"Our machines are running – so why do we need OEE?"

📅 Introducing OEE – But Why? (Part 1 of the Mini-Series)

I hear this question a lot when I first talk to small and medium-sized companies about implementing OEE.

And honestly – I get it. At first glance, everything seems to be running smoothly.

But a quick look beneath the surface often reveals a different picture:

• Downtimes that no one is tracking

• Slow processes that are seen as “normal”

• Quality issues that have simply been accepted

👉 This is exactly where OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) comes in.

OEE uncovers what has remained hidden:

• Availability losses (unplanned stops, small breakdowns)

• Performance losses (slow cycles, hidden wait times)

• Quality losses (scrap, rework)

🔎 A real-world example:

A metalworking company believed they were using their main machine at 80% capacity.

But the OEE analysis revealed: The actual utilization was only 57%.

Why just 57% instead of 80%? The main reasons were:

• 14% lost due to frequent changeovers

• 11% due to technical malfunctions

• 8% lost through slow operation

• 5% scrap caused by recurring quality issues

Only through OEE did these weak points become visible – and therefore solvable.

My conclusion after 15+ years in industry:

✅ If you want true transparency, you need OEE.

✅ If you want improvement, you have to know where you really stand.

✅ If you want to stay competitive, gut feeling isn’t enough.

How does it look in your company?

💬 Are you already working with OEE – or still relying on gut feeling?

In the next 10 weeks, I’ll share how to successfully implement OEE in your company – step by step – as part of my OEE Mini-Series.

(And if you're curious what an initial OEE analysis could look like for your operation: I've developed a compact demo version I’d be happy to show you – no strings attached.)

#OEE #ProcessOptimization #Productivity #QualityManagement #SMEs #OperationalExcellence