Make 2020 Your Most Productive Production Year: Proven OEE, TPM, and Data‑Driven Strategies

With the dawn of a new year—and the start of a new decade—it's the ideal moment to set a course for 2020 to become your most productive production year yet. By concentrating on productivity, quality, and profitability, the following best‑practice strategies can elevate your operations to new heights.

1. Benchmark Your Current Operations. To drive meaningful improvement, you first need a clear understanding of where you stand. Baseline metrics give you insight into the areas with the highest impact, allow you to track progress, and quantify the return on every initiative. Key performance indicators to capture include:

• Uptime
• Unplanned downtime
• Maintenance time
• Capacity efficiency
• Quality efficiency
• And any other metrics critical to your goals.

2. Refresh Standard Operating Procedures and Upskill Your Team. A well‑trained workforce is foundational to any high‑performance plant. Even seasoned operators benefit from periodic re‑training, which reinforces safety, efficiency, and quality standards. Ensure that SOPs and training materials reflect the latest industry best practices and safety regulations. If gaps exist, update them promptly so your team always has the most relevant guidance.

3. Prioritize Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE). OEE remains the gold standard for measuring plant performance. It combines three critical dimensions:

• Machine uptime (actual operating time ÷ total available time)
• Performance efficiency (actual output ÷ rated output)
• Quality (accepted parts ÷ total parts produced)

Multiply these three factors to obtain a composite percentage that reflects the overall efficiency and effectiveness of your equipment and processes.

4. Reinforce a Robust Maintenance Culture. Maintenance is the linchpin of OEE. Improved upkeep translates into higher uptime, superior performance, and cleaner output. A proven approach is to adopt a Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) framework. Focus areas include:

• Recommit to preventive maintenance, ensuring all scheduled tasks are completed on time.
• Equip maintenance staff with advanced training so they can perform tasks efficiently.
• Invest in predictive maintenance, using data to anticipate issues before they trigger unplanned downtime.

5. Leverage Data for Predictive Maintenance. Real‑time machine telemetry fuels predictive upkeep. While it requires an investment in sensors or aftermarket upgrades, the payoff is rapid—reducing unplanned downtime and extending asset life. By feeding data into analytics, you unlock actionable insights that keep production running smoothly.

6. Cultivate a Motivated, Skilled Workforce. Engaged operators and technicians are your greatest asset. Support them with continuous learning opportunities, clear career pathways, and a culture that rewards excellence. When your people feel valued, productivity follows.

7. Evaluate Outsourced Maintenance. Engaging external experts can inject fresh expertise and up‑to‑date best practices into your maintenance function. Outsourcing can fill staffing gaps, elevate maintenance quality, and let you concentrate on core manufacturing activities.

Advanced Technology Services offers turnkey maintenance and technical talent solutions that can help you make 2020 your most productive year yet. For more information about our services, visit our website or contact an ATS maintenance specialist today.