In a competitive industrial environment, effective technical inventory and spare parts management is a key element of effective maintenance. By ensuring that the right spare parts are always available, CMMS systems can help minimize downtime. This is especially important in industrial settings, where downtime can lead to significant financial losses. With the precise inventory data provided by a CMMS, companies can better manage their resources. This can lead to significant savings by minimizing unnecessary spare parts storage.
In this article, you will learn how CMMS (Computerized Maintenance Management Systems) can support parts management processes, ensuring optimized asset management and minimizing downtime.
Table of contents
Problems with Spare Parts Management from a Maintenance Perspective
The daily challenges of spare parts management can lead to serious problems in optimizing maintenance.
For example, the lack of categorization of parts, whether into high-speed, low-speed, or critical components, hampers decision-making due to incomplete and imprecise information. Another common problem is inaccurate or complete lack of monitoring of spare parts inventory, leaving employees without parts when needed. Without inventory information, it’s difficult to conduct detailed cost analysis, which can hinder budget planning and financial decision-making. Without data on the percentage of costs that parts represent, it’s difficult to identify areas that can be optimized to achieve cost savings.
The lack of a defined procurement procedure can also lead to inefficient spare parts management. Without clear guidelines for the ordering process, employees will order unnecessary items, leading to wasted resources. Difficulty in controlling and monitoring expenses translates into a lack of financial transparency and delivery delays due to a disorganized and chaotic process.
The lack of a clear location for parts within an organization can lead to a number of problems that impact efficiency and productivity: If employees don’t know where individual parts are located, they spend significant time searching for them, which in turn leads to delays in completing assigned tasks or resolving urgent requests.
For manufacturing companies, a shortage of essential parts due to inadequate monitoring of minimum stock levels or even a complete lack thereof can lead to production downtime. Failure to meet minimum stock levels leads to urgent orders being placed with suppliers, which often incurs higher costs. Without established minimum stock levels, a product runs out without our even noticing, leading to delays in customer deliveries.
Without established maximum stock levels, there’s a risk of excessive inventory, which can lead to wasted resources and increased warehouse maintenance costs. Excess inventory takes up valuable warehouse space that could be used for storing other everyday tools.
How does a CMMS support spare parts management processes?
CMMS systems offer a range of functions dedicated to parts management that can significantly simplify technical inventory management. Implementing the appropriate methodology and standardizing internal processes will significantly contribute to optimizing the work of maintenance within the organization.
CMMS systems easily solve problems with lack of information about spare parts availability through the use of QR codes.
A technician who retrieves a spare part for a breakdown, for example, by scanning a QR code, generates an automatic release of the part from the warehouse and standardized documentation. A similar process occurs when reserving a component for regular production inspections. Once the work is completed, the spare part is returned and billed against its current reservation. These processes, along with warehouse access via the mobile app, enable efficient inventory verification, ensuring ongoing event information and providing a snapshot of historical part usage.
A CMMS system is also an excellent solution for dealing with inventory errors. When the minimum stock level is reached, the system sends an email to the responsible person. The system generates an order for the supplier based on the recorded data, and the employee then receives confirmation of the order being sent by their supervisor. The order is then recorded along with the estimated delivery date. The final step is to accept the delivered goods into the warehouse and replenish the depleted stock.
CMMS Integration with ERP Systems
The next step in optimizing parts management is integrating a CMMS system with ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems. Integration can be understood as starting a process in one system and transferring it to another, or aligning data between systems. There are many integration methods, depending on the frequency and data being transferred.
The effects of ERP integration include cost optimization, eliminating duplicate processes, and ensuring data consistency across both systems. CMMS systems allow for the separate registration of each part, ensuring precise verification of their allocation for use. The technical department primarily works with the CMMS system, which enables process automation by separating tasks between employees, eliminating “changeovers” between the two systems.
ERP systems, as they are, effectively support warehousing processes. However, many of these processes often take place outside the system, with their status reflected in the system only at key moments – without a precise hierarchy of machines and components. Integration with a CMMS solves this problem.
How can these assumptions work in practice?
A maintenance employee is planning a repair that requires the use of several parts. After selecting the “New Request” option, the ERP system automatically generates a reservation document for materials available in the warehouse, prepares issue documentation for service purposes, and initiates the process of creating a requisition and placing a purchase order for the missing components.
Data-Based Optimization Options in a CMMS
CMMS systems offer a range of advanced features that can further support parts management processes.
One example is usage reports based on Pareto Analysis, which allow for the identification of frequently used spare parts and the implementation of appropriate management actions. This allows companies to focus their efforts on managing key parts, which can lead to significant savings.
Historically Based Inventory Modification: A CMMS system can monitor the consumption of resource parts over time, enabling trend analysis and inventory optimization. For example, if certain parts are frequently consumed during a given period, the system can suggest increasing inventory for that period.
Predictive Demand Analysis: A CMMS system can support the planning of maintenance and part replacements. It can generate automatic reminders for the need to purchase parts based on usage history and maintenance schedules. Furthermore, if a failure occurs after a maintenance that requires the use of a specific part (e.g., UHT), the system can predict that this situation may recur and suggest ordering additional parts.
Parts budget planning: A CMMS system can monitor parts usage, enabling precise budget planning. Factors such as inflation, machine utilization, and planned expansion can be taken into account.
Optimizing the ordering process based on supplier history: If a supplier has a long lead time, the CMMS system can support order planning so that orders are placed early enough, before inventory levels drop below minimum levels. The system can predict when this will occur based on historical part usage over specific periods.
Summary
In a competitive industrial environment, effective technical and spare parts inventory management is a key element of effective maintenance. With CMMS systems, companies can optimize parts management processes, minimizing machine downtime and increasing production efficiency. Integrating CMMS with ERP systems and leveraging advanced data analysis capabilities allows for even more effective resource management and reduced operating costs.
It’s worth noting that there are many other features and capabilities of CMMS systems that can further support parts management processes, such as QR code inventory and integration with production warehouse systems. However, the key to success lies in understanding the needs and requirements of a specific company and adapting the CMMS system accordingly.
