5 Ways SMBs Can Track OEE without the MES(S)
Guest blog by MHI Member Tendrel
Who We Are… and Why We Wrote This
At Tendrel, we build software for manufacturers who need better visibility but don’t have the time, budget, or appetite for a heavy MES. Our team comes from companies like Amazon, where we learned firsthand how to apply real-time data and operational rigor to complex systems.
Below are the top five best practices that we’ve seen work across pharmaceutical manufacturing to industrial fabrication to food processing.
Getting a Handle on Productivity without the Overhead (and Headache)
For many small and mid-sized manufacturers, measuring productivity feels like a luxury reserved for companies with the budget, staff, and time to stand up a full-blown MES. Many enterprise systems offer powerful tools, but they often require significant upfront investment… not just in capital, but in training, change management, and dedicated IT support.
So where does that leave the rest of us?
The good news is that you don’t need an enterprise system to get visibility into your operations. Productivity is a muscle, not a mystery. And building it doesn’t have to start with software; it can start with better questions, basic tracking, and a commitment to consistency.
Here are five areas where SMBs can start measuring and managing productivity, without needing an MES:
1. Track Downtime with Pen and Paper (or a Shared Spreadsheet)
You don’t need automation to get a handle on downtime. Start by asking line leads or shift supervisors to record whenever a machine goes down. Log the start time, end time, and a reason code. Nothing more. Review the logs at the end of each day or week. Patterns will emerge fast, especially if the same cause keeps showing up. You’re not looking for perfection here… just a signal strong enough to act on.
2. Count What Comes Off the Line
It may sound obvious, but tracking actual output per shift or per hour is one of the simplest ways to benchmark performance. Use whiteboards, tally counters, or a shared doc. Compare it against the expected rate and see how often the target is hit. This simple exercise helps frame questions around bottlenecks, staffing, and work sequencing.
3. Observe Idle Time—Not Just Breakdowns
Downtime is when something is broken. Idle time is when nothing is happening. That may be because raw material hasn’t arrived, because workers are waiting on instruction, or because the handoff between steps is fuzzy. Walking the floor with a stopwatch for even 30 minutes can reveal surprising blind spots. Don’t underestimate the power of simply watching the work.
4. Review Maintenance Logs for MTTR and MTBF
If you’re keeping any kind of maintenance history (digitally or in a binder) you already have what you need to calculate Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) and Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF). Track these two numbers over time to understand which equipment is draining your uptime. Even just labeling machines “low,” “medium,” or “high” reliability can help prioritize what needs attention.
5. Make Waste Visible
From scrap materials to rework, waste is often a lagging indicator of process issues. Post a visual tracker near the production line. A simple red-yellow-green scale can help frontline workers stay aware of how much waste is being generated, without needing to know the underlying metrics. The goal isn’t to blame; it’s to create feedback loops.
Start Small, Stay Consistent
None of these practices require new tech. But they do require commitment. By choosing just one area to track, being consistent in how you do it, and reviewing that data regularly as a team, any manufacturers can uncover real opportunities to improve performance. If it works, knock down the next domino and expand from there.
Productivity isn’t about perfection. It’s about making the invisible visible and then doing something about it.
