TABLE OF CONTENTS Bitter experience in war has taught the maxim that the art of war is the art of the logistically feasible.
Admiral Hyman Rickover, USN
Although no one is actually fighting a war in our maintenance departments, there are certainly times when it feels that way. Almost always, the worst battles are over critical parts or materials that are needed immediately but are not where they need to be. Maintenance managers tangle with suppliers to find out about material availability, with their own purchasing departments to get the paperwork done, with plant managers to get the approval for premium pricing, and so on. It is no fun and it almost never has to happen.
Planning efforts are for naught if maintenance schedules work without having materials available, so it is critical to have the right materials available when they are needed. At the same time, it is critical to keep costs under control and balanced. Excessive investment in parts and materials ties up working capital. Too little investment will fail to serve maintenance and business needs when failures occur. Moreover, to ensure that their accounting statements are accurate, accountants want to book the investment in material inventories as visible assets, not as hidden costs. With today's tight financial controls, managing inventory becomes more important than ever; however, if that inventory is properly managed, it will be used two or three times a year and help keep maintenance costs down.
A key to success in work management...
