Best Practice Requires Preparation
You don’t need to be a sports fan to have heard of Muhammad Ali. His story of winning the world heavy weight championship three times is legendary.
The photo of Ali standing over a defeated Sonny Liston is one of the most famous sporting images of all time.
During his career Ali was known by various nick names, among them ‘The Louisville Lip’, because he was born in Louisville, Kentucky and he had a way with words (to say the least!).
Recently I was in Louisville, Kentucky and visited the Muhammad Ali center. (If you ever make it to Louisville this is a ‘must visit’ museum.)
One of the Ali quotes I saw at the museum resonated with me with respect to almost everything we do but, in the context of this post, also with spare parts inventory management.
Ali is reported to have said:
‘A prize fight… is won or lost… in the gym and out on the road long before I dance under the lights’.
The message is one of preparation. Understanding what you need to do to achieve your goal and doing the work required to achieve it.
You Must Start Outside the Storeroom
When companies decide it is time to improve their spare parts inventory management outcomes – whether that is to reduce the cash invested in inventory, improve spare parts availability or both – they often start inside the storeroom.
They look at the physical infrastructure and the physical management and logistics of spare parts management.
The problem is that, to continue the boxing analogy, this is what happens in the ring. This is the action that occurs, as Ali says, when you are dancing under the lights.
Achieving best practice in spare parts inventory management must always start outside of the storeroom.
Its about what you do in preparation for the daily activity.
It about ‘spending time in the gym’ – that is, training your team in the skills and know-how required.
Its about spending time ‘out on the road’ – that is, developing your decision making policies in order to provide the basis for your future success.
These are activities that appear to provide no immediate return and which many companies seem to feel that they can shortcut. But these are the actions that separate the champions from the rest.
Those that are prepared to put in the work required to achieve the results can achieve their spare parts inventory management goals.
Those who don’t will ultimately be left lying in the canvass.
Muhammad Ali, set his goal to be world champion when he was just a schoolboy and he worked hard everyday to achieve that goal. It wasn’t just natural ability or a lucky break – it was hard work that started outside the ring.
It’s the same with best practice spare parts inventory management. Achieving the goals of reduced working capital and increased availability takes work, there are no shortcuts, and it starts outside the storeroom.
You might also be interested in this article:
Spare Parts Management Process is Complex But Is It Complicated?
Author: Phillip Slater