State-Based KPI

A state-based KPI is a performance metric that is calculated and analyzed separately for specific, defined states of equipment, production lines, or processes. Instead of averaging performance across all time, a state-based KPI isolates performance during particular states, such as running, changeover, maintenance, standby, or fault.

What it is

In industrial and manufacturing environments, equipment and processes are commonly modeled in distinct states (for example: Producing, Setup, Planned Downtime, Unplanned Downtime, Starved, Blocked). A state-based KPI uses these state definitions as a filter or dimension when computing metrics.

Typical examples include:

• Yield when the line is in a “Producing” state only
• Mean time to repair (MTTR) for the “Unplanned Downtime” state
• Changeover duration KPI tied to the “Setup” or “Changeover” state
• Energy consumption per hour in “Idle” vs “Running” states

Operational meaning

In OT and MES environments, equipment state comes from machine signals, PLC tags, or manual operator inputs. State-based KPIs are then calculated in historians, MES, operations intelligence tools, or data warehouses by:

• Classifying each time segment into a discrete state
• Aggregating production, quality, or downtime data within those states
• Reporting KPIs by state, often as time-series, dashboards, or Pareto views

This approach is frequently used to refine high-level metrics such as OEE, NPT, or capacity utilization by making it clear which states are contributing to losses, variability, or nonproductive time.

What it includes and excludes

Included:

• KPIs explicitly segmented by defined machine or process states
• KPIs driven by state models from MES, SCADA, historians, or event logs
• Analysis that compares performance across different states (for example, quality in warmup vs steady-state running)

Excluded:

• Simple time-based averages that ignore state (for example, daily average throughput without state segmentation)
• Business KPIs not tied to operational state models, such as monthly revenue or total plant headcount

Common confusion

State-based KPI vs. event-based KPI: A state-based KPI is segmented by continuous states over time (for example, 14:00–14:15 in Running). An event-based KPI is calculated from discrete events (for example, individual alarms or work orders), which may or may not be tied to a state model.

State-based KPI vs. condition-based monitoring: Condition-based monitoring focuses on asset health indicators (vibration, temperature). A state-based KPI focuses on performance metrics partitioned by operational state, which can use condition data but is not limited to it.

Use in regulated and integrated environments

In regulated manufacturing, state-based KPIs are often used to distinguish between productive and nonproductive time, classify downtime reasons, and support investigations or continuous improvement. When integrated with MES, ERP, or quality systems, state-based KPIs can be correlated with batches, work orders, or material lots to understand performance in specific operational states during a given order or batch.