The Roles & Responsibilities of the Storeroom Manager

8098903775_24e7f2c195_oThe storeroom manager has the responsibility of ensuring the right parts, in the right quantity, at the right time are available.  But what if they are pre-occupied with other tasks to properly manage the storeroom?  It increases costs, delays work and increases Mean Time to Repair.  This series continues with the storeroom manager.   With the storeroom manager clear on their roles and responsibilities, the storeroom can operate efficiently and accurately.

If you followed the steps in first post of the series, and have reviewed the Maintenance Manager , the Planner / Scheduler, and Maintenance Supervisor, you will be a good spot.  The site should be coming around and everyone getting some relief from the chaos that is present without roles & responsibilities.  This post takes the next step of breaking down the individual role of the Storeroom Manager to help you on that journey.

Just to make sure everyone remains clear, I want to make sure everyone understands the difference between Roles and Responsibilities.

  • Role: The role defines the high level expectations of the functional role.  This usually consists of a few statements describing the main purpose of the position.
  • Responsibilities: Defining what specific actions or processes that the role is expected to execute to ensure that they are able to achieve the role definition.

Now we can take a look at the Storeroom Manager in detail.

What Is the Role of the Storeroom Manager?

We all know that the Storeroom’s job is to stock and store the parts required for the maintenance department, but what does that actually mean?  Does it include going to Home Depot to get parts, or never leaving the storeroom?  Neither is right, but neither is wrong.  The storeroom manager has the role of stocking the right parts, without driving excess costs and balancing the risk to the site.  So what specifically do they need to do?

  • Ensure the site has the right parts in the right quantity
  • Ensure the storeroom and it’s processes are run effectively to reduce risk to the site

​Sound simple enough, but as you we all know, there are many sub tasks that all feed into these three items.

What are the Responsibilities of the Storeroom Manager?

Now on to the responsibilities.  These are the specific actions that the Storeroom Manager has to complete to ensure they fill their role.  This include, but are not limited to;

  • Develop and maintain BOMs
  • Maintain required levels of materials on site
  • Manage all storeroom related processes
  • Maintain a clean and organized storeroom
  • Maintain material masters
  • Coordinate with the Planner

We all know that the Storeroom Manager does more than just this, but most activities should revolve around these core responsibilities.

How Do You Measure the Performance of the Storeroom Manager?

Lastly, how is the Storeroom Manager measured on their performance?  Typically a few well balanced KPIs should be selected for each of the following areas;

  • Inventory Stock Turns
  • Inventory Accuracy
  • % Jobs Kitted
  • % Inactive Stock

With KPIs selected for each of these areas, the Storeroom Manager can quickly see how well he is doing and where there may be a need for more focus.

Does your Storeroom Manager know their roles, responsibilities and accountabilities?  Is it broken down like this, or is there just a job description?  When the clarity of roles and responsibilities is provided, the individual and team can make huge strides forward in their performance.  Both as an individual and as a team

Remember, to find success, you must first solve the problem, then achieve the implementation of the solution, and finally sustain winning results.

I’m James Kovacevic
Eruditio, LLC
Where Education Meets Application