The six major efficiency areas

When you measure efficiency, the point is to see where production runs worse than it could. Once that is visible, it is much easier to see where to start.

Efficiency can be split into three main groups:

1. Availability
2. Production speed (Performance)
3. Quality

Each of them can be split in two, which gives you six common places where efficiency is lost.

The formula stays the same:

Availability x Performance x Quality = OEE

1. Setup and adjustments

These are planned stops, for example:

• setup
• cleaning
• heating
• planned maintenance
• quality inspection

You can't remove them completely, but you can often make them shorter or better.

2. Equipment or production defects

Unplanned stops cause big losses. They can come from machine faults, missing materials or errors in production.

It often helps to tell the difference between:

• very short stops
• larger faults and breakdowns

3. Waiting time and small stops

Small disturbances may only last a minute or two. But they happen often, so together they can cost a lot.

4. Reduced production rate

Even when the machines are running, they may run slower than the speed they should realistically manage. That can be caused by:

• worn equipment
• dirt
• lack of lubrication
• poor materials
• operators with too little experience

5. Quality loss during start-up

Start-up often brings scrap or rework before the process is stable. In OEE, that counts as quality loss.

6. Quality loss during stable production

Even when production runs steadily, quality can suffer from:

• incorrect setup
• operator mistakes
• poor materials
• an unstable process

Use common sense

Machines have different stop reasons and different kinds of waste. That is why you need to define the causes for each machine. Your operators should also be able to register stop reasons themselves when automation can't explain what happened.

Once you understand the causes, you have taken the first step toward more efficient production.