Downtime tracking records and categorises every period equipment isn't running as planned, enabling root cause analysis and OEE improvement.
Definition
Downtime tracking is the systematic recording and categorisation of every period when equipment or a production line is not running as planned. MES systems capture downtime automatically via equipment integration or through operator input, then categorise it by reason code , mechanical failure, changeover, material shortage, quality hold, and so on. This data feeds directly into OEE calculations and drives maintenance and improvement priorities.
What this means when you're hiring
Downtime reduction is typically one of the top three business cases for MES investment, so candidates who can articulate how they've used downtime data to drive OEE improvement are commercially relevant. Configuration of reason code hierarchies and downtime reporting is standard MES implementation work , it appears in virtually every project scope I see.
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