# Downtimes

A downtime is a period in which a machine is not producing. Downtimes are inevitable (changeovers, maintenance, breaks), but analyzing them is the key to increasing availability and thus OEE.

## Why track downtimes?

Without downtime data, the answers to fundamental questions are missing:

* How much time is lost to downtimes?
* What are the most common causes?
* How long does a typical product changeover take?
* Which downtimes are avoidable?

Automatic downtime tracking provides these answers objectively and without gaps, without employees having to manually record times.

## Two steps: detection and assignment

Downtime tracking in ENLYZE consists of two parts:

1. [**Detection**](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/downtimes/detection): A lead variable is monitored. When its value drops below a defined threshold, the system automatically detects a downtime. Detection is accurate to the second and fully objective.
2. [**Categories & assignment**](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/downtimes/categories-and-assignment): Each detected downtime is assigned a reason. Reasons are organized into categories (planned, unplanned, no production planned) that factor differently into the OEE calculation.

## Downtimes in OEE

Downtimes directly affect [availability](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/understanding-oee/availability) as a component of OEE. The rules are:

* **Planned and unplanned downtimes** during scheduled production time reduce availability.
* **No production planned** (e.g. weekends, holidays) is not considered in the OEE calculation.

## Related topics

* [Detection](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/downtimes/detection): How automatic downtime detection works.
* [Categories & assignment](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/downtimes/categories-and-assignment): What downtime categories exist and how reasons are assigned.
* [Setting up OEE tracking](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/production-optimization/oee): Configuring downtime detection in the app (guide).
* [Defining downtime reasons](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/production-optimization/downtimes/defining-reasons): Setting up the reasons catalogue (guide).
* [Downtime contextualisation](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/production-optimization/downtimes/contextualisation): Assigning reasons (guide).