Calculating TRS in the automotive industry: Understanding and improving OEE

Written by Ravinder Singh

Nov 28, 2025

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In the automotive industry, where competitiveness is fierce and margins are tight, production efficiency is paramount. Calculating OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) is a key indicator for assessing the performance of production equipment. Not understanding or neglecting this indicator can lead to costly production stoppages, bottlenecks and lower quality finished products, directly impacting the plant’s bottom line.

Low levels of OEE in the automotive industry can be linked to a number of causes. These include unplanned downtime due to breakdowns, inefficient changeovers and loss of production speed. These problems lead not only to lower productivity, but also to high overtime and machine wear costs. Insufficient OEE affects the ability to meet customer demand, compromising the company’s reputation and long-term profitability.

To remedy these challenges, levers such as continuous improvement, preventive maintenance and in-depth analysis of OEE results are essential. Digitizing the shop floor, for example, with solutions like those offered by TeepTrak, enables real-time monitoring of performance indicators. By optimizing multi-line visibility and facilitating downtime analysis, production managers can better control and improve the performance of their production lines.

Let’s take the example of an automotive assembly plant that has successfully implemented a real-time tracking tool like TeepTrak. Initially, this plant was experiencing unplanned downtime in excess of 15% of production time. After deploying a real-time tracking solution, the plant was able to identify the main causes of these stoppages and gradually reduce them by 30%. This not only significantly improved the OEE, but also the quality of the final product.

For industrial decision-makers, the continuous calculation and analysis of TRS in the automotive industry is a strategic necessity. By investing in digitalization technologies, such as those promoted by TeepTrak, teams can gain an accurate overview, initiate continuous improvement actions and optimize their performance. Start with a detailed assessment of your current OEE to identify concrete opportunities for improvement, and launch optimization projects that guarantee significant, measurable gains.

FAQ

Question 1: How do you calculate OEE in the automotive industry?

OEE is calculated by multiplying equipment availability, performance and quality. Each factor is measured to identify areas for improvement.

Question 2: What impact does TRS have on productivity?

Low OEE means inefficiencies, wasted time, high costs and an inability to meet market demands.

Question 3: Where do I start to improve my plant’s OEE?

Start with an audit of your current OEE to identify bottlenecks, then implement a real-time tracking solution to continuously monitor and optimize your processes.

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