What is Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) and why you should use an OEE Monitoring System?

What is OEE

If you’re in the manufacturing industry, you’ve probably come across the term “Overall Equipment Effectiveness” or OEE.

However, unlocking the full potential of OEE can be challenging without the right tools and solutions. That’s where POET Systems comes in. We understand the significance of OEE and have developed a system that can help you harness valuable insights to improve the efficiency of your manufacturing operations.

Let’s delve into the importance of OEE and how POET Systems can help you measure and optimise it for maximum efficiency and profitability.

What is OEE?

OEE (overall equipment effectiveness) measures how efficiently a company utilises its production (or manufacturing) equipment and materials in order to create a finished product. OEE takes into account factors such as machine availability, performance, materials used, and quality to provide a holistic view of efficiency on the production floor.

OEE is expressed as a percentage and ranges from 0% to 100%, where 100% OEE signifies a manufacturing process that is running perfectly, with zero downtime, zero defects, and maximum throughput.

In reality, achieving 100% OEE is virtually impossible, most companies set their targets around 80-85% as a level of very strong efficiency performance.

The Benefits of Monitoring OEE 

Implementing an OEE monitoring system, such as POET Systems, can bring about significant savings that allow greater productivity and ultimately increased profitability.

Here’s why you should consider using an OEE monitoring system:

  • Profitability: If you can produce more product in less time, with less wastage, whilst using the same equipment as before, it means this: Your overall running costs don’t change, your material spend falls, you can produce more products per day, so the improvements head straight to the profit line in a company. Higher OEE equals higher profitability.

  • Accurate and Real-time Data: Unlike traditional methods of data collection that rely on manual input and spreadsheets, an OEE monitoring system provides accurate and real-time data on machine performance, availability, and quality. This allows you to make informed decisions quickly and take proactive steps to address issues.

  • Identifying Problem Areas: With OEE monitoring, you gain visibility into specific areas of your production process that are causing inefficiencies or bottlenecks. By identifying these problem areas, you can take targeted action to optimise productivity, reduce downtime, and improve overall equipment effectiveness.

  • Cost Savings: A well-implemented OEE monitoring system enables you to reduce costs by minimising waste, improving resource utilisation, and optimising production schedules. By identifying and eliminating inefficiencies, your material savings will improve cashflow and reduce costs.

  • Increased Competitive Advantage: Every advantage counts in today’s competitive market. By continuously monitoring and improving your OEE, you can stay ahead of the competition by delivering higher-quality products, reducing lead times, and meeting customer demand more efficiently. Wherever margins are squeezed, this can be a game changer for any company.

Why Does OEE Matter?

OEE, or Overall Equipment Effectiveness, matters for several reasons. It is a valuable metric used to measure the efficiency and performance of manufacturing processes and individual equipment.

OEE provides insights into how effectively and efficiently equipment is being used to produce goods or deliver services. By measuring factors such as availability, performance, and quality, OEE helps identify areas where improvements can be made to optimise productivity and reduce downtime.

Improving OEE can lead to cost savings in manufacturing operations. Companies can lower production costs and improve their bottom line by increasing equipment availability, reducing downtime, and minimising defects or rework.

OEE measures process performance and provides a benchmark for ongoing improvement initiatives. By tracking OEE over time, organisations can identify trends, set targets, and implement strategies to enhance equipment effectiveness and overall operational efficiency.

OEE data can inform decision-making processes at various levels within an organisation. It provides objective information on equipment performance, enabling managers and operators to make data-driven decisions and prioritise areas for improvement.

OEE encourages cross-functional collaboration and communication within an organisation. By using a standardised metric like OEE, departments and teams can align their efforts towards common goals and work together to drive improvements based on shared data.

Why Choose POET? 

POET is a comprehensive software solution designed to help manufacturing companies monitor and improve their OEE.

“POET as a system has shown us where the value opportunities are in our business and has been instrumental in putting our improvement plans together, to harvest the opportunities that are displayed and reported.”
– Mark Cooper

It offers a range of features and benefits that make it the ideal choice for businesses looking to enhance productivity and profitability:

  • Ease of Use: POET eliminates the need for manual data collection and analysis, streamlining the entire process and saving valuable time for your team. It provides a user-friendly interface that makes it easy for operators to track and input production data accurately.

  • Real-time Monitoring: With POET, you get real-time visibility into your production floor, allowing you to identify and address any issues that may arise promptly. This helps minimise downtime, improve overall efficiency, and maximise productivity.

  • Affordability: While many competitor products have hefty licensing costs, POET offers a cost-effective solution that doesn’t break the bank. The increased profitability and efficiency gained through using POET more than justify its small licensing cost.

How POET Helps Your Business 

In the highly competitive world of manufacturing, driving production efficiency is essential for businesses looking to stay ahead and thrive. Ineffective production and machinery breakdowns in your operations wreak havoc not only on production lines but also on financial outcomes.

At POET Systems, we understand these concerns all too well, and we have developed a system that helps manufacturers optimise productivity and efficiency in three critical ways: Production, Engineering, and Finance.

Production: Production is where the value is created in any manufacturing business, and POET Systems focuses on the value-adding steps. No matter the time of day or night, your operation is continually being monitored, allowing you to identify inefficiencies and lost opportunities, and ultimately improving productivity.

Engineering: Ensuring that your production lines are available and avoiding breakdowns, engineering departments play a key role in manufacturing success. POET presents data to your engineering department in a way that allows them to prioritise issues that will impact your business the most.

Finance: High productivity is a critical factor in unlocking financial objectives. At POET Systems, our finance reporting dashboard presents the losses across your business in a financial value making everyone aware of potential losses and areas for improvement. With financial reporting insights, it is easier than ever before to measure and improve operational efficiencies, enhancing the bottom line.

Improve Your OEE With POET Systems 

Monitoring OEE is crucial for manufacturing companies looking to improve their profitability and stay competitive.

By utilising an OEE monitoring system like POET, you can optimise your production processes, reduce downtime, minimise waste, and ultimately enhance your bottom line.

Don’t let outdated methods and spreadsheets hold you back – embrace the power of OEE monitoring and unlock the full potential of your manufacturing operations.

 

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