10 Questions to Consider When Organizing Your Storeroom

Sometimes, the smallest details make the biggest difference. Grabbing the wrong bearing from the shelf could be the cause of a breakdown. A single wrong part could cause a huge delay in production and a big dent in the bottom line. And most of these avoidable mistakes start in the storeroom.

That’s why we’re taking a look at 10 questions you need to answer to manage a world-class storeroom and help your entire operation be more efficient, cost-effective, and safe.

---

10 Questions to Consider When Organizing Your Spare Parts:

1. What is the weight capacity needed for racking in the parts room?
2. Which parts are critical and will they be stored differently?
3. Will parts be stored up high?
4. Is there a safe process for retrieving parts?
5. Are certain parts sensitive to heat or other elements?
6. Are there any duplicated spare parts that are used across multiple locations?
7. Is a vendor-managed system being used to track smaller parts (bolts, fuses, etc.)? 
8. What is the minimum amount of stock required?
9. What is the maximum amount of stock required?
10. Is there a standard make and/or model for any parts (example, all controls are from a certain vendor)? 

The answers to all these questions will help you create a plan for a more organized storeroom. And that extends beyond just finding parts faster (although that’s a huge plus).

For example, the answer to question #2 (Which parts are critical and will they be stored differently?) can help you avoid overspending on parts or paying to fix a machine more than it needs. If you discover you’re storing critical parts in less than favorable conditions, they can become obsolete quicker. Or if you’re not making critical parts easy to grab in emergencies, it increases the likelihood that the most accessible part will be used instead of the right one, which could lead to all sorts of messiness.

To help you turn your findings into an action plan, we’ve outlined the pros and cons of different ways to organize your parts.

The Different Ways to Organize Your Storeroom

Each facility organizes its storeroom differently. But whatever your preference, it’s hard to go wrong as long as you keep your spare parts accessible, easy to find, and free of wear and tear. While there are dozens of ways to organize your space, we’ve highlighted two popular approaches below.

Organizing parts by asset type

This method categorizes spare parts based on the asset they are associated with. This strategy has several advantages.

• Making it easier to get parts for planned maintenance
• Assembling kits for major rebuilds
• Finding the right part for an asset when emergency maintenance strikes

There is one major downside to this method: duplication. According to this method, if the same part is used on more than one piece of equipment, it must be stored in multiple locations, racking up additional costs and requiring more storage space.

Organizing by type

This method categorizes inventory based on the type of part. For example, all of your bearings would be in the same location, as would all of your pumps, and so on. This method’s advantages include:

• Being good for troubleshooting when you don’t have enough of one part and need a short-term solution
• Allowing you to see how many motors, gearboxes, variable frequency drives, and other parts you have that carry a significant cost

One problem with this method is the misidentification of parts. If you are in a rush and need a very specific part, it can be easy to gloss over the description and grab the wrong one.

Tip of the Day

A quick guide to achieving clarity and setting clear roles on your next maintenance project using the RACI framework model.

1. R(esponsible): These are the people doing the work. Make sure they understand what needs to be done and why. They should also have access to any resources that will help them complete the job.
2. A(ccountable): This is the person making the decisions and is in charge of the results. There should be only one person in this role, to create focus and streamline the approval process.
3. C(onsulted): These people are part of the decision making, quality assurance and execution process. They have a say in the project and may also be experts in that areas of business.
4. I(nformed) These people are the ones that will be updated on any decisions and actions during the project. They’re usually senior leaders, and give final approval.

---

 

Article Source: Rockwell Automation