Automating OEE calculation

Software AG’s new application for the Cumulocity IoT platform gives companies – of any sizes – real-time access to analytics on the overall effectiveness of their production plant, reducing waste and optimising production.

Software AG has launched an app to automate Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) calculation for its Cumulocity IoT platform. The new app will enable manufacturers of any size to collect and process key data as it’s created and quickly understand production effectiveness. OEE is the main percentage indicator representing the overall performance of a productive resource or set of resources. By monitoring production line availability, performance and quality, organizations can be more responsive to inefficiencies in their operations, enabling them to avert problems and capitalize on opportunities to be more effective.

Identify problems and optimise production

Companies have been able to calculate their OEE for many years, but many of these processes are based on manual data collection and analysis. In many cases reports are produced on a daily basis. The new OEE app from Software AG aims to provide reports as frequently as every minute, helping organizations to identify problems or opportunities in time to react effectively to them.

Whether we’re talking about spotting problems that will cause faulty products – and therefore waste – or identifying over/under utilization of equipment, the effectiveness gains that companies can make through OEE are significant. Until now, real-time OEE has been the domain of very large manufacturers who spend hundreds of millions on large MES implementations. Becoming more efficient in manufacturing is a key goal not just for the businesses themselves, but also for global supply chains and sustainability initiatives. The new Software AG app is a free addition to the Cumulocity IoT platform, so companies of any size can use it across production processes and machine manufacturers.

A basic platform that offers construction flexibility

The recent report “Forrester Wave: Industrial IoT Software Platforms” highlights the importance of a strong foundational platform that allows applications to be built on top of it. These applications are important, as they’re what frontline workers in asset-intensive industries use to realize value in their roles, calculating overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), monitoring KPIs, or predicting when critical components are likely to fail. Manufacturers need a foundational platform, but they also need the freedom and flexibility to build on top of it with applications that enhance their day-to-day operations. Technology needs to get into the hands of the people on the shop floor if they are to make a meaningful impact on the effectiveness and output of their organizations. We help our customers to do this through our Cumulocity IoT and TrendMiner platforms.

A pay-per-use model applies for those who chose to fully deploy. It is also available for smart equipment makers to embed into their machinery at the production stage, to better differentiate and increase the value to their customers. It can be set up to begin seeing results within a matter of days in some cases. l