Optimizing Plant Operations: How Aptean EAM and OEE Software Solve Manufacturing Challenges

Today’s process manufacturers are faced with various challenges that they must overcome to keep up with the competition. At the same time, they need to ensure that their operations are consistently performing at peak level. The integration of advanced technologies, global supply chains and rising consumer expectations demands a higher level of precision, adaptability and efficiency than ever before. Given these complexities, the need for reliable and efficient manufacturing solutions has never been greater.

As businesses move towards digital transformation, utilizing the right solution can help them maximize revenue, reduce operational costs and improve production agility. Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) solutions are powerful tools that can help manufacturers achieve their business goals. EAM can help trim down your maintenance costs while maximizing resources. OEE, on the other hand, can help maximize productivity by getting the most out of your machinery. On their own, they are powerful solutions for manufacturers but when integrated, these provide a robust system that can increase operational efficiency.

Modern systems like Aptean EAM and Aptean OEE can help streamline operations and enhance productivity—so you can remain competitive in your industry. These solutions improve equipment’s longevity and performance, while at the same time optimizing energy usage, sustainability, reliability and efficiency.

In the webinar, “Solving Operational Issues with Aptean EAM and Aptean OEE,” Senior Director of Digital Transformation, Roy Thomas, tackles the common operational issues that happen on the plant floor as well as in equipment maintenance.

Process manufacturers are very familiar with the plant operations bubble. It’s a combination of people, process equipment and systems. Often overlooked, the concept is about empowering people to focus on continuous improvement (CI). Achieving operational excellence (OpEx) involves moving away from the world of Excel, using consultants and implementing a time and motion study.

So, what’s a reliable plant entail? The first thing that comes to mind is that “operations + maintenance = production”. Typically, there is a confrontational dynamic between production and maintenance. However, for optimal production, it is essential to establish collaboration between these two departments.

When it comes to CI and OpEx, OEE and EAM solutions can help empower your staff on the production floor and keep assets in good shape. This blog provides an overview of the key points presented in the webinar.

Common Operational Issues in Process Manufacturing

Thomas, who has 15 years of experience in the process manufacturing industry, said the current state of process manufacturing boils down into six perspectives: labor, machine, methods, materials, environment and maintenance.

Labor: This encompasses most of the things that happen on the floor such as staff shortages and skill gaps. Four out of every ten organizations have cited revenue loss as a key long-term consequence of labor shortages . Lack of proper training and skills creates inefficiencies and operational risks, leading to problems in resource use, production speed, quality control and safety.

Machine: These issues often arise due to poor maintenance, obsolete machinery, improper use or unforeseen failures. Machines are subjected to wear and tear over time, eventually resulting in reduced performance or complete failure. Unscheduled equipment outages can have far-reaching consequences on production, impacting expenses, timelines, product quality and customer contentment.

Methods: Issues like incorrect set points or improper cleaning of an asset can bring about various operational, quality and safety problems. Inconsistent methods undermine the efficiency, quality and safety of operations. This makes it essential for businesses to establish and enforce standardized procedures, regular training and proper oversight.

Environment: Environmental factors like temperature and humidity can have a significant effect on manufacturing processes. Materials like metal, plastic and composite can either expand or contract with changes in temperature. This could lead to product defects in industries such as pharmaceuticals or food processing.

Material: Raw materials and packaging play a crucial role in manufacturing. Any issues can result in production inefficiencies, delays and increased costs. The ingredients, for example, need to be consistent in strength, quantity, texture and composition or the quality of the final product can be compromised. If they don’t meet the required specifications, the finished product may be rejected or reworked.

Maintenance: Ensuring that equipment functions properly and efficiently can play a crucial role in preventing operational breakdowns. Although it may seem cost-effective in the short term, reactive maintenance can lead to frequent operational disruptions and challenges. This is why the procedure is also called “run-to-failure” or “breakdown maintenance.”

The Limitations of Traditional Issue Capturing Methods

During the webinar, Thomas discussed traditional methods for capturing operational issues. He explained that these issues are typically logged using methods such as paper, Excel, OEE solutions, SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) or automated fault logging. They may also be captured in graphs, tablets and pie charts. However, the challenge remains that the conversion of corrective actions to preventative measures takes too long.

Operators and maintenance teams may not always follow standardized practices for data entry. Depending on individual interpretation or recollection of events, the data can be inconsistent, leading to inaccuracies in the record, making trend analysis or pattern identification difficult. Also, critical data may be incomplete or incorrectly logged. For example, noting equipment issues such as "a machine making noise" may lack crucial details like intensity, duration or timing of the problem.

Transitioning to Preventative Solutions With Aptean EAM and OEE

Maintaining operational efficiency and minimizing downtime is crucial for success. Transitioning to preventive solutions is essential for organizations seeking to optimize their operations and ensure continuous production. Aptean Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Aptean Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) provide comprehensive tools to achieve this goal.

Transitioning to Aptean EAM and Aptean OEE is more than just implementing new software or tracking equipment performance. First, evaluate your current processes and asset performance to identify bottlenecks and areas of waste, such as inefficiencies in production, unexpected downtime or underutilization of machinery. For a successful transition, you need to restructure your maintenance practices to prepare the move from reactive to preventive maintenance.

Thomas points out that once the issues have been logged and the system experiences a downtime or slow running issues, the situational data you could have collected is already lost. Hundreds of issues happen every day at the plant, but you will always end up with the same result.

This is because you’re not learning from corrective actions or implementing preventive controls to change the outcome. You need to analyze and make sure to eliminate, if not completely, at least 80% to 90% of these issues. Thomas discussed the concept of continuous improvement and tribal know-how.

Leveraging Tribal Know-How

Leveraging tribal know-how involves tapping into the collective experience and expertise of employees within an organization to enhance problem-solving and decision-making processes. We learn this through constant collaboration with different people on the floor who understand how the machines work inside and out. An example of this is when a machine operator knows that a specific machine operates more efficiently at a slightly lower temperature than what is indicated in the manual. Thomas recommends three ways you can harness and share this knowledge:

• Train all operators and maintenance technicians to be CI experts. The problem with this is it’s very research-intensive.

• Use paper to log all the events but it’s not sustainable.

• Provide an easy-to-use click system that taps into the knowledge base.

One-Click Issue Logging

Aptean OEE’s one-click functionality makes logging issues during production incredibly easy and efficient, allowing operators to quickly capture detailed, actionable data with minimal effort. It also combines their input with key operational data such as machine status, performance metrics or specific process steps.

On paper, it can be difficult to log and interpret the amount of data managers receive on the floor. A one-click system transforms these logged issues into actionable data, making it easier for managers and maintenance teams to analyze and address problems.

Dynamic Root Cause Analysis

Aptean OEE’s dynamic root cause analysis enables manufacturers to swiftly identify the underlying causes of recurring production issues by leveraging real-time data from machines, operators and processes. By automatically analyzing this data, the software uncovers patterns and correlations that reveal inefficiencies, downtime or quality problems, eliminating the need for manual investigation and enhancing problem-solving efficiency.

Aptean OEE incorporates well-known diagram methods into its dynamic root cause analysis. It guides users through a logical process, ensuring that they don’t stop at surface-level symptoms but continue uncovering the underlying causes of recurring problems. The two methods Aptean OEE uses are the Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram and the Five Whys Method.

1. Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram

Also known as the Cause-And-Effect Diagram, the Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram is a visual tool used to systematically identify the potential causes of a specific problem. It categorizes causes into major groups (such as people, methods, materials and machines) to help teams analyze all possible sources of an issue.

Thomas used flagging labels as an example to explain the Fishbone Diagram. He cited that the labels didn't stick properly due to incorrect glue temperature, causing them to hang off of bottles. The preventative action here is ensuring that the glue temperature is appropriate for the labels to stick effectively.

2. Five Whys Method

This is a problem-solving technique that involves asking "why" five times in succession to uncover the root cause of a problem. By repeatedly questioning the cause of an issue, it helps identify the underlying reasons rather than just addressing surface-level symptoms.

Thomas used the same example from the Fishbone Diagram to explain this method. He deduced that the glue temperature issue is only one of the potential problems being faced. Another factor that can be called into question is whether or not the dial setting was working and/or legible. If one of the causes of the glue not being hot enough was that the dial setting was worn off, then the preventative action is to install a new one.

Voting System for Solution Validation

The software’s voting system for solution validation is a collaborative decision-making tool that allows team members to vote on proposed solutions based on predefined criteria, such as feasibility, impact and cost. The system helps prioritize solutions by aggregating votes, ensuring the most practical and effective options are chosen for implementation.

Preventive actions are best developed when corrective actions have been thoroughly tested and proven. With Aptean OEE’s voting mechanism, companies can quickly assess which corrective measures are successful, accelerating the transition from reactive, corrective actions to more strategic, preventive maintenance.

Enhancing Maintenance Strategies for Operational Success

Enhancing maintenance strategies is crucial for ensuring operational success in any process manufacturing environment. As businesses face increasing pressure to reduce downtime, improve productivity and maintain high-quality standards, maintenance plays a key role in achieving these goals. Shifting from reactive, crisis-driven maintenance approaches to proactive, preventive and predictive strategies helps organizations avoid costly breakdowns, extend equipment life and optimize performance. Here are some ways you can enhance maintenance strategies:

1. Streamlined Maintenance Requests

Aptean EAM and Aptean OEE work together to streamline the management of maintenance requests, thereby reducing the time between identifying an issue and implementing the maintenance tasks. Aptean EAM automatically converts detected issues into a maintenance request, eliminating the manual hand-off between departments, significantly reducing delays in reporting equipment problems. On the other hand, Aptean OEE monitors production line performance in real-time, tracking key metrics such as equipment downtime, machine performance and production quality.

Here's an example of a streamlined maintenance request:

• An operator makes the request from the OEE panel.

• Aptean EAM creates the work order.

• Aptean OEE creates the work request and maintenance task.

2. Condition-Based and Usage-Based Maintenance

Condition-Based Maintenance (CBM) involves maintaining equipment only when data indicates that a failure is imminent, allowing for more efficient use of resources. Internet of Things (IoT) sensors play a crucial role in gathering real-time data for CBM, enhancing predictive capabilities and optimizing maintenance schedules.

Here’s how it works:

• Aptean EAM creates a work order and triggers preventive maintenance (PM).

• Aptean OEE generates a program logic controller (PLC) generated alarm, conducts operational readings and triggers a virtual alarm.

3. Proactive Maintenance Alerts

Proactive maintenance alerts, generated by Aptean's systems, notify maintenance teams of potential issues before they escalate, allowing for timely interventions. By leveraging real-time data from equipment and production processes, these alerts help identify anomalies that could lead to failures or downtimes. This proactive approach enhances operational efficiency, minimizes disruptions and ultimately leads to cost savings.

Here's how the process is carried out:

• Machine data from OEE/Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) and IoT alerts maintenance to pending issues via alarms (proactive maintenance).

• Inform PM schedule based on operational versus calendar parameters (targeted preventive and proactive maintenance).

4. Maintenance Visibility Across Departments

Aptean EAM and OEE provide visibility at the asset level by offering a centralized platform where all maintenance-related information is easily accessible to stakeholders. These let the user view the PMs planned, scheduled corrective work, recent maintenance completed and work order status.

These are the steps that are followed:

• Aptean EAM manages the open or completed work orders, PM schedule visibility and recent maintenance history.

• Aptean OEE ensures maintenance visibility.

Solve Common Operational Issues With Aptean EAM and Aptean OEE

Adopting Aptean EAM and Aptean OEE offers a comprehensive solution to the common operational challenges manufacturers face today. By integrating Aptean EAM's robust asset management capabilities with Aptean OEE’s focus on maximizing equipment efficiency, businesses can significantly reduce downtime, improve asset performance and boost overall productivity.

When working together, these solutions drive continuous improvement, enabling manufacturers to enhance operational efficiency, maintain consistent product quality and achieve long-term cost savings. By addressing the root causes of inefficiencies and implementing preventive strategies, businesses can stay competitive in today’s dynamic market while ensuring sustainable growth.

Tired of addressing the same operational issues every day? Watch the recorded webinar entitled Solving Operational Issues with Aptean EAM and Aptean OEE to learn how Aptean can help transform your plant operations.