Real Time OEE Monitoring to Expose Hidden Performance Losses
THE problem
Many manufacturers still rely on manual production reporting to calculate OEE, especially the performance component. Operators record counts manually, log downtime events inconsistently, or update spreadsheets long after issues occur. This creates a fundamental measurement problem: the OEE data is delayed, subjective, and often inaccurate.
The biggest losses are hidden in performance, because traditional reporting fails to capture:
- Short microstoppages that operators don’t see.
- Slower cycle speeds during busy periods.
- Performance drift between shifts.
- Operator-dependent variation in throughput.
These small inefficiencies accumulate throughout the day, silently reducing output and pushing OEE downward but because they are rarely logged, supervisors cannot diagnose them or intervene early. Without a real-time OEE monitoring system, factories operate reactively. They only learn about inefficiencies after the shift has ended, when it is too late to correct the root cause.
This leads to:
- Inaccurate performance rates.
- Underreported downtime.
- Inconsistent quality and throughput
- A lack of trust in OEE numbers.
In short: manual reporting cannot support high-performance manufacturing.
The Solution
By adopting visionAI’s OEE Plus+ solution, manufacturers transform their existing CCTV cameras into a real-time OEE monitoring system that automatically measures production counts, cycle speeds, and performance losses with complete accuracy.
visionAI OEE Plus+ delivers:
- Live unit counts updated every second.
- Automatic detection of microstoppages and slowdowns.
- Objective OEE data with no operator input required.
- Instant alerts when performance drops below target.
- Root-cause insight with visual evidence and timestamps
The system exposes exactly when and where performance loss begins, whether caused by operator delays, upstream feeding issues, small jams, or inconsistent line flow, enabling supervisors to address issues proactively. Because the solution uses existing CCTV, deployment requires no hardware changes.
The Result
Manufacturers using visionAI’s OEE Plus+ solution consistently report significant improvements. Most achieve 20–30% increases in OEE, driven by accurate performance counts and rapid corrective action.
One food manufacturer improved from ~70% to above 85% OEE within six months, reducing downtime, stabilising throughput, and unlocking higher production capacity without new equipment.
Real-time OEE data empowers teams to make decisions in the moment, improving performance, reducing waste, and maximising line potential.