That may seem like the obvious place to start, but the reason matters.
We did not start with Foundations because it is the easiest part of spare parts management. We started there because it is the part most often assumed.
And that assumption creates problems.
Many people involved in spare parts inventory decisions have never been given a clear, spare parts-specific foundation.
They may understand procurement.
They may understand warehousing.
They may understand maintenance.
They may understand finance.
They may understand standard inventory control.
But spare parts inventory management has its own logic.
It is different from retail inventory.
It is different from production inventory.
It is different from general supply chain inventory.
And when the wrong logic is applied, the consequences can be significant.
A decision that appears financially efficient may increase operational risk.
