How to harmonize OEE measurement across multiple sites to enable reliable comparisons, share best practices and steer continuous improvement across the group.
Multi-plant OEE has become a major strategic issue for manufacturers operating in several locations. The question that comes up time and time again at management committee meetings is: “What is the true performance of our plants? Plant A has an OEE of 74%, plant B 68%, and plant C 58%. But are these figures comparable? Without rigorous standardization of overall equipment effectiveness, it becomes impossible to effectively manage a fleet of plants or prioritize investments.
Why Standardizing Multi Plant OEE is Essential for Productivity
An industrial group doesn’t have just one OEE, but as many OEEs as there are sites. Each single facility may calculate this indicator differently, making any analysis at company level meaningless. Some plants calculate their OEE on the basis of theoretical production time, others on actual attendance time, while others exclude changeover times.
The interpretation of availability varies just as much. A ten-minute breakdown may be considered a micro-stop on one site, and a planned shutdown on another. This methodological chaos turns what should be an objective indicator into a political exercise, masking the real inefficiencies.
According to recent studies, the OEE software market has grown from $65.70 billion in 2024 to a projected $178.6 billion by 2030. This acceleration reflects companies’ growing awareness that standardized measurement of operational efficiency across multiple sites is essential.
The Challenges of OEE Calculation in a Multi-Site Manufacturing Context
Inconsistent calculation methods
Different plants often use different definitions to calculate OEE components. Although the standard formula is Availability × Performance × Quality, the input data vary considerably. One site may define production time as total hours minus breaks, while another may exclude maintenance windows.
The ideal cycle time poses similar problems in manufacturing processes. For multi-product operations, determining the maximum cycle time requires weighted averages. Without standardization, a plant producing complex parts seems to underperform a mass-production plant.
Heterogeneous collection tools
Data collection tools vary from site to site. The historic plant uses Excel, the recent site has a modern MES connected to the PLCs, and the acquired plant uses incompatible proprietary software. This heterogeneity amplifies the methodological differences.
Manual collection introduces biases. Operators may reclassify equipment failures or exclude certain periods from the calculation. Without automation, the figures become subjective, masking real performance losses and quality losses.
Building a standardized OEE repository for the Production Process
Establishing unified definitions
The foundation of standardization begins with unified definitions at group level. For availability, define exactly what constitutes planned versus unplanned downtime. Clarify how changeover times and quality blockages are categorized.
For performance, create a centralized database of standard cycle times by equipment and product family. For quality, standardize defect classification and align inspection criteria between locations.
Deploy an OEE Solution with automated data collection
Automated collection eliminates human bias. Stops are automatically detected via PLCs and accurately time-stamped. Modern IoT systems enable real-time monitoring of all equipment, capturing machine status and quality events without operator intervention.
Cloud platforms facilitate remote asset performance management, enabling centralized performance monitoring across different locations. This approach reduces administrative costs while improving data accuracy.
Multi Plant OEE for Continuous Improvement
Benchmarking and sharing best practices
With standardized measurement, meaningful benchmarking between multiple sites becomes possible. Dashboards enable instant visualization of the performance of all locations according to the same criteria.
Effective benchmarking analyses the three components separately. One plant may excel in availability thanks to predictive maintenance, while another leads in quality. These insights enable targeted knowledge transfer and reduce the costs associated with inefficiencies.
Concrete impact on productivity
Let’s take the example of a group operating six plants in Europe. Before harmonization, OEEs varied from 58% to 74%, with different methodologies. After deploying a standardized OEE solution, the group established unified definitions.
In the space of three months, under-performing sites gained five OEE points by applying existing best practices. A food manufacturer achieved an improvement from 28.9% to 36.2% after standardization, demonstrating the impact of structured continuous improvement on operational efficiency.
Technologies and Training for Multi Plant OEE
Modern deployment relies on edge computing, cloud platforms and mobile interfaces. Protocols like OPC UA provide connectivity to diverse equipment. Artificial intelligence enables predictive maintenance, reducing equipment failures and the associated costs.
Team training is essential. Train operators and managers in standardized OEE calculation. Show how comparable data enables continuous improvement and transforms inefficiencies into productivity opportunities.
For manufacturers aiming for excellence, a standardized multi-plant OEE transforms overall equipment effectiveness from a simple figure into a strategic tool for driving efficiency throughout the enterprise.
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