OEE Integration – Part III

The primary components of your OEE infrastructure are People and DATA.  The people are the life of the OEE system, all else is support.  Data collection and management technologies play an important role in the OEE process, however, they are data collection / process / delivery systems that are programmed to provide reports as requested by the people that use the system. So, […]

OEE Integration – Part II

Training and Integration Integrating OEE into your organization will take some time.  However, the benefits are definitely worth the effort.  Preparing an effective integration strategy will pay off dividends in the execution phase of your program and can serve as the core theme to launching many of your other lean manufacturing initiatives. The challenge for many organizations is turning lean […]

OEE Calculation Errors

Database Errors We agree that collecting and tracking OEE data is a task best suited for a database, however, all the bells and whistles of an OEE system don’t serve much purpose if the calculations are wrong.  Before you make a significant investment in your OEE data collection, tracking, and monitoring system, make sure the system you plan to purchase […]

OEE: Take the Hit

The simplicity of measuring and calculating OEE is compounded by the factors that ultimately influence the end result.  Because the concept of OEE can be readily embraced by most employees, it is easy for many people to get involved in the process of making improvements. Unfortunately the variables involved with OEE, like those of many other measurement systems, fall under scrutiny.  […]

Upcoming Topics for March 2009

We have received several topic requests that we will work on for the month of March, 2009.  If you have a topic that you would like to see featured on our site, send an e-mail to LeanExecution@gmail.com. OEE on the Shop Floor – Measurement:  What should we be measuring to make OEE practical at the shop floor level.  What factors […]

OEE and Morale

Is employee morale impacting your OEE?  If so, how much of a concern is it?  As we wrote in one of our recent posts,  “Perhaps the greatest “external” influence on current manufacturing operations is the rapid collapse of the automotive industry in the midst of our current economic “melt down”.  The changes in operating strategy to respond to this new crisis are bound to have an effect on OEE […]

OEE Measurement Error

How many times have you, or someone you know, challenged the measurement process or method used to collect the data because the numbers just “don’t make sense” or “can’t be right”? It is imperative to have integrity in the data collection process to minimize the effect of phantom improvements through measurement method changes.  Switching from a manual recording system to […]

OEE For Dedicated – Single Part – Processes

OEE For Dedicated – Single Part – Processes Definition:  Dedicated – Single Part – Process:  A process that produces a single product or slight variations on a theme and does not require significant tooling or equipment changeover events. A single part process is the easiest application for a OEE pilot project.  The single part process also makes it easier to demonstrate […]

Availability and OEE

What is Availability? In its simplest form, availability measures the uptime of a machine or process against the planned production time.  As one of the factors of Overall Equipment Efficiency (OEE), Availability is expressed as a percentage.  The uptime is calculated by taking the difference between the planned production time and total duration of the downtime events that occurred during the planned production period. We […]

Problem Solving with OEE – Measuring Success

OEE in Perspective As mentioned in our previous posts, OEE is a terrific metric for measuring and monitoring ongoing performance in your operation.  However, like many metrics, it can become the focus rather than the gage of performance it is intended to be. The objective of measuring OEE is to identify opportunities where improvements can be made or to determine whether the changes to your […]