DELMIAWorks calculates OEE automatically. Real-time shop floor data flows from the RealTime production monitoring module directly into OEE reporting updating continuously as parts are made, downtime is recorded, and rejects are logged. You do not set up OEE as a separate process.
What you do set up is the foundation that determines whether those OEE numbers are meaningful or misleading.
A number that is calculated automatically is only as accurate as the data it is calculated from. If your work center standards are off your OEE will be off. If RealTime is not connected to a machine, that machine’s data is not in the calculation. If your downtime codes are vague the numbers will not tell you what to fix.
This post covers the three areas to check before you trust your OEE output in DELMIAWorks.
A Quick Reminder of What OEE Measures
OEE combines three components into a single efficiency score:
Availability is operating time divided by planned production time. It captures the impact of unplanned downtime and stops.
Performance is ideal cycle time divided by actual cycle time. It captures the impact of running slow or at reduced speed.
Quality is good parts divided by total parts produced. It captures the impact of scrap and rework.
Multiply the three together and you get your OEE score. Scores in the 80 to 85% range are generally considered world-class for discrete manufacturing. Most manufacturers running without real-time monitoring discover their actual OEE is significantly lower than assumed.
The three components also tell you different things. A low availability score points to downtime problems. A low performance score points to speed losses. A low quality score points to process or material issues. Knowing which component is driving a low overall number is what makes OEE actionable rather than just a grade.
Check 1: Are Your Work Center Standards Correct?
DELMIAWorks calculates OEE against the standards defined in your work center and bill of material configuration. The two most critical inputs are ideal cycle time and planned production time.
Ideal cycle time is the fastest speed at which a machine can theoretically run under optimal conditions. If this number is set too conservatively your performance component will always look better than it is. If it is set too aggressively your team will appear to be underperforming when they are not.
Planned production time determines what counts as availability. It is derived from your scheduled production hours for a given shift or work center. If your schedule does not accurately reflect when a machine is expected to be running the availability calculation will not reflect reality.
Review your work center configuration in DELMIAWorks and confirm these numbers match your actual operating standards. If your operation has changed since initial setup, such as new equipment, faster tooling, or adjusted shift schedules, those standards should be updated to reflect current conditions.
The BOM also includes scrap rates, setup times, yield, and efficiency factors that feed into OEE calculations. Walk through these for your highest-volume work centers first. Errors in standard data tend to compound the longer they go unchecked.
One specific area worth attention: setup times. Reducing setup times directly improves Availability but if setup time is not properly separated from run time in your work center configuration, that improvement can artificially inflate your OEE score rather than reflect genuine production gains. Make sure your configuration distinguishes setup from production runtime so your Availability number reflects actual machine running time, not a blended average.
Check 2: Is RealTime Connected and Capturing Live Data?
DELMIAWorks OEE reporting pulls from RealTime production monitoring. RealTime connects directly to machines via PLCs, sensors, and wired or wireless Ethernet to capture production counts, downtime, and machine status continuously.
If RealTime is not connected to a machine, or if a machine is still reporting manually through shop floor entry rather than automatically through a hardware connection, the OEE data for that work center is based on what was entered rather than what actually happened. Manual entry introduces lag and error that undermines the accuracy of the calculation.
Check which work centers are connected through RealTime and which are still on manual reporting. For the ones on manual reporting, consider whether the volume and criticality of that work center justifies a hardware connection. For high-volume or high-value operations, the investment in RealTime connectivity typically pays back quickly in accuracy and response time.
For work centers that are connected, confirm the data is flowing correctly. RealTime should be showing live part counts, downtime events, and machine status during production. If a connected work center is showing gaps in data, investigate the connection before drawing conclusions from the OEE output.
Check 3: Are Your Downtime Codes Specific Enough to Act On?
Availability is the OEE component most manufacturers have the most control over on a day-to-day basis. But reducing unplanned downtime requires knowing its causes, not just its duration.
DELMIAWorks supports customized downtime coding which means every downtime event can be tagged with a specific reason at the time it is recorded. Mechanical failure. Waiting for material. Waiting for operator. Scheduled maintenance. Changeover. Each code tells a different story and points to a different solution.
If your downtime codes are too broad, such as using a single code for anything unplanned, your OEE data will show you how much availability you lost but not where to focus to recover it. Review your current downtime code list and ask whether each code gives a supervisor enough specificity to understand the cause and route it to the right person.
A well-designed downtime code structure typically includes five to ten specific categories that cover the most common causes in your operation. It should be simple enough that operators and supervisors can code events accurately in real time without having to think too hard about which category fits.
Using OEE Comparison and Trend Tools
Once your foundation is correct DELMIAWorks gives you tools to make OEE analysis genuinely useful for day-to-day decision-making.
One thing worth noting before you expand OEE reporting across your organization: guard against the data becoming politicized. When OEE scores are tied to team compensation or bonuses there is a real tendency for the numbers to drift toward what looks good rather than what is accurate. The more value you get from OEE comes from trusting the data not from achieving a headline score. Keep OEE as a diagnostic tool and build compensation around the business outcomes it helps you improve, not the score itself.
The comparison and trend analysis tools let you compare current shift OEE with previous runs by job, work center, shift, or day. This is where patterns become visible. A work center that consistently underperforms on the second shift but hits target on the first points to an operator or process issue, not an equipment issue. A machine whose performance score degrades steadily over several weeks points to a maintenance need before a failure.
The granular traceability features let you drill down from an enterprise-wide OEE view all the way to a specific item number and revision. If a particular part is driving disproportionate scrap or slow cycle times across multiple work centers, that traceability connects the quality data to the production data so you can address the root cause.
OEE exception alerts can be configured through IQAlert to notify key personnel of real-time fluctuations in availability, performance, or quality via email, on-screen notification, or text, so the right people see a deviation while it is still happening rather than in the next shift report.
Where to Start
If you have not reviewed your work center standards since your initial DELMIAWorks implementation, start there. Pull the top ten work centers by production volume and check ideal cycle time, planned production time, and downtime code usage against current operating reality.
If your standards are current and RealTime is connected, run the OEE comparison report across your last 30 days by work center and look for the centers with the most variance. Variance is where improvement lives.
One final note: OEE is a powerful diagnostic tool but it works best alongside other metrics rather than as a standalone performance measure. Used in isolation a strong OEE score can mask production problems at the line or plant level that only become visible when you combine OEE with scheduling data, quality trends, and customer delivery performance. Use it as one lens, not the only one.
For a deeper look at how manufacturers have used OEE to drive measurable improvements including a 27% scrap reduction in four months and a $1.2M gross profit gain across six plants, download our free ebook: Lessons Learned on How to Increase OEE Performance.
DR Software Services works with DELMIAWorks users to audit and optimize their monitoring and OEE configuration as part of our application process assessment and post-go-live support services. If your OEE data is not giving you clear direction, reach out at info@drsoftwareservices.com or visit drsoftwareservices.com/application-process-assessment.
