Case History: Spare Parts Strategy Success at Chemical Facility
When I joined as the Maintenance Manager, one of my first headaches was our storeroom. We had over $3.5 million in MRO inventory, but still couldn’t find the right part when we needed it. Emergency orders were routine, and my team spent more time searching than repairing. That’s when we brought in MRO Results to lead a Spare Parts Strategy exercise.
From the start, the MRO Results team impressed us. They weren’t just consultants—they were former practitioners. They didn’t overwhelm us with jargon or generic templates. Instead, they spent time with our planners, technicians, and procurement team to understand how we really operated.
They conducted a full analysis of our storeroom data, matched parts to asset criticality, and helped us clean up hundreds of duplicate and obsolete items. But what really made the difference was how they built a stocking strategy around real risk—not gut feel. They showed us how to classify spares by failure consequence, lead time, and availability, then developed stocking recommendations that balanced cost with reliability.
In just three months, we cut our inventory value by 22% without sacrificing availability. Time spent on emergency orders dropped by nearly 50%, and we finally have min/max levels that make sense. We also gained a visual dashboard that lets us track part movement and identify problem areas before they become urgent.
The biggest win? My team now trusts the storeroom again. We’re not reacting—we’re planning. Thanks to MRO Results, we’ve turned our storeroom from a liability into a competitive advantage. I’d recommend this process to any facility struggling with MRO chaos.
---Maintenance Manager
Case History: Inventory Accuracy Transformation at an Appliance Manufacturer
When we arrived at the client’s facility—an appliance manufacturer in the Midwest—their storeroom was in rough shape. They had over 13,000 stock items listed in Oracle, but almost zero confidence in the data. Parts were constantly in the wrong bins, barcoding was inconsistent or missing, and stocking decisions had been made arbitrarily over the years. Worse, the storeroom was unsecured during off-shifts, and while issue procedures were documented, they weren’t being followed consistently.
We knew right away that the foundation was there—Oracle was highly automated, issue procedures were solid, and the client had strong workflow processes on paper. But those strengths were being undermined by inconsistent practices and a lack of accountability.
We kicked off the project by benchmarking a sister facility to identify best practices. Then, we assessed the bin/row location scheme, reviewed Oracle setup, and started preparing for a physical inventory. Our team programmed scanners, validated every shelf and bin location, and produced a QR code for each of the 13,431 stock items. We added over 1,500 “new” items to Oracle and verified or created more than 1,500 bin/row labels.
A major breakthrough came when we identified over 3,500 items that had been treated as non-stock. We worked with the client to validate and convert those to stocked items. We also integrated 1,900+ items from remote and satellite locations—many of which had never been tracked properly.
Alongside the data cleanup, we trained storeroom attendants on improved workflows, implemented spot audits for verification, and helped reorganize overstock into primary bins. We created clear, written procedures for cycle counting and scanner use, making sure that improvements would last beyond the project.
The results were dramatic. Storeroom traffic and tool time dropped. Maintenance teams found parts faster using Oracle’s Endeca search. Material receiving and put-away became daily habits, not afterthoughts. In total, we added over 1,700 new items to Oracle and significantly improved data quality, organization, and accountability.
This wasn’t just an inventory project—it was a culture shift. With better processes, clear ownership, and accurate data, the client is now positioned to fully leverage Oracle’s capabilities and drive long-term reliability improvements.
---MRO Results Project Manager
Case History: Specialty Industrial Coatings Manufacturer
Where We Started
Our inventory holding costs were out of control. We were stocking parts "just in case" without any regard for criticality, usage history, or replenishment logic. Cycle counts were irregular, and most of our obsolete inventory hadn’t moved in over three years. Technicians wasted time searching for parts, and when they couldn’t find them, they’d bypass procurement altogether and buy directly from catalogs—sometimes at premium prices.
What MRO Results Did
The team from MRO Results came in and immediately earned credibility. They weren’t outsiders looking in—they understood how maintenance and procurement intersect. They started by conducting a full data cleanse and physical inventory audit. They identified duplicates, obsolete stock, and parts without valid descriptions or bin locations. They also worked closely with our Oracle CMMS to align digital records with physical reality.
They then redesigned our bin layouts, created digital lookups for faster retrieval, and retrained our storeroom team on issue procedures and best practices. They introduced structured cycle counting and helped us reset our min/max levels based on actual demand and lead time risk.
The Results
The numbers speak for themselves:
- Inventory holding costs dropped by over 20%, equating to $180,000 in annual savings. We now stock based on asset criticality and actual usage—not guesswork.
- Stockouts and emergency purchases were cut in half. Maintenance reliability improved almost immediately, and we eliminated over 100 emergency orders in the first quarter alone.
- Inventory accuracy jumped from 72% to 96% in under three months. For the first time, we could trust the data in our system.
- We reclaimed over $300,000 in obsolete inventory and freed up much-needed space on the floor.
- Wrench time improved significantly. By redesigning bin layouts and adding digital lookup tools, technicians spent less time hunting for parts and more time turning wrenches. One supervisor reported a 12% increase in crew productivity.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t just about cleaning up a storeroom—it was about building a system we can sustain and trust. MRO Results helped us move from reactive chaos to proactive control. They gave us the tools, the training, and the structure to keep improving long after the project wrapped.
I’ve been part of many supply chain initiatives in my career, but few have delivered results this fast or this meaningful. Partnering with MRO Results was a game-changer.
---Supply Chain Manager
Case History: BOM Build + Stores Rationalization - Pulp Facility
We knew our storeroom had significant issues—excess inventory, mismatched parts, and unknown criticality levels. But what we didn’t know was how much clarity and control we could gain by combining a structured BOM build with a real storeroom rationalization process.
As the Maintenance Manager, I had long struggled with PM delays and reactive maintenance caused by unclear part availability. Too often, technicians would walk into the storeroom only to find shelves full—but not with the parts we needed. Meanwhile, the Supply Room Manager was grappling with inventory that hadn't moved in years, but we were afraid to dispose of anything due to uncertainty about what it was used for.
When MRO Results came in, they started with an equipment walk down that was far more detailed than we’d ever attempted. Every machine, component, and nameplate was photographed and documented. Their team moved efficiently—around 30 machines per day—without disrupting our operations. Simultaneously, they used OEM manuals to fill in any data gaps, and we were surprised at how much accurate, critical information was uncovered that wasn’t in any of our systems.
The game-changer was the MRO software tool they used to match stored parts to equipment as soon as components were verified. Instead of waiting until the end to see results, we started seeing insights right away. By the end of the project, we had a complete, verified BOM and a mapped inventory that clearly showed which parts were used where. The “Where Used” index alone became an invaluable resource for both of our teams.
The outcome? We eliminated over 20% of slow-moving inventory, improved technician wrench time by reducing parts search delays, and finally had the confidence to invest in critical spares with real justification.
For the first time, maintenance planning is based on facts—not assumptions—and storeroom management feels like a strategic advantage instead of a cost burden.
This wasn’t just a cleanup project—it was a transformation in how we manage reliability and materials. We’re glad we worked with MRO Results and we'd do it again.
---Maintenance Manager and the Supply Chain Manager
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