How Can Manufacturing Facilities Enable Unlimited Users on Shared Devices: A Guide

Manufacturing runs on speed, precision, and uptime, yet many plants lose valuable hours to something as simple as logging in. When frontline workers share devices across shifts, traditional password-based systems create delays, frustration, and hidden IT costs.

In large-scale operations, the impact is clear:

• Shift changes stall when workers mistype or forget passwords.
• Plants generate 50–200+ password reset tickets every month.
• Per-user licensing makes it costly to support thousands of workers on just a few hundred shared devices.
• Gloved and sterile environments make typing or using smartphones for MFA impractical.

This guide explains the biggest authentication challenges in manufacturing and how unlimited user access improves productivity, reduces IT burden, and keeps shifts running smoothly.

What Are the Biggest Authentication Problems in Manufacturing?

Understanding these problems is the first step toward implementing effective, unlimited users shared device manufacturing solutions.

1. Password bottlenecks during shift changes

Shift transitions are one of the most critical moments in a manufacturing facility - and also where password friction is most visible. Instead of starting work immediately, employees often lose valuable minutes just trying to log into shared Windows PCs, kiosks, or Zebra devices.

• Time multipliers across shifts: A 10-15 minute delay per shift change compounds across day, swing, and night shifts, resulting in 30-45 minutes of lost productivity daily.
• Complex password requirements: IT security policies requiring special characters and regular updates create credentials that gloved workers struggle to enter accurately.
• Shared device competition: Multiple workers waiting to access the same 50-200 workstations creates bottlenecks that delay production startup.

Solution: Passwordless methods like face recognition or badge tap cut logins down to under one second. Workers authenticate instantly with a quick scan or badge tap, eliminating typing errors and keeping production flowing at shift change.

2. Hands-Free Access Problems in Work Environments

Manufacturing environments present unique physical constraints that make traditional authentication methods impractical:

• Gloved workers: In automotive, food processing, and pharmaceutical plants, safety gloves prevent accurate typing or fingerprint scans.
• Sterile environments:Mobile phones - often required for MFA - are prohibited in cleanrooms and food production areas.‍
• Machinery operation: Workers operating heavy equipment need hands-free authentication methods that don't interrupt their workflow or compromise safety.

Solution: Hands-free authentication methods like face recognition work through safety glasses and face shields, while badge tap requires only a simple gesture without removing gloves. These methods maintain safety protocols while providing secure access. With OLOID's deviceless MFA approach, facilities eliminate the need for personal mobile devices in sterile environments.

3. IT support overload from password management

For IT teams supporting large manufacturing workforces, password-related issues consume a considerable amount of time and budget. The problem scales exponentially with workforce size.

The support burden includes:

• High ticket volume: Large facilities typically generate 50-200+ password reset requests monthly
• Production interruption: Each reset stops work while employees wait for IT to restore access
• Administrative overhead: Managing thousands of frontline accounts requires constant onboarding, offboarding, and credential tracking‍
• Compliance complications: Audit trails become complex when multiple workers share devices but need individual accountability

Solution: Passwordless authentication reduces password-related IT tickets, freeing technical staff to focus on strategic projects. Automated integration with HRIS systems enables zero-touch onboarding and offboarding, while comprehensive audit trails track individual access on shared devices.

What appears to be a simple password problem actually creates a cascade of operational barriers. Authentication delays slow production, drain IT resources, frustrate workers, and introduce compliance risks, making it one of the most overlooked yet costly challenges in modern manufacturing operations.

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How to Enable Unlimited Users on Shared Manufacturing Devices

Modern unlimited users shared device manufacturing platforms offer multiple authentication methods specifically designed for industrial environments. These solutions eliminate the need for passwords while accommodating the unique constraints of manufacturing workflows.

1. Face Recognition: Hands-free access for gloved workers

Facial biometric authentication eliminates the need for typing or touching shared surfaces, making it ideal for manufacturing environments where workers wear protective equipment or operate in sterile conditions. Key capabilities for manufacturing:

• PPE compatibility: Advanced algorithms work through safety glasses, face shields, and even some mask configurations, ensuring workers do not need to remove protective equipment to authenticate
• Fast authentication: Workers can authenticate in under one second without removing gloves or stopping workflow, maintaining production pace during shift changes
• Reliable operation across lighting conditions:  Industrial-grade systems function in various lighting conditions, from bright warehouse floors to dimly lit production areas, ensuring consistent performance across different work environments‍
• Identity spoofing defense: Liveness detection prevents unauthorized access using photos or video replays, maintaining security standards required for compliance audits

2. Badge Tap: Leveraging existing PACS infrastructure

Manufacturing facilities already rely on physical access control systems (PACS) and employee badges to secure buildings. Extending that same badge to digital device logins creates a single, unified identity across both physical and digital environments - without adding complexity.

• Zero new hardware costs: Works with existing RFID badges and USB badge readers already deployed throughout the facility, maximizing existing infrastructure investments
• Familiar user experience: Workers already carry and use badges for building access, making adoption seamless with no additional training required
• Unified identity management: Single badge provides both physical and digital access across the facility, simplifying credential management for IT teams‍
• Rapid deployment: Leverages existing PACS data and badge provisioning processes, reducing implementation time from months to weeks

3. NFC: Quick device access during shift transitions

Near Field Communication (NFC) provides a contactless alternative that works with smartphones, tablets, or dedicated NFC tags, offering flexibility for different worker preferences and device types. Operational benefits:

• Universal compatibility: Works across Windows PCs, tablets, kiosks, and mobile devices without requiring platform-specific hardware or software modifications
• Instant authentication: Single tap provides immediate access without typing or biometric enrollment delays, ideal for busy production environments
• Backup authentication: Serves as a reliable fallback when other methods aren't available, ensuring workers never lose access to critical systems‍
• Guest access capability: Temporary NFC tags can provide secure access for contractors and visitors without compromising security protocols

4. QR Code: Backup authentication for temporary workers and contractors

QR code authentication provides a flexible solution for temporary staff, contractors, and emergency access scenarios where other authentication methods may not be practical. Use case scenarios:

• Contractor access: Temporary workers can receive time-limited QR codes via email or text, providing secure access without requiring badge issuance or biometric enrollment
• Emergency situations: Supervisors can generate emergency access codes when primary authentication fails, ensuring production continuity during system outages
• Training scenarios: New employees can access devices during onboarding before permanent credentials are established, accelerating the training process‍
• Audit compliance: Each QR code is tracked and logged for individual accountability, maintaining security standards while providing operational flexibility

5. Multi-factor combinations for enhanced security

The most robust manufacturing authentication strategies combine multiple factors to meet specific security requirements while maintaining user convenience. Common combinations:

• Badge + Face: Provides strong authentication while maintaining speed for high-traffic environments like production lines where many workers need quick access
• Badge + PIN: Offers two-factor security without requiring biometric enrollment, ideal for workers who prefer not to use facial recognition
• Face + NFC: Combines contactless convenience with biometric verification for high-security areas like quality control labs or management offices‍
• Adaptive authentication: Automatically adjusts security requirements based on device sensitivity, location, and user risk profile

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How Do Authentication Solutions Integrate with Existing Business Systems?

Successful unlimited users shared device manufacturing implementations depend on seamless integration with existing business infrastructure. Modern authentication platforms connect with established systems to automate workflows and maximize ROI on current technology investments.

1. HRIS: Turning hiring data into instant access

When a new frontline worker joins, IT often has to create accounts, set up temporary passwords, and add them to the right groups. With hundreds of employees rotating across shifts, this becomes a heavy burden.

With HRIS integration, that manual work disappears. As soon as a new hire is entered into systems like Workday or SAP SuccessFactors, their details and photo can be synced automatically. By the time they arrive for their first shift, they already have access to shared devices. The same applies when someone leaves HR marks them inactive, and access is removed immediately.

2. PACS: One badge for the whole facility

Most plants already use badge systems for physical access. Extending those badges to digital logins creates a consistent identity across the entire facility. Workers use the badge they already carry, which keeps the process familiar and simple.

It also improves accountability. Each badge tap is recorded, showing exactly who accessed which device and when. That solves a longstanding problem in shared-device environments where multiple people log in under the same credentials.

3. SSO: Extending enterprise identity to the factory floor

Enterprises already rely on platforms like Azure/Entra, Okta, or Ping to manage identity for office workers. The gap is often on the factory floor, where frontline employees still type passwords into shared terminals. Integrating shared-device authentication with SSO closes that gap.

This ensures policies for MFA, conditional access, and session management are consistent across both office and production environments. It also helps maximize the value of SSO investments by covering the entire workforce rather than just a subset.

5 Key Business Benefits of Shared Device Authentication Authentication

Manufacturing leaders evaluating authentication platforms often ask the same question: What’s the tangible return? Moving to an unlimited user model on shared devices enhances cybersecurity through passwordless authentication.

1. Per-User Licensing Costs Become a Thing of the Past

Traditional authentication vendors often charge on a per-seat or per-user basis. For plants with thousands of frontline workers sharing a few hundred devices, these fees quickly become unsustainable. An unlimited user model eliminates the penalty of scale, allowing every worker to access shared devices without driving up costs.

2. Shift Transitions Stop Bleeding Production Time

Every manufacturing manager knows that smooth shift changes directly impact daily output targets. When workers can walk up to any shared PC and authenticate in seconds using their face or badge, those painful 15-minute login delays disappear.

The math is straightforward: saving 10 minutes per shift change across 150 workstations equals 25 productive hours returned to your operation daily. That's enough time to complete additional quality checks or meet rush order deadlines.

3. Sterile and Hazardous Environments Finally Get Practical Security

Personal mobile devices don't belong in food processing clean rooms or pharmaceutical manufacturing areas, yet traditional MFA requires them. Badge tap and facial recognition solve this problem elegantly.

Workers maintain the same security standards without compromising safety protocols or contamination controls. One food processing facility eliminated 40+ monthly security violations related to unauthorized personal devices after implementing deviceless authentication.

4. IT Support Requests Plummet While Team Productivity Soars

Password-related help desk tickets typically consume 20-30% of manufacturing IT team bandwidth. Face recognition and badge authentication reduce these tickets by roughly 90%, freeing skilled technicians to work on automation projects, system upgrades, and strategic initiatives.

The shift supervisor at a chemical plant noted that their IT team became "actual partners in production improvement instead of password reset specialists."

5. Workers Stay Safe and Productive with Hands-Free Technology

Trying to enter complex passwords while wearing safety gloves is frustrating and dangerous. Workers either remove protective equipment (creating safety risks) or struggle with inaccurate keystrokes (causing delays).

Hands-free authentication keeps workers properly equipped and focused on their tasks. Quality control inspectors can access testing systems instantly without removing gloves, maintaining both productivity and safety compliance.

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5 Best Practices for Implementing Unlimited User Authentication in Manufacturing

Successfully deploying unlimited users shared device manufacturing authentication requires careful planning and phased execution. These proven practices help facilities avoid common implementation pitfalls while maximizing adoption rates.

1. Start with a Pilot Program on a Single Production Line

Don't try to transform your entire facility overnight. Pick one production line or department where authentication problems are most visible and painful.

Test face recognition, badge tap, and NFC methods with a manageable group of frontline workers before expanding facility-wide.

An automotive parts manufacturer started their pilot on their final assembly line where shift delays were creating significant overtime costs. After proving substantial time savings during shift changes, management approved rollout across all production lines.

2. Leverage Existing PACS Infrastructure for Seamless Badge Integration

Your workers already carry employee ID badges, and your facility already has card readers throughout the building. Use this existing infrastructure instead of adding new hardware costs.

Badge tap authentication typically requires minimal hardware upgrades since most modern card readers support the necessary protocols. Workers adapt quickly because they're already accustomed to badge-based access.

Manufacturing facilities consistently save substantial hardware costs by integrating with their existing card systems instead of deploying entirely new authentication hardware.

3. Plan Phased Integration During Scheduled Maintenance Windows

Authentication system changes should never disrupt active production. Schedule implementations during planned maintenance windows, holiday shutdowns, or low-production periods.

Start with non-critical systems like training terminals and break room kiosks before moving to production-critical workstations. This phased approach minimizes risk while building confidence in the new system.

Consider seasonal production cycles when planning your timeline. A food processing company scheduled their authentication upgrade during their annual deep cleaning shutdown, completing the entire project without losing production time.

4. Provide Hands-On Training for Shift Supervisors and Key Operators

Your shift supervisors and lead operators become the frontline support for new authentication methods. Invest time training these key personnel thoroughly before general rollout.

Create simple visual guides showing proper positioning for face recognition and badge placement for tap authentication. Supervisors should be comfortable troubleshooting common issues and helping workers adapt to the new workflow.

Floor leaders who understand the system can address worker concerns immediately instead of generating IT support tickets during production hours.

5. Choose Hardware-Agnostic Solutions for Future-Proof Scalability

Manufacturing facilities operate diverse device ecosystems including Windows PCs, tablets, kiosks, and specialized equipment from multiple vendors. Your authentication platform should work across all these devices without compatibility limitations.

Hardware-agnostic solutions protect your investment when you upgrade equipment or add new device types. They also prevent vendor lock-in situations that could limit future technology choices.

Facilities consistently avoid significant replacement costs when they upgrade equipment because their authentication platform supports both legacy and new hardware seamlessly.

Use OLOID for Scalable Manufacturing Authentication

Traditional authentication vendors charge per user, creating substantial annual costs when you have thousands of workers sharing hundreds of devices. OLOID passwordless authentication platform eliminates this cost trap with device-based pricing that remains consistent regardless of workforce size.

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Zero-Disruption Integration

OLOID's zero-disruption integration approach protects existing technology investments while extending authentication to frontline workers:

• HRIS Integration: Automates onboarding and offboarding. New hires in systems like Workday or SAP SuccessFactors automatically receive device access on day one; terminations instantly revoke access across all systems.
• PACS Integration: Extends physical access badge systems to digital login, enabling workers to use one badge for both building and device authentication.‍
• SSO Integration: Connects with Azure/Entra, Okta, Ping, and Duo to ensure consistent security policies across office and factory environments.

To schedule demo and begin transforming your facility's authentication approach, contact OLOID. The demonstration takes approximately 30 minutes and can be customized for your specific production environment and security requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to pricing when we add more shared devices?

Device-based pricing scales predictably as you expand. Adding new production lines, upgrading equipment, or deploying additional workstations increases costs incrementally based on device count, not workforce size. This approach protects you from unexpected cost spikes when hiring seasonal workers or expanding teams.

Can the platform work offline during network outages?

Yes. OLOID maintains local authentication capabilities during network disruptions. Face recognition and badge authentication continue functioning on individual devices even when connectivity to central servers is temporarily lost. This ensures production continuity during network maintenance or unexpected outages.

What happens when workers forget their badges or can't be recognized?

The platform provides multiple fallback options. Workers can use alternative authentication methods like NFC cards, QR codes, or temporary access codes generated by supervisors. Shift leaders can also provision emergency access for workers whose primary authentication method isn't available, maintaining accountability while preventing production delays.

How do we handle authentication for visitors and auditors?

Temporary access is managed through time-limited credentials that automatically expire. Visitors receive QR codes or temporary badges with predefined access levels and duration limits. This approach maintains security compliance while accommodating inspectors, contractors, and other temporary personnel who need device access.

How long are authentication logs retained for audit purposes?

Authentication logs are typically retained according to your industry's regulatory requirements and internal policies. The platform supports configurable retention periods and can automatically archive older records while maintaining real-time access to recent activity. This flexibility helps meet various compliance standards across different manufacturing sectors.

Can we generate reports showing which workers accessed specific devices?

Yes. The platform provides comprehensive audit trails showing who accessed which devices, when, and for how long. Reports can be filtered by worker, device, time period, or production line. This individual accountability is especially valuable for quality control investigations, regulatory audits, and production troubleshooting.