6 Big Losses

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) loss categories (Down Time Loss, Speed Loss, and Quality Loss) can be further broken down into what is commonly referred to as the 6 Big Losses – the most common causes of lost productivity in manufacturing. The 6 Big Losses are extremely important because they are nearly universal in application for discrete manufacturing, and they provide a great starting framework for thinking about, identifying, and attacking waste (i.e. productivity loss).

6 Big Losses	OEE Category	Examples
Breakdowns	Down Time Loss	Tooling Failure Unplanned Maintenance Overheated Bearing Motor Failure
Setup and Adjustments	Down Time Loss	Setup/Changeover Material Shortage Operator Shortage Major Adjustment Warm-Up Time
Small Stops	Speed Loss	Component Jam Minor Adjustment Sensor Blocked Delivery Blocked Cleaning/Checking
Slow Running	Speed Loss	Incorrect Setting Equipment Wear Alignment Problem
Startup Defects	Quality Loss	Scrap Rework
Production Defects	Quality Loss	Scrap Rework