The Client
Specializing in producing oriented strand board (OSB) panels and lumber, Arbec Forest Products Inc. is a recognized leader in North America’s wood product manufacturing industry. Driven by a dedication to quality and environmentally friendly products, the company serves a growing list of distributors, manufacturers, and contractors across Canada and the Northeastern United States.
With a workforce of over 600 employees operating across three plants in Quebec and New Brunswick, Arbec thrives in a competitive market. And the company’s focus on production efficiency and environmental stewardship ensures its products consistently meet the highest standards while upholding its commitment to sustainable practices.
The Challenge
Arbec operates around the clock, running two 12-hour shifts across three plants every day of the year. Maintaining this production level without compromising efficiency or quality requires consistent performance monitoring, proactive maintenance, and data-driven decision-making.
In 2024, under new leadership, Arbec launched a strategic plan emphasizing a more structured approach to plant management, with Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) as a key production metric. As Vice President of Asset Management and Continuous Improvement, Stephane Roberge leads the initiative, focusing on equipment reliability - critical to optimizing production.
While the plan included tracking key metrics across categories such as health and safety, HR, and more, the ability to measure, quantify, and improve OEE, and justify line downtime, remained the top priority. Yet, as Roberge explained, despite OEE’s critical role in measuring efficiency, the company lacked a system to capture this data effectively.
It was clear that a unified system was needed for measuring OEE, reducing downtime, and improving equipment reliability.
“Ultimately, what matters for us is whether the line is running or not, at what speed, and the output we’re seeing,” he said. “We also needed consistent, comparable data across all facilities. Data that could serve as a benchmark.”
Recognizing its strategic value, Roberge prioritized finding production monitoring software that would give him and his team the right insights to drive measurable improvements.
The Solution
Roberge was introduced to Worximity’s OEE software solution through a friend who had prior experience using the platform. After researching the market, it quickly became clear that Worximity provided the right solution.
“I liked the software from the start. Its user interface was exactly what I was looking for - simple, intuitive, and uncluttered. Other things that stood out were its ability to seamlessly collect data, and easy access to analytics.”
While the software seemed to check all the boxes, Roberge wanted to be fully confident in the solution and the company behind it. Worximity’s 30-day proof-of-concept enabled the system to be tested in Arbec’s unique manufacturing environment, before committing to full-scale implementation.
A pilot plant was selected, and a comprehensive evaluation was performed focused on usability, connectivity, and system reliability.
“We wanted to ensure that the connection would hold up 24/7. The system was connected to our equipment PLC to read machine data. Communication throughout the process was smooth, and the software fully met our expectations.”
The proof-of-concept not only validated the software but also uncovered additional needs that Worximity is actively working to implement, making it a truly comprehensive engagement.
“We had two primary goals,” explained Roberge. “The first was to standardize OEE measurement across three plants with an intuitive and easy-to-read interface. The second was to capture and analyze downtime causes. The proof of concept validated the software's ability to meet both objectives. Just as important, it helped to confirm that Worximity was the type of partner we were looking for.”
Satisfied that Worximity aligned with the company’s goal of systematically measuring and improving OEE, Arbec moved forward with implementation.
Results
Currently in its early implementation stages, Worixmity is helping Arbec standardize OEE measurement across its three plants with the ultimate goal of working towards improvement.
“Having the information from all our sites at our fingertips is a big advantage. We chose Worximity’s solution to improve our OEE—to measure it effectively and drive real improvements. Having the right tools for proper analysis will help us take the right actions, avoid working on the wrong things, and focus on the best opportunities. That’s the strength of Worximity."
Confidence is crucial when making any investment. Worximity’s approach to connecting a shop floor always starts with an onsite assessment followed by a proof-of-concept to provide users with an experience that delivers clarity, validation, and a clear path to success.
See what Worximity can do for you.
Contact us to learn more about Worximity’s real-time production monitoring software and schedule your onsite visit.
