Programmable Manufacturing Advisor (PMA) is a device intended to automate decision-making in manufacturing environment by continuously monitoring equipment status evaluating production system’s “health” assessing efficacy of various potential improvement projects and providing the Operations Manager with optimal advice for achieving the desired productivity improvement. Systems utilizing PMA are referred to as Smart Production Systems (PMA-based SPS), since the advice for continuous improvement is generated by a device rather than a human. PMA contributes to automating decision-making in manufacturing environment in the same manner as PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) contributes to automation of manufacturing equipment.