# Performance

Performance describes how fast a machine produces. In the OEE context, the performance factor is the ratio between the actual speed achieved and the maximum possible speed.

## Why measure performance?

When a machine produces slower than possible, performance losses occur. These are time losses not caused by downtimes, but by a production speed that is too low during active operation.

Typical causes of performance losses:

* Suboptimal machine settings
* Quality problems requiring speed reduction
* Material differences between batches
* Startup losses after a downtime

## How ENLYZE measures performance

ENLYZE measures performance using a configured **performance parameter**. This is a variable that reflects the production speed, for example:

* Throughput in kg/h
* Speed in m/min
* Pieces per minute

The performance parameter is configured together with a quantity unit and time unit so that performance and total quantity can be calculated correctly.

## Performance reference: Maximum Demonstrated Speed

A central question in performance measurement is: **what is 100%?** What value counts as the maximum possible speed?

ENLYZE uses the concept of [Maximum Demonstrated Speed (MDS)](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/performance/maximum-demonstrated-speed): the highest speed that was stably achieved for a specific product on a specific machine.

The key advantage: the MDS is **product-specific**. Different products have different maximum achievable speeds. A machine-wide flat reference would lead to misleading performance values.

More details:

* [Measuring performance](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/performance/measuring-performance): Details on calculating the performance factor.
* [Maximum Demonstrated Speed](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/performance/maximum-demonstrated-speed): How the MDS is calculated and why it is the fair reference.

## Performance in OEE

The performance factor is one of the three components of the [OEE](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/understanding-oee). It is calculated per order:

$$
\text{Performance factor} = \frac{\text{Achieved speed}}{\text{MDS}}
$$

The detailed explanation with calculation examples can be found under [Performance (OEE)](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/concepts/understanding-oee/performance).

{% hint style="info" %}
How to configure performance tracking in the ENLYZE App is described under [Setting up OEE tracking](https://docs.enlyze.com/en/production-optimization/oee).
{% endhint %}