Subject Area: Spare Parts Inventory Decision Support Platform
What problem are you trying to solve?
If you’re relying on ‘standard’ supply chain and inventory management tools and techniques for your spare parts, you are on the wrong path.
Most inventory training is built around retail, wholesale, or production stock. But spare parts inventory has different demand patterns, different risks, different financial pressures, and different consequences when the wrong decision is made.
That is why we built SparePartsKnowHow: to help individuals and teams build the capability to make better spare parts decisions — what to stock, how many to hold, which parts are critical, how to reduce excess, and how to build the systems and capability needed for sustainable improvement.
Spare parts inventory performance is determined by a series of connected decisions.
What should be stocked? How many should be held? Which parts are critical? What can be reduced safely? What policies, systems, and practices are needed to make those decisions consistently?
The Spare Parts Decision Framework shows how these decisions fit together — from understanding why spare parts are different, through to operational control, optimization, risk management, and long-term capability development.
tools, resources, and support available through SparePartsKnowHow.com.
| How do I know which spare parts to stock? Deciding which spare parts to stock is one of your most important decisions — and one of the easiest to get wrong. Explore this question >>> |
How do we calculate the Re-Order Point Too high ties up cash. Too low increases downtime risk. The decision needs structure. Explore this question >>> |
| How do we determine spare parts criticality? Learn why criticality is about consequence and availability, not just price or usage. Explore this question >>> |
How do we manage obsolete inventory? Obsolescence usually starts with early decisions, not with the stocktake that reveals it. Explore this question >>> |
| How do I optimize spare parts inventory? Optimization should focus on process not just numbers. Explore this question >>> |
What should be in a spare parts stocking policy? Clarify the rules that turn good intentions into consistent decisions. Explore this question >>> |
Whether you are new to spare parts management, responsible for improving current practices, or leading a team that needs a common language and decision framework, the content at SparePartsKnowHow.com is organised to help you move forward.
You do not need to guess which course, article, tool, or resource applies to you.
The site is structured around practical capability levels — so you can start with the basics, go deeper where needed, and access more advanced decision support when your role or goals require it.
Try our Pathway Selection Tool to find where you should start. Try Our Pathway Selection Tool
Jozef Ferenc
Lear Corporation
Pieter Janssens
Longveld
Sondra Carroll
Shaw Industries Group
Probin Konwar
QAFCO
“Achieving your spare parts management goals requires specific process and decision-making skills. You can either adopt these and improve, or stay where you are.”
SparePartsKnowHow.com was founded by Phillip Slater, a spare parts management specialist, with 40 years’ experience and a career-long focus on improving business performance. Phillip is a consultant, author, trainer, and conference speaker. Read more about Phillip…