MRO Inventory Management

[RobertS]

I know most of us on here are probably too small to really worry about this, I'm attached to a brewery large enough that we are and I've been tasked with sorting out our non-production inventory. I've been cataloging everything we have and reading up on Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (the MRO in the title) inventory management but the examples aren't as helpful as I would like. I don't feel we're large enough to purchase a software suite to handle the thinking part, we're DEFINITELY not large or focused enough in our needs to have a vendor contract, and 'centrally located storage' is a funny way to put 'the back corner of the mezzanine'.

Does anyone here have a manual spare parts management system they're happy with? How do you keep usage records straight with more than a few users? Did you manage to sell the idea to your whole staff, or does someone need to go through regularly and see what's missing?

For a little leg up on people who (like me a month ago) haven't even heard of MRO, here are some articles I've found helpful.

http://www.supplychain247.com/article/five_basic_practices_that_can_quickly_close_the_gap_with_mro_inventory/inventory

https://www.idcon.com/resource-library/articles/best-practices/1059-storeroom-spare-parts-what-good-looks-like.html

https://www.lce.com/Changing-the-Storeroom-Culture-to-Best-Practice-Performance-1292.html

[Tom Lenerz]

I've been interested in trying to centralize and standardize MRO and incorporate a comprehensive preventive maintenance schedule, so I'd love to hear more about what you learn and do. How many employees do you have using items from MRO? Do you have a preventative schedule? 

[RobertS]

We have less than twenty people, any of which might touch MRO. About ten actually do more than once a year and about six actually use it regularly. Maintenance schedules are spread out across about a dozen manuals right now, compiling those is part of the project.

 

Edit: Apparently 'about' is my word of the day.