The Challenge
increase in OEE
day to get Guidewheel implemented
operators added based on data-driven staffing decisions
“With Guidewheel, we've been able to use the same assets and create more output."
- Mike Cavell, VP of Operations
Weatherables is a leading U.S. manufacturer of premium vinyl fencing, railing, and outdoor living products, headquartered in Groveport, Ohio. With a growing footprint and high-volume extrusion operation, Weatherables focuses on delivering quality, speed, and durability at scale. The extrusion department operates four lines and recently expanded into a new building to double its production capacity.
When Weatherables brought extrusion in-house for the first time, operational visibility quickly emerged as a bottleneck. Extrusion Manager Jeff Vones and VP of Operations Mike Cavell were tasked with scaling production while meeting aggressive targets.
Before Guidewheel:
- Runtime was tracked manually
- Maintenance was largely reactive
- Operators hesitated to report issues during off-hours
- Staffing decisions were based on instinct
- Overnight downtime often went unnoticed until the following day
“It was completely a gut feeling. We really just had to run off of what we were being told, and we’re not here 24/7.” - Mike Cavell
Weatherables needed real, timely visibility into their operations to unlock the full potential of their extrusion lines.
The Solution: Guidewheel’s FactoryOps Platform
To gain visibility and take control of downtime, Weatherables turned to Guidewheel, and the benefits began almost immediately. Within the first week, Guidewheel was already surfacing insights that improved overnight performance, highlighted needed process changes, and helped uncover root causes of recurring issues.
“Getting Guidewheel up and running was incredibly easy. We had it up and running in less than a day. I quickly realized there were some pretty significant changes that I had to make in order to keep things going through the night.” — Jeff Vones
With Guidewheel in place:
- Jeff receives real-time alerts when a line goes down, eliminating overnight blind spots.
- Operators tag downtime causes live, giving the team accurate and actionable data to understand stops.
- Supervisors walk into each shift with full context, improving communication and response speed.
- Leadership checks efficiency and runtime daily, enabling them to remove barriers and make informed decisions.
“I check Guidewheel daily for operational runtime. It really helps me become a dedicated team player and help my team get down any barriers that may be keeping them from being able to keep the lines running.” - Mike Cavell
Guidewheel didn’t just provide data. It created clarity, sped up decision-making, and established an operational rhythm that aligned the entire team around performance.
The Results: How Weatherables Improved OEE by 12%
Weatherables achieved an impressive 12% improvement in OEE through data-driven decisions, proactive maintenance, and targeted staffing changes.
Here’s how they did it:
1. Faster Response Times Keeping Lines Running Longer
Guidewheel significantly reduced the time between a line stopping and the team taking action. Before, if a line went down overnight, the issue might not be discovered until the next morning. With real-time alerts and live tagging, the team responds immediately.
“If a line goes down at 3 AM, I get an alert telling me exactly which piece of equipment is down. Operators can tag the reason right there, take the line down faster, fix the item, and get it fired back up real quick.” — Jeff Vones
This helped Weatherables:
- Reduce unplanned downtime
- Speed up root-cause identification
- Keep lines running more consistently
- Improve output across all shifts
2. Reducing Slowdowns Caused by a Recurring Issue
Guidewheel’s data revealed that one production line experienced far more interruptions and slow-running periods than the others, despite producing the same products.
By comparing this line to one that consistently ran smoothly, the team identified the root cause: friction and heat buildup in part of the loading system. Material was catching and degrading, leading to slowdowns, operator interventions, and occasional stops.
With these insights, Weatherables was able to:
- Reroute the loading system to eliminate friction points
- Add targeted maintenance to prevent material hang-ups
- Standardize the more efficient line’s configuration across all lines
Eliminating these micro-stops and slowdowns had a meaningful impact on throughput and OEE.
3. Data-Backed Staffing Decisions
Guidewheel revealed how much runtime was being lost when the lines were short staffed. With clear data in hand, Jeff successfully secured approval to hire four new operators.
The result:
- Better shift coverage
- Less strain on existing staff
- More runtime across lines
- Higher output ahead of peak season
“With Guidewheel, I was able to show exactly how much runtime we were losing because we didn’t have enough staff, which let me get budget approved for more operators sooner.” — Jeff Vones
4. Moving From Reactive to Proactive Maintenance
Before Guidewheel, the team often ran equipment until failure. Now, runtime data and downtime trends help them plan maintenance before problems escalate.
“Typically, we used to just run the equipment until something broke. Now, we're able to anticipate these problems, get our maintenance team in there, get the items repaired ahead of time, which significantly increased our output.” — Jeff Vones
This shift helped prevent costly, unexpected breakdowns, and gave the team more predictable, optimized production schedules.
What’s Next
Weatherables plans to continue expanding Guidewheel across its newly doubled footprint, integrate scrap tracking directly into the platform, and refine KPIs as their production environment grows.
“I would honestly say I didn't expect to use it as often as I do. Guidewheel gives us the visibility we really need to improve uptime, make smarter decisions, and empower our team.” - Mike Cavell
