In today’s era of digital transformation, manufacturing is no longer just about making things—it’s about making things better, faster, and smarter. At the heart of this evolution is OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness), a gold-standard metric that provides a comprehensive view of production performance. Yet, despite its power, many factories struggle to move the OEE needle.

The answer? A Connected Factory.

What Is a Connected Factory?

A connected factory integrates machines, sensors, software, and people into a real-time digital ecosystem. With Industrial IoT (IIoT), edge computing, and cloud platforms, factories can collect, analyze, and act on data instantly. This connectivity forms the foundation for optimizing OEE at scale.

Why OEE Still Matters

OEE measures how well a manufacturing operation is utilized compared to its full potential. It accounts for:

• Availability (downtime)
• Performance (speed losses)
• Quality (defects)

Even a 5% improvement in OEE can lead to significant cost savings and throughput gains—if you know where to focus.