OEE, or overall equipment effectiveness, drives improvements in manufacturing effectiveness and efficiency. By monitoring and addressing it, lost production time can be turned into found profits. Many companies who recognize the importance of OEE have yet to realize bottom line improvements by addressing it. With the advent of browser-based manufacturing software applications, it is now easier than ever before. Equipment downtime can be easily monitored, recorded and reported to allow management to effectively address the areas which need improvement. An accurate picture of OEE can also help companies make appropriate equipment purchasing decisions.

Losses typically come from equipment availability, performance rate and quality rate. Typical losses include:
Availability
Planned downtime
Set up time
Unplanned recorded downtime or breakdowns
Performance Rate
Reduced speed
Minor unrecorded stoppages
Quality Rate
Rejects
Rework
Yield and start up losses

There is a formula for calculating the OEE of a piece of equipment. But you do have to know the machine's availiability, performance rate and quality rate to use it. Example: 50% Availability (0.5) X 70% Performance Rate (0.7) X 20% Quality Reject Rate (results in 80%(0.8) acceptable) = 30%OEE

More attention paid to improving equipment productivity will help American manufacturers become leaner and improve bottom line profits to allow for competition with overseas manufacturing. A good place to start monitoring productivity is at a bottleneck. Using OEM production rates, accounting for change-overs, planned downtime and uncheduled downtime, manufacturers can benchmark the productivity of their machines. The idea is to then leverage this information to make improvements in the processes or the equipment.

How to leverage information to improve production'

There are some software vendors who specialize in software for manufacturing which helps manufacturers utilize productivity data to improve their processes and ultimately their bottom line. Configurable browser-based applications are the ultimate solution for collecting and reporting production data, due to a number of advantages:
Scalability. Can be used at any size plant and multiple plants with anywhere access. Real time availability. gathers, summarizes and presents plant floor data in real time Integration. Can be integrated with almost any data source OEE Software Review offers a nice article on Browser Based OEE that you might want to check out if you're looking for more info. It explains the systems and different ways to assemble them.

Scalability.
Can be used at any size plant and multiple plants with anywhere access.
Real time availability.
gathers, summarizes and presents plant floor data in real time
Integration.
Can be integrated with almost any data source
Export data to other systems.
Can export data for use in other enterprise-wide systems
Easy to use interfaces.
Employees log occurances with an easy to use interface or they can use automation to gather data.
Quick implemenation.
No installation process at individual computer work stations. Easy upgrades, and modifications as well as decreases IT and computer equipment costs. The software can be located on internal or external servers.
Data Push.
This is the ability to warn plant management in real time that production problems are occurring on the floor.Sends auto email or text messages to the appropriate management personnel.