You know your OEE score, but do you know why it is what it is? An OEE of 70% is information, but not an explanation. To truly boost productivity, you need to uncover the specific causes of your losses. This is precisely where the concept of the Six Big Losses from Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) comes in.
This model is your diagnostic tool. It categorizes every lost minute and every defective part, helping you move from mere observation to targeted problem-solving. Instead of fumbling in the dark, you can apply your improvement measures exactly where they will have the greatest impact.
The Six Big Losses are assigned to the three OEE factors, thus covering all conceivable productivity killers.
1.Equipment Failure (Unplanned Stops): This is the most obvious loss. A machine that is down due to a technical defect, a tool failure, or an unplanned issue produces nothing. The challenge is to record not only the duration but also the exact reason for each failure to identify patterns.
2. Setup and Adjustments (Planned Stops): While every product or tool changeover is planned, it represents a loss from a value-creation perspective. The machine is not producing during this time. The goal is to drastically reduce these setup times through standardized processes (SMED – Single-Minute Exchange of Die) and optimal preparation.
3. Minor Stoppages and Idling (Micro Stops): These are the insidious losses. Short interruptions from a few seconds to a minute or two that are often not recorded as "downtime." A sensor that needs cleaning, a jammed part – the sum of these small stops can cause massive performance losses over a shift.
4. Reduced Speed (Slow Cycles): The equipment runs slower than its theoretically possible ideal cycle time. Reasons for this can include worn parts, poor quality material, inadequate lubrication, or simply operator caution. Without an exact comparison of the actual cycle time with the target cycle time, this loss often goes undetected.
5. Process Defects (Production Rejects): These are defective parts produced during a stable production process. Causes can include incorrect machine settings, operator errors, or material fluctuations. Every rejected part has cost material, time, and energy – without creating value.
6. Reduced Yield (Startup Rejects): This scrap occurs during the start-up phase of a machine after a setup. Until the machine reaches its optimal operating temperature and all settings are perfectly adjusted, several defective parts can be produced. This loss is often mistakenly accepted as "normal."
Knowing the losses is only half the battle. You need tools to combat them. This is where the strength of a flexible low-code platform shines: you can build a custom digital solution for every loss problem.
Against Setup Losses (Loss 2): Create a digital setup checklist as an app. Guide the operator step-by-step through the optimal process, ensure all tools and materials are ready, and measure the time for each step.
Against Minor Stoppages (Loss 3): Configure automated alerts in your platform. If the MDA connection reports a cycle time overrun of more than 10 seconds, the shift supervisor immediately receives a notification on their tablet and can investigate the cause.
Against Reduced Speed (Loss 4): Visualize the target and actual cycle time for each order in a live dashboard. Color deviations immediately show when a machine is running below its performance limit.
Against Quality Losses (Loss 5 & 6): Develop a simple quality assurance app. The operator can use it to document rejected parts with a photo and select the reason from a predefined list. This data flows directly into your analysis and helps to permanently eliminate the causes.
A concrete use case: At Hedelius, machine connectivity was successfully implemented with Heisenware.
The analysis of the Six Big Losses transforms your OEE metric from a mere reporting figure into a powerful tool for your continuous improvement process. It forces you to look closely and fight the real causes of inefficiency. With a flexible platform by your side, you can not only analyze but also quickly and agilely create digital tools that support your employees in reducing these losses day after day.