Q: How to define definitions for all the parameters within OEE in order to gain an overview on ALL hidden losses?

In order to be able to start the measurement, all sorts of things
must be defined clearly:

• Machines: Which machine are we going to measure?
  Where does ‘the machine’ begin and end? Are we going  to measure all of the machines?
• Time categories: What types of time are we going to  register?
• Products/product groups: Are we going to track every article number, or will product groups suffice? Does it make sense to identify two identical products in different colors or with different labels separately in a loss registration?
• Types of scrap: What types of scrap and rework are we  going to identify?
• Define maximum speed: Each product/machinecombination can have its own maximum speed (the ‘standard’), depending on the capacity of the machine and the properties of the product.

The definition of the data to collect:

1. stays the same as long as the machine exists;
2. can change if the product or the machine changes fundamentally.

For the complete discussion surrounding the definition, please
see ‘The OEE Industry Standard’

What is the hardest?

Because OEE compares the machine to a theoretical ideal, it is tempting to repeatedly claim that something is ‘impossible’ or ‘unrealistic’. However, that is not the question.

The relevant questions are: where are the losses; where is the potential improvement?

As long as the root cause of a loss is not investigated, it is impossible for you to know whether it can or cannot be solved!

• Learn to stop accepting (potential) losses!
• Dare to make losses visible!
• Stop saying ‘Yes, but…’!
• Dare to think beyond the current reality (‘we will never be able to do that’)!
• Never say ‘That is hardly realistic’ before you have carried out an in-depth investigation!!

In order to increase effectiveness:

Do not accept the situation as long as it is not ideal.

There are no excuses for not being ideal; there are merely causes of losses that must be eliminated!