The Fluke research found that 83% of UK manufacturers surveyed had experienced maintenance delays because parts were unavailable or subject to long lead times. At the same time, an average of 22% of their spare-parts inventory was already obsolete.
You can have a large stock of spare parts and still experience downtime because the specific component required is unavailable.
It sounds contradictory, but it is a reality for some asset-intensive operations: having plenty of inventory does not necessarily mean having the right spare part when an asset fails.
Findings from a Fluke Corporation Study
A study recently released by Fluke Corporation highlights this paradox. The Fluke research found that 83% of UK manufacturers surveyed had experienced maintenance delays because parts were unavailable or subject to long lead times. At the same time, an average of 22% of their spare-parts inventory was already obsolete.
Fluke’s findings echo an issue highlighted by SAP in an article previously published by Machinery Maintenance Matters. The article stated that organisations can hold significant quantities of spare parts while still being exposed to shortages, long lead times and unnecessary downtime.
Pertinent Question for African manufacturers
The findings raise a pertinent question for South African and other African industries: Do organisations hold substantial spare-parts inventories while still lacking the specific components needed to keep critical equipment operating?
