There are various metrics in manufacturing that you need to keep an eye on and use to make smarter business decisions, reduce risks, and, well, increase efficiency and productivity. Among them, Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is undeniably important, as it tells you just how well the machines are being used. When used correctly, this metric can guide improvement efforts, identify hidden losses, and significantly boost productivity. Here is what it is.
Of course, to get the most out of this metric, you will need to, well, invest in a good OEE software solution. And many manufacturers make the mistake of assuming that all those solutions are the same and that they can, therefore, just make a random choice and be done with it. This, however, is certainly not the right way to go about things.
Quite on the contrary, you have to do your best to make the right choice. But, even when you understand that not all the software solutions are the same and that you need to choose wisely, there is still a chance that you may make some mistakes in the choosing process, and that those could then lead to you making the wrong choice. Since that is not what you want, I advise you to keep on reading, so as to get familiar with some mistakes that you should absolutely avoid in this process, because, when you remember them, you are highly more likely to avoid them.
In this article
1. Not Aligning the Software With Your Business Goals
First and foremost, since you shouldn’t assume that all the software solutions are the same, you also shouldn’t assume that they can all help you achieve the same business goals. When you select OEE software in isolation, without taking into account your specific business goals, chances are that you will wind up unhappy with the choice you have made. So, you have to think about why you are measuring OEE, what decisions it should support, and what kinds of improvements you need to make, as that will certainly help you choose the right software.
Read more on overall equipment effectiveness: https://www.ibm.com/think/topics/oee
2. Not Taking Your Future Needs Into Account
It is not uncommon for organizations to define their current needs and choose software based solely on those. While you definitely have to define those, you should also take your future needs into account. In short, you want to choose a solution that is easy to scale and can support your future needs and overall business growth.
3. Choosing Based on the Price
Perhaps one of the biggest mistakes that people make here is this. They choose their OEE software based on the price. And while I get that you have a budget to worry about, the truth is that you should never make your decision based solely on price. After all, quality should always come first.
4. Or Ignoring the Price Completely
The above, however, could lead you towards thinking that you should completely ignore the prices of the OEE software solutions you are considering. But that is not the right move either. On the contrary, you should definitely check and compare the prices, but you should also take all the other factors mentioned into consideration. In the end, the price can be an important factor in your decision-making process, but the point is that it shouldn’t be the only one.
5. Not Researching the Vendors
Another mistake people usually make is checking out the tools but failing to check out the vendors. This is, once again, not the right move. Instead, when you want to choose the perfect OEE software for your organization, you should remember that its quality is sure to depend on the vendor, and you should, therefore, take as much time as you need to research those different vendors as well. Check their experience, reputation, the quality of their customer support, and anything else you need to know before making your final choice.
6. Not Checking Machine Compatibility
Moving on, you should also never forget to check whether the software you are considering is actually compatible with your machines. I suppose it is clear why not doing that is a mistake. After all, it can lead to you getting something that won’t really work for your equipment, which is absolutely not what you want.
7. Not Checking for Integration Capabilities
The same goes for integration capabilities. Don’t forget to check this. And that’s because you want the OEE software solution you get to ultimately be easy to integrate with the existing systems in your organization. So, remember to always check this as well before making a final decision.
