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The 30-Day OEE Pilot: How to Prove ROI Before Your Next Capex Meeting

The 30-Day OEE Pilot: How to Prove ROI Before Your Next Capex Meeting

Most digital transformation projects fail because they take too long to deliver a measurable result.

In high-speed manufacturing, you cannot afford a 12-month implementation timeline that only yields static reports.

To secure executive approval in 2026, you need a "Fast-Track" strategy that proves the value of an integrated System of Action within the first month.

 

Key Takeaways

  • Think big, start small. Don’t connect the whole factory at once; focus on the one "Bad Actor" asset that limits your daily throughput.

  • Speed to value is the only metric that matters. If your system doesn't trigger a maintenance fix in the first week, your shop floor will lose interest.

  • Visual proof secures the budget. Using Computer Vision to show Paula (the Strategic Leader) the exact root cause of downtime is more persuasive than any spreadsheet.

The 30-Day OEE Pilot: How to Prove ROI Before Your Next Capex Meeting

Why Traditional OEE Implementations Fail the Mid-Market

 

What is the 12-month OEE implementation trap?

The 12-month trap occurs when a manufacturer treats OEE software as a massive IT installation, spending a year on hardware wiring and data cleansing before the maintenance team ever receives a digital work order, resulting in lost momentum and zero ROI.

For Mike (the Tactical Manager), a long rollout means a year of continuing to "firefight" using paper logs.

Fabrico eliminates this risk by using an agile implementation roadmap that prioritizes Capacity Reclamation from day one.

By linking production diagnostics to maintenance execution immediately, you move from "monitoring failure" to "engineering uptime."

 

Phase 1: Identifying the "Bad Actor" Line (Days 1–7)

The first week is about achieving baseline visibility without invasive hardware changes.

Identify the 20% of assets causing 80% of your downtime—the "Bad Actors."

Fabrico connects to these lines via PLC or IoT gateways to capture the digital pulse of the machine.

This captures the Hidden Factory inefficiencies that human operators often overlook during high-speed shifts.

By Day 7, you have enough data to prove the exact cost of your Availability and Performance losses.

 

Phase 2: Bridging the "Fault-to-Fix" Loop (Days 8–21)

Visibility without execution is a sunk cost; in the second phase, you deploy the Field-Ready CMMS.

Tom (the Technician) receives a smart notification on his mobile device the second a performance threshold is breached.

He scans the machine's QR Code, sees the OEE history, and executes the repair before the shift target is missed.

This eliminates "Decision Latency," ensuring the maintenance team is focused on the Value Fulcrum.

By Day 21, you can measure a specific reduction in MTTR (Mean Time to Repair) and an increase in total output.

 

Phase 3: Capturing Visual Proof via Computer Vision (Days 22–30)

The final layer of the pilot is achieving 100% truth through the Visibility Trifecta.

Deploy the Inefficiencies Zoom-In (Computer Vision) module on the most complex station of your "Bad Actor" line.

When a micro-stop occurs, the system flags a 10-second video clip for review.

Instead of guessing why a feeder jammed, Mike can "Zoom-In" to see the specific mechanical friction.

This provides the objective evidence needed for a permanent KAIZEN fix that secures the budget for a full-factory rollout.

 

Comparison Matrix: ERP Setup vs. Fabrico System of Action

Metric Traditional ERP / MES Standalone OEE Fabrico (System of Action)
Time to "First Data" 3-6 Months 1 Month < 48 Hours
Maintenance Link Disconnected Manual / API Native Integrated CMMS
Shop Floor Adoption Very Low Moderate High (Technician-Ready)
Decision Latency High (Hours) Moderate Zero (Automated)
Root Cause Depth Data-Only Subjective Visual (Zoom-In) Proof
Implementation Goal Compliance Awareness Revenue Reclamation

 

The Final Delivery: Building the ROI Case for Paula

At the end of the 30-day pilot, Paula isn't looking at a "potential" benefit; she is looking at a recorded reality.

She sees the exact amount of capacity reclaimed from the Hidden Factory and the reduction in Maintenance Cost per Unit.

This data-driven foundation is also the prerequisite for the Fabrico Agent (AI Roadmap), which will eventually automate these optimizations.

Consolidating into one System of Action simplifies your tech stack and lowers your total cost of ownership.

 

Stop waiting for a 12-month miracle. Prove the ROI in 30 days with a System of Action.

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