OEE Integration: What Software should I use?

OEE Integration Part VII – What Software Should I Use?

Many readers have noted that we have avoided recommending a specific OEE software solution.  The reasons for this are as varied as the number of companies looking to implement OEE in their facilities.  Our experience suggests that every manufacturing facility has differing or varying needs.

A recent Google search produced as many as 136,000 results for the term “OEE Software”.  So it would appear that there are literally thousands of potential solutions available to support your OEE implementation ranging from off the shelf to highly integrated software technologies.

Our goal is to share our OEE experiences and help you to understand the various elements of OEE.  By sharing our insight, experience, and knowledge, we serve to provide you with the information you need to make a well informed decision before purchasing or implementing a system for your organization or company.

OEE Solution Options

There is no “one size fits all” solution.  It is important to assess your current OEE performance and determine what solution is best for your situation.  At a minimum we would recommend a solution that provides both OEE data in real time using operator friendly shop floor display technology and a database platform to collect and store the data for later analysis and possibly to support your production reporting processes (ERP).

Note that we did not state the type of display technology – this could range from a simple hand chart on a white board to a plasma display driven by a real time computer system.  Our recommendation does not stress the need for high technology; it simply suggests you need something.

By way of analogy, in an emergency room, a doctor will assess every patient.  While some patients require a simple test or a stitch or two, others may end up in an Intensive Care Unit with all types of monitoring equipment connected to their bodies to monitor and manage their current condition.  Different situations require different degrees of invasive technology or intervention

Could it be that you may find OEE is something you don’t have to do at all?  We’ll discuss this in more detail later.

Until next time – STAY Lean!

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