Solve. Achieve. Sustain.
Assessing Your Storeroom
The first step to improving the spare parts and storeroom process
Knowing what the best practices are in a storeroom or spare parts management process is not enough. The best practices need to implemented, and typically it can’t just be implemented right away. The level of resources, the ability of people to change all prevents the immediate implementation. In addition, not every organization will be at the same starting point or want to go to the same level of maturity. This is where an assessment comes in.
An assessment is defined as “the […]
Optimizing Your Storeroom
Using a Kaizen Approach to Improve Your Storeroom
game plan
No storeroom is perfect, well at least of those I have seen. The process of improving is never ending. A common term for this process of continuous improvement is Kaizen. The Kaizen activity is often seen on the plant floor, either the form of a blitz, in which a tremendous amount of resources are thrown at an issue or an area. The other is a systematic approach, in which a small amount of improvement is achieved each day.
These same approaches can be […]
The Inner Workings of a Storeroom
What Processes are Required to Make Your Storeroom Run Smoothly
If you have invested the time to layout the storeroom correctly, and gather the right data, you are on the right track to a successful storeroom. However, if you don’t take the time to map the various processes in the storeroom, and hold staff to those processes, the work is done so far will be a waste.
When processes are mapped and responsibilities defined, the staff know who does what when. This eliminates unnecessary communication and work, enabling more time to do what is required. […]
Developing a Stocking Strategy
A Risk-Based Approach to Spares Management
- No access control
- Stocking 2 years worth of electrical boxes
- No naming system for parts
- A kitting shelf with parts received 3 years ago
- Parts in stock from equipment that was removed 8 years prior
- V-belts dry rotted on the shelf, corroded valves, and bearings out of their packaging
- Anyone could stock a part in the control room
Does this sound familiar? Unfortunately, it is all too common in […]
The Importance of Master Data in Spare Parts Management
Enabling Storeroom Success Through Data
How often does your facility run out of raw materials? Chances are it is not very often, if ever. Why is this? It may be because the organization has invested heavily in gathering the right data, analyzing and developing contracts for the materials. This prior work ensures a steady supply of materials.
So why is it that within the same organization there is virtually no data to support the spare parts? Not having a spare part can dramatically impact an organization in the same way as not having raw […]
The Storeroom Layout: Setting Up Yourself For Success
Proper Storeroom Layout Will Enable Long-Term Success
You begin your day by looking for a part in the storeroom. You are looking for a common bearing used on multiple pieces of equipment on the site. You look up the part in the CMMS and it does not have a bin number associated with it. You walk into the storeroom and beginning going through the “bearing section”. Only the bearing is not there. You wander over the equipment section and find it buried in the equipment specific drawer, but you know that […]
Storeroom & Spare Parts Management
Unlocking the Hidden Cash Flow in Your Organization
Imagine not have the right spare parts to make a repair, or maybe you don’t have to imagine it. It has already happened. Now imagine having to go through the storeroom and throw out $300,000 worth of parts because they were obsolete. Once again, you may not have to imagine it.
These two scenarios play out every day in storerooms across the world. It is an unfortunate situation as the organization is not getting the value from the upfront capital of the spare parts or […]
Professional Development & Growth
The key to growing your knowledge and career
To increase your knowledge, you need to learn new things, try new things and generally push outside of your comfort zone. One of the key components of growing your knowledge is knowing what is new and happening in Maintenance, Reliability, and Asset Management.
I recently had the privilege to attend and present two papers at the Society of Maintenance & Reliability Professional’s 2016 Annual Conference in Jacksonville. This premier event was 5 days long. The conference had 3 Days of workshops and […]
Standardize Your Maintenance & Reliability Program
Utilizing Recognized Standards in Your Maintenance & Reliability Program
Imagine being able to easily share information across sites or even organizations. Or how about utilizing a risk management framework that is recognized and agreed upon by all in the organization. Benchmarking made easy? Standards enable this.
Why is it organizations spend countless hours developing a framework, templates, and a procedure for a routine activity? It provides standardization, and in turn reduces costs. What if we could have those same benefits, without all of the hours invested up front?
This is a reality, and it involves […]
Standards? We Don’t Need No Stinking Standards
How Your Organization Can Benefit from Standardization
Imagine if every day you had to relearn a process or use a different CMMS. Chances are you would get virtually nothing accomplished, leaving your plant operating poorly. Now we all know that we having to relearn a process every day or using a new CMMS is not practical nor is it rooted in reality (not to be confused with the Rooted in Reliability podcast). But this type of thing happens more often than you may think.
When people change positions in an organization, the […]