INDUSTRY WATCH
THE INERTIA AND AN OVER- RELIANCE ON OUTDATED PAPER-BASED DATA TRACKING CAUSE MAJOR INEFFICIENCY .
Manufacturing performance software company , OFS , has announced findings from its Craft Brewers Benchmark Report , offering first-of-its-kind insights into how data can be used to improve packaging line efficiency in the fastgrowing craft brewing industry . good days from bad have identified an optimal speed for monitoring output over high , mid and low run speeds .”
Other efficiency opportunities were identified in the time it takes to set up a job – just over 49 minutes – with reductions here necessary for a better OEE .
The report analyzed the production of millions of litres of beer by breweries in an effort to determine a view of ‘ what good looks like ’ and includes key performance benchmark data and explains why knowing overall equipment effectiveness ( OEE ) can make a significant impact on a brewer ’ s bottom line .
The data shows that while craft brewers fare well in terms of speed and waste reduction , the industry average for actual time producing across the production line was just over 50 %.
“ The key message here is that craft brewers must pay particular attention to how they account for changeover time in the costing of products , because it ’ s likely taking longer than they think which impacts margins ,” added Magee .
“ Given craft brewers tend to have many SKUs , it ’ s imperative to accurately account for changeover time when scheduling and planning production , to avoid overtime and other issues arising from running behind plan .”
“ For every 1,000 beers made , there are three minutes and 12 seconds lost to unplanned downtime on the packing line ,” said James Magee , CEO of OFS . “ There are over 50 ways this can typically happen , including equipment problems , raw material and packaging material issues as well as human errors . But it essentially means brewers are only producing just over half of the time the line is intended to be running , meaning less beer made at a higher cost .”
The study also showed the average time between stoppages on the line was 11 minutes and 48 seconds . Despite these interruptions , craft brewers showed they can make it fast and by barely wasting a drop – with average scores of 98.6 % for speed , and 99.7 % for waste management . But Magee cautions that the need for speed isn ’ t everything .
“ Faster runs on the line don ’ t guarantee more output – they can often cause more stoppages and even add to waste over time ,” he said . “ Most brewers who know their
“ There ’ s a difference between good beer and good business ,” said Guy Greenstone , Co-Founder of Stomping Ground Brewing Co , which took part in the report .
“ I know data is not as sexy as beer . But the easy collection and understanding of production data will have a bigger impact than you think on your bottom line .
“ You need to know what ’ s happening on the production line for every single run , know your best performing batches and brews , product and pack types , how efficient your operations and your brewery really are , and how you compare to other more established brewers in the industry .
“ At Stomping Ground , we ’ re thrilled at the speed at which we have grown . We did it not just by making awesome beer , but by focusing on the working of our brewery and constantly finding ways to do things better .”
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