The part is in the system — but nowhere to be foundA critical machine goes down. The part you need shows as available in the system — but it isn't there. Or worse: it was never there. Production halted. Emergency order. Tens of thousands of dollars in losses.
This is the daily reality in too many maintenance departments: millions tied up in spare parts inventory, with low stock accuracy. Technicians spending an hour a day searching. Hundreds of suppliers each bringing their own administrative burden.
This book shows you how to change that.
Follow the transformationFollow Robert Walsh, the new spare parts manager at MakeTech Industries, who is given the task of bringing order to the inventory chaos. Together with his team, he transforms not just the storeroom, but the entire way the company manages spare parts — from first crisis to final presentation to the board.
What makes this book differentUnlike dry theoretical handbooks, this book uses a narrative that shows you
how to approach the transformation, step by step. The methodology is based on decades of consultancy experience — not theory that might work, but a systematic approach that has delivered results in dozens of organizations.
What you will learn- Categorization — classify parts into four types: risk components, exchange parts, overhaul parts, and free issue stock, each with its own management strategy
- Cost comparison — apply capital costs, storeroom costs, and critical failure probability to make the right stocking decisions
- Calculation tools — ABC analysis, EOQ calculations, and Poisson distribution for irregular failures
- Storeroom transformation — reorganize physical space into structured zones with clear layout principles
- Process optimization — receiving, issue, inventory control, and FIFO for limited shelf life parts
- Purchasing strategy — category purchasing, vendor managed inventory, and specialized procurement for custom components
Who is this book for?- Maintenance managers who want to stop firefighting
- Reliability engineers managing risk systematically
- Storeroom managers who want to bring structure to chaos
- Purchasers who want to work more strategically
- Asset managers looking to optimize capital tied up in inventory
Why act now?Every day your spare parts management stays chaotic, it costs money. Missed production, emergency orders, frustration on the shop floor, capital sitting idle. This book shows that transformation is possible — not in years, but in months.
Part of a larger wholeThis is the sixth volume of The Reliability Framework, a nine-book series covering maintenance and reliability. Each book covers one subject systematically and in depth.
About the authorMartin Van den Hout has 35 years of experience in maintenance, reliability, and asset management, including 24 years as a consultant. This hands-on experience forms the foundation of a series that shows how methodology works in the real world.
