Any factory, production plant, or operations-based business hopes that it is running a lean and efficient production process. From the layout of a factory to the purchase of a particular piece of equipment, decisions were made by the company’s leaders and managers to ensure that production is fast and efficient without sacrificing quality. However, once implemented in the workplace, how do businesses know these decisions are producing the right results? The answers become clear with overall equipment effectiveness software.
What Is Overall Equipment Effectiveness Software?
Most business leaders are unfamiliar with the term overall equipment effectiveness software. Known in the software industry as OEE software, it is designed to provide companies with an indication of the effectiveness and efficiency of a particular machine, piece of equipment, or even an entire plant or factory. As the software measures this efficiency through an automated process, it can increase business productivity without requiring additional manpower or employees.
How Does OEE Work?
Overall equipment effectiveness software ultimately measures how close a factory, process, or production line is to perfection. That is, the software detects how frequently a perfect and saleable product is produced and what amount of time it takes to make it. The software then gives the process or equipment a score. That score tells the operator or manager how efficient or inefficient the measured process is. However, the OEE score only provides an overall look at the machine, process, or production line. What it does not do is show where the business can improve to increase efficiency and productivity.
How Does the Software Produce Results?
In addition to providing an OEE score, the overall equipment effectiveness software is able to provide managers and company executives with specific data and information about how efficient a machine or factory is. The software produces this information through a few avenues. First, it can give real-time reporting, which allows managers and operators to see where production slows down or speeds up.
Second, the software is equipped with analysis tools that help managers and business owners read the data. This translates the raw data and OEE score into possible changes or potential improvements in the system. Finally, the software has energy and quality monitoring capabilities. This allows businesses to see more than just speed and efficiency of production, but also how production is affecting other aspects of the business such as energy bills. With these results, these company representatives are able to make a decision if changes are necessary, new equipment is needed, or a new business model is required.
Implications of Downtime Tracking
There are a number of different types of OEE software on the market, but the best include downtime tracking in order to show businesses how and where to make changes to improve efficiency. Basically, the software detects the production rates and efficiency of a machine or process, and the downtime tracking function uses that information to show managers and business leaders how and where to make improvements. The downtime tracking information completes the circle of knowledge that a business can gain from implementing and using overall equipment efficiency software.