One of the great ongoing debates between maintenance and spare parts management is the definition and treatment of critical spare parts.
However, the debate is not what’s important.
What’s important is the decision-making that results from the classification and what else needs to be considered.
This means that determining a spare part’s criticality MUST include an assessment of the failure modes for that part AND if that failure can be predicted AND if the part can be sourced before it is needed.
It is not just that the part is critical to the operation of the machine.
Here is an everyday example.
The wheels and tires for my car are critical to the operation of the vehicle. I keep a spare tire because a major failure mode is a puncture. It is both catastrophic and unpredictable. Another failure mode is wear-out but that’s not why I keep a spare.
Similarly, brake pads are critical to the operation of the vehicle. However, I don’t hold spare brake pads as the main failure mode is wear-out. This is measurable and predictable. Plus, I can buy new brake pads at very short notice.
So, the issue isn’t just criticality, it is more nuanced than that.
This is why a critical machine part is not the same as a critical spare part.
The goal of this course is to teach you the absolute ‘must know’ information, tools, and techniques required for effective spare parts management.
These are simple, effective, step-by-step strategies and tools to help you make better decisions and generate improvements in spare parts management.
This course provides the fundamental know-how for people who are engaged in spare parts inventory management on a day-to-day basis.
