecting a cycle time deviation (slower than expected).
- Automatically closing the event when performance returns to normal.
Example: Triggering a decreased-performance event based on the moving average of the cycle time.
9. Push Notification
Sends an interactive alert directly to the user on their desktop or mobile device.
Use Cases:
- Requesting operator validation (with acknowledgment button).
- Automatically escalating alerts to a supervisor in case of no response.
Recommendation: Combine push notifications with conditional rules to automate escalations and boost team responsiveness.
10. SMS
Sends an alert via SMS—especially useful outside working hours or without internet access.
Use Cases:
- Maintenance alert to the on-call team.
- Urgent reminder to validate a quality event.
Recommendation: Use this for critical or urgent alerts only. This will help you teams and resources understand how to prioritize alerts.
11. Stopwatch
Controls a system stopwatch to automatically measure elapsed time.
Use Cases:
- Measure the duration between two actions (e.g., defect detection > resolution).
- Track SLA delays for maintenance or quality checks.
Tip: Use this function to better visualize and analyze wait times or latencies within your processes.
12. Variable
Assigns a value to an internal variable that can be reused in other rules.
Use Cases:
- Initializing a cycle counter.
- Setting an alarm flag variable (e.g.,
heat_alert = trueif temperature > 80°C).
Tip: Facilitates complex action orchestration by creating logical dependencies between automated rules.
Conclusion: Automate Smartly with K2 App
Industrial automation using the K2 App rule engine is built on a wide range of customizable actions. With these 12 types of automated actions, you can orchestrate your industrial workflows in a proactive, integrated, and high-performance manner.
Whether you're connecting equipment (IoT), sending alerts (email, push, SMS), tracking performance metrics (OEE, SLA), or interfacing with information systems (API, MQTT), K2 App serves as a central hub for production automation.
To take your automation further:
- Train your technical teams on multi-action rule logic.
- Simulate scenarios to validate your automated workflows.
- Leverage collected data in analytics tools (BI, dashboards) for ongoing, data-driven improvement.
K2 App thus becomes the core of your Industry 4.0 strategy—turning every data point into action and every action into operational value.