OEE is the gold-standard productivity score — availability × performance × quality. It rolls uptime, speed, and yield into one percentage that says how close a machine runs to its full potential.
The example
90% × 95% × 99%.
| A | B | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Factor | Value |
| 2 | Avail × Perf × Qual | |
| 3 | OEE | → 84.6% |
The formula
The formula:
How it works
How it works:
- Availability = run time ÷ planned time (uptime, after breakdowns and changeovers).
- Performance = actual rate ÷ ideal rate (speed, after slow cycles and minor stops).
- Quality = good units ÷ total units (yield, after scrap and rework).
- Multiply the three for OEE — ~85% is world-class, 60% is typical.
OEE is multiplicative, so the weakest factor dominates. 90% × 90% × 90% is only 73%, not 90% — three “good” numbers compound into a mediocre score. That’s the point: it forces attention on whichever of availability, performance, or quality is dragging the line down, rather than letting a strong number hide a weak one.
Try it: interactive demo
Availability, performance, quality (%).
Variations
Availability
Uptime:
Performance
Speed:
Quality
Yield:
Pitfalls & errors
Percentages as decimals. 90% is 0.90 in the multiplication.
Multiplicative. Three 90%s give 73% — the weakest factor dominates.
Define planned time. Exclude no-demand and breaks consistently from availability.
Practice workbook
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate OEE in Excel?
What are the three OEE factors?
Why does OEE drop so fast?
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