Successful inventory management involves a lot of careful balance, especially when it comes to critical spares. On the one hand, keeping too many component parts on hand can be expensive, both in terms of money and space. Most operations can’t afford to keep a back-up of every part they’ll ever need in the warehouse.
On the other hand, if you don’t have critical parts in stock, you’ll experience unplanned downtime or safety hazards. You can’t afford to stop production every time a key part wears out, especially considering the reality of today’s supply chain issues.
So, how can you decide which asset components to keep in stock? We’ll talk about how to assess the criticality of spare parts. We’ll also talk about how that ties in to a more proactive maintenance strategy.
What Are Critical Spares?
Critical spares are the components that your operation needs in order to stay up and running. Without these parts, your production line will break down and you won’t be able to meet deadlines or deliver products.
Most of the time, that means the components that keep your key production equipment running. But your maintenance tools are also critical, in many cases. Critical spares also include any important parts that are custom-made or that take a long time to ship.
Ask yourself: if a particular part fails, how quickly will you need to replace it? If the answer is, “right away,” then it’s a critical part.
On the other hand, if you can manage just fine without it for a while, then it’s not critical.
You may also want to think about how often you use a particular asset. If you rely on some of your equipment every day, then it’s probably critical, even if it isn’t part of your production line.
Talk to your teams and get their views on which equipment is most important. That’s the first step to carrying out an asset criticality assessment.
Performing an Asset Criticality Assessment
Typically, your teams will all have different ideas of which parts are most critical. If you haven’t already done an asset criticality assessment, you should run one now. Talk to everyone involved and get detailed reporting on the assets which they identify as critical. A Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) software is also a valuable tool in assessing asset criticality.
Once you’ve determined which assets are most important to your operation, it’s a matter of making sure that you keep critical parts in stock.
What Are the Benefits of Critical Spares?
Keeping critical spares on hand means you’ll see a drastic reduction in unplanned downtime. You won’t be caught off-guard when a motor suddenly stops running, or when a fan breaks down, because you’ll have a backup part in your store room. You’ll keep your plant running for longer.
You’ll also probably pay lower shipping costs, and you may even pay less for each spare part. Planning ahead means you’ll avoid rush shipping costs and you’ll be able to look around for the best prices available.
Of course, figuring out which spares are critical can also help you to make better use of your storage space. Once you determine which parts are critical, you can probably eliminate a lot of the non-critical parts from your warehouses. That means that your storage spaces will be leaner, better organized, and easier to navigate.
Critical Spares and Proactive Maintenance
A proactive maintenance strategy can help ensure that you always have the critical spares you need in stock. Proactive maintenance means staying a few steps ahead of equipment failure by keeping tabs on your asset health. If you monitor your assets for early signs of defects, you’ll always know ahead of time when a part needs to be replaced or repaired.
This can be as simple as having your crews carry out route-based vibration monitoring on a regular basis. Changes in vibration patterns can indicate new machine faults. The sooner you discover those faults, the sooner you can order the parts you need to fix them.
You could also start building a vibration monitoring system using wireless vibration monitors and a CMMS. Vibration monitors collect vibration data on a continuous basis, so that you never miss any key information. And your CMMS can be configured to automatically create a work order whenever the vibration levels exceed your parameters.
Working with the Experts
Shifting to a proactive maintenance approach can do wonders for your whole operation. It can make inventory management much easier, especially when it comes to critical spares and determining asset criticality. But making this shift isn’t always easy. If you’re operating with a lean workforce, it can pose special challenges.
Fluke Reliability’s team of experts is available to help your operation with anything and everything related to proactive maintenance. We can help you set up and maintain a vibration monitoring program. Our experts can either provide a one-time consultation or long-term monitoring assistance. Whatever support you need, it’s available.
Ultimately, shifting your maintenance and inventory approach can increase uptime, boost productivity, and decrease unplanned downtime.