Resilient Inventory Strategies

Welcome to The Reliable Edge

We guide leaders in transforming maintenance into a competitive edge—one proven idea at a time.

This week, we’re focusing on a topic that every maintenance leader wrestles with: spare parts and inventory. Too little, and you face costly downtime. Too much, and you tie up capital in shelves of dust-collecting stock.

The challenge isn’t just what you stock—it’s how you build an inventory system resilient enough to support operations through disruption.

Field Insight: The Hidden Cost of Inventory Gaps

Across industries, maintenance teams report the same scenario: the right technician is available, the failure is diagnosed quickly—but the critical part isn’t in stock.

What happens next? Delays. Emergency procurement. Rush shipping. And costs that multiply fast.

According to a recent study by Plant Services, unplanned downtime costs manufacturers an average of $260,000 per hour. In many cases, that cost doesn’t come from the failure itself—but from waiting on parts.

On the flip side, carrying excessive or obsolete inventory quietly drains budgets and warehouse space. Both extremes undermine resilience..

Signs Your Inventory System Needs a Reset

• You frequently order parts on an emergency basis

• A large portion of your storeroom stock hasn’t moved in years

• Technicians hoard “just in case” parts outside the system

• Inventory accuracy doesn’t match what’s on the shelf

• Parts criticality is not defined, so stocking levels are inconsistent

If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to rethink your strategy.