TL;DR — OEE software RFI/RFP template in 60 words
This guide provides a complete OEE software vendor selection toolkit: 50-question RFI/RFP template covering functional, technical, deployment, and commercial requirements. 12-criterion weighted evaluation scorecard. Implementation checklist from pre-deployment through post-go-live. Reference call script with 10 critical questions. Covers edge sensor, OPC UA, multi-site ISO 22400-2, cybersecurity IEC 62443, 5-year TCO model.
For manufacturing procurement and operations teams running OEE software vendor selection in 2027, a structured evaluation process is critical: the difference between a successful 4-week deployment delivering +10 OEE points and a failed 12-month project wasting $500K+ comes down to asking the right questions before purchase. This guide provides ready-to-use templates: a comprehensive RFI/RFP questionnaire, a weighted evaluation scorecard, an implementation checklist, and a reference call script — all based on patterns observed across 450+ factory deployments.
RFI/RFP template: 50 essential questions
Section 1: OEE methodology and functionality (15 questions)
| # |
Question |
Why it matters |
| 1 |
Describe your OEE calculation methodology. Is it ISO 22400-2 compliant? |
Ensures standardized A × P × Q across all sites — prevents “OEE definition wars” |
| 2 |
How do you categorize the Six Big Losses? Can categories be customized per site? |
Six Big Losses taxonomy must match your continuous improvement methodology |
| 3 |
How is planned downtime handled in the OEE calculation? Excluded or included? |
Critical distinction: “loading time” definition impacts OEE number significantly |
| 4 |
How do you measure Performance (speed loss)? Ideal cycle time vs actual? |
Performance calculation methodology varies widely between vendors |
| 5 |
How are minor stops vs reduced speed differentiated? |
Minor stops (<5 min, frequent) vs reduced speed (continuous but slower) require different detection methods |
| 6 |
How is Quality rate calculated? First-pass yield or all production? |
Quality = good units / total units produced — startup rejects + production rejects |
| 7 |
What real-time dashboards are included? Can they be customized? |
Operator-facing andon, supervisor shift report, manager plant overview, VP multi-site |
| 8 |
How do operators categorize stop reasons? Touch screen, tablet, barcode? |
Operator input method impacts adoption rate — simplicity is critical |
| 9 |
What reporting is available? Shift, daily, weekly, monthly, custom date range? |
Different stakeholders need different report cadences |
| 10 |
How is inter-site benchmarking supported? Normalized or raw comparison? |
Fair multi-site comparison requires normalization for product mix, machine age, shift pattern |
| 11 |
What alerting and notification capabilities exist? |
Real-time alerts for downtime threshold, OEE drop, quality event critical for rapid response |
| 12 |
What languages are supported in the UI? |
Global deployments require multilingual operator interfaces |
| 13 |
Can different sites have different stop reason categories while maintaining group-level reporting? |
Balance: local relevance vs group standardization |
| 14 |
How is shift pattern management handled? |
Shift definitions vary by site and change seasonally — system must be flexible |
| 15 |
What continuous improvement workflow support is included? |
OEE measurement without improvement workflow = measuring but not improving |
Section 2: Technical architecture (10 questions)
| # |
Question |
Why it matters |
| 16 |
Do you offer edge sensor (PLC-independent) data collection? |
Edge sensor eliminates PLC dependency — critical for legacy machines and locked-down automation |
| 17 |
What PLC/SCADA protocols do you support (OPC UA, Modbus, EtherNet/IP, PROFINET)? |
Protocol coverage determines integration with existing automation |
| 18 |
What is your cloud architecture (SaaS, private cloud, on-premise)? |
Data sovereignty, latency, offline operation requirements vary |
| 19 |
What happens when cloud connectivity is lost? Offline operation capability? |
Manufacturing cannot stop when internet drops — edge buffering essential |
| 20 |
What APIs are available for integration (REST, MQTT, OPC UA)? |
Integration with ERP, MES, CMMS, BI tools requires open APIs |
| 21 |
How is data stored? Time-series database? Retention period? |
Historical OEE data for trending, benchmarking, compliance |
| 22 |
What is your data export capability? Formats? Frequency? |
Data portability — YOUR data must be exportable if you switch vendors |
| 23 |
What BI tool integration exists (Power BI, Tableau, Grafana)? |
Many enterprises want OEE data in existing BI infrastructure |
| 24 |
What mobile app capabilities exist? |
Supervisors and managers need mobile OEE access on plant floor |
| 25 |
What is your product roadmap for next 2-3 years? |
ML/AI, digital twin, sustainability, deeper ERP integration — future-proofing |
Section 3: Security and compliance (8 questions)
| # |
Question |
| 26 |
Do you hold SOC 2 Type II certification? |
| 27 |
Are you ISO 27001 certified? |
| 28 |
Is your edge hardware IEC 62443 SL2 compliant? |
| 29 |
Where is data stored geographically? GDPR/PIPL data residency compliance? |
| 30 |
What encryption is used (in transit TLS version, at rest AES-256)? |
| 31 |
What authentication methods are supported (SSO SAML/OIDC, MFA)? |
| 32 |
What is your vulnerability management process (penetration testing frequency)? |
| 33 |
How do you handle NIS2 Directive requirements (EU manufacturing)? |
Section 4: Deployment and support (9 questions)
| # |
Question |
| 34 |
What is your typical deployment timeline for a single site (10-50 machines)? |
| 35 |
What is your deployment methodology (phases, milestones)? |
| 36 |
What training is included (operators, supervisors, administrators)? |
| 37 |
What support tiers are available (business hours, 24/7)? |
| 38 |
What is your SLA for system availability (99.9%, 99.99%)? |
| 39 |
How is multi-site rollout managed (central team, local teams)? |
| 40 |
What change management support do you provide? |
| 41 |
How are software updates deployed (automatic, scheduled, manual)? |
| 42 |
What is your escalation path for critical issues? |
Section 5: Commercial (8 questions)
| # |
Question |
| 43 |
Provide 5-year TCO breakdown (Year 0 + Years 1-4 recurring) for our scope. |
| 44 |
What is your pricing model (per machine, per site, per user, enterprise)? |
| 45 |
What are edge sensor / hardware costs? |
| 46 |
What discounts are available for multi-site commitment? |
| 47 |
Can you propose a paid pilot (scope, success criteria, conversion terms)? |
| 48 |
Provide 3 customer references (similar industry, similar scale). |
| 49 |
What contract terms: length, exit clause, data portability? |
| 50 |
What is included vs additional cost (training, integration, custom reports)? |
Weighted evaluation scorecard
| Criterion |
Weight |
Vendor A |
Vendor B |
Vendor C |
| Deployment speed (time to first OEE) |
15% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Operator usability (demo impression + G2) |
15% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| OEE methodology (ISO 22400-2 rigor) |
12% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Multi-site standardization |
12% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Edge sensor / PLC independence |
10% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Integration (ERP/MES/CMMS/BI) |
10% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| 5-year TCO |
10% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Vendor references and stability |
8% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Cybersecurity (IEC 62443, SOC 2) |
4% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Roadmap / innovation |
4% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
| Weighted total |
100% |
_/5 |
_/5 |
_/5 |
Implementation checklist: 12-week OEE deployment
| Week |
Activity |
Owner |
Deliverable |
| Pre |
Define scope, assign project lead, machine inventory, network assessment |
Project Lead + Vendor |
Scope document, machine list, network diagram |
| 1-2 |
Install edge sensors / configure OPC UA connections on first 10-20 machines |
Vendor + Maintenance |
Sensors installed, data flowing to platform |
| 2-3 |
Configure dashboards, define stop reason categories, set OEE targets |
Vendor + CI Manager |
Dashboards live, categories approved |
| 3-4 |
Train operators (stop categorization), supervisors (reports), managers (dashboards) |
Vendor + CI Manager |
All users trained, documented |
| 4-6 |
Go-live: operators using system daily, morning meeting with OEE data |
CI Manager + Supervisors |
Daily OEE measurement operational |
| 6-8 |
Refine stop categories, address operator feedback, optimize dashboard layout |
CI Manager |
Refined categories, improved adoption |
| 8-10 |
First formal OEE review with management, identify top 3 losses, improvement plan |
Plant Manager + CI |
Management review deck, improvement plan |
| 10-12 |
Execute first improvement actions (SMED, autonomous maintenance, etc.) |
CI Team + Operators |
Measurable OEE improvement vs baseline |
Reference call script: 10 critical questions
- What was the actual deployment timeline from contract signing to first OEE measurement? (Compare to vendor’s claim)
- What operator adoption rate did you achieve after 3 months? (Target: >80% consistent use)
- What OEE improvement have you measured since deployment? (Credible range: +5-15 points in Year 1)
- Were there hidden costs the vendor did not disclose upfront? (Integration, network, training)
- How responsive is vendor support when issues arise? (SLA adherence)
- What integration challenges did you encounter? (ERP, MES, CMMS, PLC compatibility)
- If you have multiple sites, how did multi-site rollout go? (Template reuse, local customization)
- How accurate is the OEE data? Do operators trust the numbers? (Data quality is adoption killer)
- Knowing what you know now, would you choose the same vendor? (Direct recommendation)
- What would you do differently in the evaluation or deployment process? (Lessons learned)
Conclusion
A structured OEE software evaluation using this 50-question RFI/RFP template + 12-criterion weighted scorecard + implementation checklist + reference call script de-risks your vendor selection and accelerates time-to-value. Key principles: (1) require pilot before full commitment, (2) evaluate 5-year TCO not just Year 1 pricing, (3) weight operator usability and deployment speed highest, (4) verify claims via reference calls with similar-scale organizations. TeepTrak Pulse scores highest on multi-site standardization (450+ factories, 30 countries), edge sensor independence (TeepTrak Box), and ISO 22400-2 methodology rigor — proven by Hutchinson +33 OEE points across 40 sites.
Next step: download the editable OEE software evaluation scorecard or request a free TeepTrak Pulse pilot proposal.
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