Key figures for production: In 7 steps to an optimal key figure system

Key figures, also as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) create transparency in production so that the cause and effect of manufacturing processes can be identified in order to increase efficiency in production. But which KPIs are important and how do you implement them?

Based on Production figures It is possible to see in what quality and quantity the set corporate goals are implemented as part of production. They are therefore an indicator of the effectiveness of production planning and control. With the help of selected KPIs, the company goals are broken down to production in order to be able to intervene in manufacturing processes if there are deviations from the key figures.

There is now a whole range of key figures that can be used. The following factors are decisive:

• human
• expenses
• quality
• dates
• flexibility
• logistics
• environmental

These factors can be broken down into specific aspects. For example, for the factor Appointment Aspects such as lead times, adherence to schedules or material availability are important. And these aspects can also be further subdivided. The processing time can be measured, for example, on the basis of downtime, transport, set-up or production times. A key figure system can therefore become very granular very quickly, which not only makes it confusing, but can also lose significance.

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From requirements to goals

In order to find the right key figures for your own production, market requirements must also be considered in addition to internal corporate goals. What does the market demand? Punctuality, competitive prices, zero-defect production and a high level of flexibility are typical market requirements.

The company goals are defined taking market requirements into account. They determine which factors play a central role in production. For a manufacturing company that manufactures a wide variety of or customer-specific products, the efficient use of production facilities is important, while for a company with mass production, scrap can be the decisive criterion.

Analysis period and frequency

It is therefore clear that both the selection and weighting of the individual production figures are individual for each company. There are a variety of KPIs for manufacturing. The most commonly used include:

• OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness)
• Machine availability
• throughput
• Set-up time
• Downtime
• rejects
• response rate
• batch sizes
• Material availability

After selecting the appropriate production figures, the analysis period and frequency must be defined. Both depend on the cost-benefit ratio. It can be useful to collect set-up times daily, weekly or even just once a quarter. This also depends on how long it takes in the company before a decision can be made based on the available data. In any case, it is important that the key figure is collected regularly in order to make the data comparable.

In order to introduce the key figure system, you should first test it on a selected machine. This makes it clear where adjustments need to be made and where it is worthwhile, for example, to include further key figures so that a reliable analysis can be carried out. The key figure system is then introduced step by step throughout production.

Visualization with MES

In order to be able to analyze key figures, their data must be visualized. This is one of the typical tasks of a Manufacturing Execution System (MES). An MES solution is the ideal way to plan and control production based on meaningful key figures. The MES produces a homogeneous, i.e. comparable, volume of data from the various machine and operating data, which is summarized by MES and finally output as visualized key figures.

Modular systems such as GBomes can be flexibly adapted to changing requirements by adding new key figures or modifying existing ones. In this way, every manufacturing company can react quickly and effectively to changing market requirements, flexibly adjust its corporate goals and consistently increase production efficiency through the appropriate indicators.

In 7 steps to an efficient key figure system for production:

1. Defining market requirements
2. Definition of company goals
3. Selection of production figures based on corporate goals
4. Defining the analysis periods and frequencies of the individual key figures
5. Test the selected key figures on a machine
6. Optimization and, if necessary, deepening of the key figure system
7. gradual introduction of the key figure system throughout production

Here you can download our seven steps as a PDF!

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