SparePartsKnowHow.com exists to help people make better spare parts decisions.
Spare parts inventory management is different from standard inventory management. Demand is often uncertain, lead times can be long, the cost of failure can be high, and the right decision is not always obvious from the data alone.
That is why SparePartsKnowHow.com focuses on practical decision support, structured learning, and proven spare parts management know-how — so that individuals and teams can improve availability, reduce excess inventory, and make decisions with greater confidence.
Since 2011, we have provided specialist training, resources, tools, and advisory support for people working with maintenance, repair, and operations spare parts. Our content is used by asset-intensive companies that depend on spare parts availability to support maintenance performance and continuity of operations.
Our work is built around a simple idea:
Better spare parts outcomes come from better spare parts decisions.
SparePartsKnowHow.com is not a generic inventory training site.
Our resources are designed specifically for the realities of MRO and engineering spare parts, including:
• deciding which parts to stock
• understanding criticality
• setting appropriate inventory levels
• reducing excess and obsolete inventory
• improving spare parts policies and governance
• aligning maintenance, procurement, stores, engineering, finance, and planning
• using tools, data, and software more effectively
The site includes structured Playbooks, practical tools, specialist reports, articles, videos, and advisory options that help people move from general awareness to more confident decision-making.
You can use the content in two ways:
You can follow a structured pathway to build capability over time.
Or you can go directly to the question, issue, or decision you need to address right now.
The content at SparePartsKnowHow.com is organized around the Spare Parts Capability Framework.
The Framework helps users understand where they are, what kind of capability they need to build, and which resources are most relevant to their current spare parts management challenge.
It recognizes that different users need different levels of support.
Some people need a practical introduction to the fundamentals.
Some need operational guidance on topics such as optimization, policy, data, and process improvement.
Others need deeper resources, decision tools, and practitioner-level support.
The goal is not simply to complete “training”. The goal is to build the capability to make better spare parts decisions.
Specialist Focus
SparePartsKnowHow.com is dedicated to spare parts inventory management.
This matters because spare parts are not the same as production inventory, retail inventory, or general stock control. The decisions are different, the risks are different, and the consequences of getting it wrong can be significant.
Practical Application
The content is designed for real-world use.
The emphasis is on practical frameworks, decision logic, tools, examples, and plain-language explanations that can be applied in day-to-day spare parts management.
Flexible Access
You can use SparePartsKnowHow.com as a structured learning pathway, a decision-support resource, or a reference library.
Some users start with the Open Archive. Others join a Playbook to build capability in a specific area. Teams may use the Foundations content to establish common language and alignment across functions.
Breadth of Resources
SparePartsKnowHow.com includes hundreds of specialist resources developed over many years, including articles, videos, reports, templates, tools, and structured learning content.
The content covers the full spare parts management lifecycle — from stocking decisions through to optimization, policy, governance, obsolescence, and disposal.
The Founder of SparePartsKnowHow.com is Phillip Slater, a global leader and consultant on engineering spare parts inventory management and optimization. Phillip has 40 years experience, has worked in a wide range of industries in 38 countries, and is the author of nine books. Phillip also developed the Spare Parts Inventory Management University Certificate program at the University of Kansas.
2012 Winner of the Kim Rothwell Leadership in Logistics Education Award from the Logistics Association of Australia
2017 Business Innovator Award winner from Corporate Vision Magazine
2012 Winner of the Kim Rothwell Leadership in Logistics Education Award from the Logistics Association of Australia
2017 Business Innovator Award winner from Corporate Vision Magazine
In addition, SparePartsKnowHow.com is an approved training partner with the Reliability and Maintainability Center at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
SparePartsKnowHow.com is used by people and teams involved in spare parts management across asset-intensive industries.
This includes people working in:
• procurement
• supply chain
• storerooms and warehouses
• maintenance
• engineering
• planning
• reliability
• finance
• inventory management
• asset management
Our training and resources have been used by hundreds of companies and by people in more than 40 countries.
The common thread is not job title.
The common thread is responsibility for better spare parts outcomes.
Your material and presentation is very clear and easy to understand and I have learned so much. I wasn’t trained to manage an inventory but have grown into this position.
Your material and presentation is very clear and easy to understand and I have learned so much. I wasn’t trained to manage an inventory but have grown into this position.
Denise Garner
Haarslev
There is material here that you won’t find anywhere else. If you are involved in spare parts and materials for operations and maintenance you would be mad not to take advantage of this resource.
There is material here that you won’t find anywhere else. If you are involved in spare parts and materials for operations and maintenance you would be mad not to take advantage of this resource.
Adrian Hanrahan
Spare Parts Management Specialist in Oil & Gas
The online training program helped my team to better understand the complexities of spare parts management, the application of policies, and the importance of maintenance engagement.
The online training program helped my team to better understand the complexities of spare parts management, the application of policies, and the importance of maintenance engagement.
Askar Andirov
Karachaganak Petroleum
I predict that our stock reduction will be about 30% but the absolute figure is less interesting than the confidence that I have now that the stock that remains is moving and necessary in the current situation.
I predict that our stock reduction will be about 30% but the absolute figure is less interesting than the confidence that I have now that the stock that remains is moving and necessary in the current situation.
Andre Randsdorp
RIOR BV/Rioned
SparePartsKnowHow.com is designed so that you can start with the level of support that matches your current need.
Explore the Open Archive if you want immediate access to specialist articles and videos.
Use the Foundations Playbook if you need a structured introduction to the key ideas that underpin effective spare parts management.
Use the more advanced Playbooks and resources when you need to address operational issues such as optimization, criticality, policy, data, or obsolescence.
Use Practitioner access when you need deeper tools, resources, and decision support.
For teams, Foundations for Teams provides a practical way to build common language, shared understanding, and better cross-functional alignment.
The aim is simple: better decisions, better availability, less waste.