New data from OFS, a manufacturing performance software company, has found that Australian craft brewers have ramped up production, but are held back by unplanned downtime.
OFS’ quarterly Craft Brewers Benchmark Report provided insight into how data can be used to improve production efficiency in the craft brewing industry.
To determine “what good looks like,” the report analysed beer production in Australian, New Zealand and US craft breweries between April and June. Key performance benchmark data explains why knowing overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) can make a significant impact on a brewer’s bottom line.
According to the report, while craft brewers increased production by 7.6 per cent compared with the previous three months, the industry average for actual production time while lines are available remains at just 45 per cent.
“This is an industry that’s thriving while leaving so much potential on the table,” OFS CEO James Magee said. “That luxury can’t last forever – we need a mindset shift in how the industry collects and leverages data to improve productivity.”
Despite the challenges, craft brewers scored particularly well for waste efficiency. Just two per cent of beer produced didn’t end up in cans or bottles, improving by 28 per cent.
Other key statistics from the report are:
- On average, 6,517 units of craft beer were produced per hour, 74.2 per cent behind the potential output of 11,353 per hour;
- It took brewers an average of 63 minutes to set up a job, an increase of four minutes compared with the previous three months;
- Unplanned downtime accounted for 25.46 per cent of production time, in line with the previous three months; and
- The industry earned an average OEE score – considered the gold standard for measuring productivity – of 44 per cent, a slight increase from 43 per cent.
Magee said visibility is key to further improving efficiency.
“It’s telling that craft brewers manage product waste so well – they barely leave a drop behind,” he said. “Wasted time, however, is harder to view without the right tools in place, and it’s too easy to generalise and make assumptions about output, downtime, and changeovers when you’re relying on a busy crew updating an excel sheet or piece of paper.
“What we’re hoping to do with these industry snapshots is show the efficiency potential that’s there when craft brewers surface these insights. It isn’t rocket science, it is literally just an accurate real-time view of what’s happening on the line, and too few have it.”