Overview
A global food manufacturing leader renowned for its diverse product portfolio and strong international footprint faced growing inefficiencies in its Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) inventory management. Outdated, inconsistent data within their SAP and CMMS platforms led to inflated costs, duplicated inventory, and slowed processes.
We partnered with the client to deliver a comprehensive inventory optimization solution that streamlined operations, cut costs, and empowered smarter decision-making.
The Challenge
Despite robust operations, the client’s MRO inventory system was hampered by:
- Inaccurate and inconsistent item master data
- Redundant and obsolete parts
- Limited visibility across inventory and vendors
- Time-consuming search and procurement processes
These issues resulted in unnecessary purchases, stockouts, and maintenance delays impacting productivity and driving up costs.
Our Solution
We deployed a multi-phase strategy tailored to the client’s specific needs:
✅ Onsite Data Collection
- Physical audits of all parts
- Image capture and data verification
- Tagging of part numbers, descriptions, and bin locations
✅ Data Cleansing & Enrichment
- Standardized and cleaned item master file
- Added detailed part attributes for better descriptions
- Converted OEM parts to generic equivalents where possible
✅ Database Reconstruction
- Built a new, searchable MRO database aligned with operational needs
- Applied barcoded labels to all SKUs for faster tracking and replenishment
Implementation Approach
The transition was carefully managed to ensure seamless integration with existing systems. Through collaborative planning and stakeholder engagement, the project was delivered with minimal disruption and full user adoption.
Key Results
📈 Efficiency Gains
- Streamlined procurement and maintenance workflows
- Faster part identification, quoting, and ordering
💰 Cost Reductions
- Eliminated duplicate inventory
- Consolidated vendors and simplified sourcing
- Reduced administrative and purchasing costs
🔧 Operational Improvements
- Enhanced visibility and inventory control
- Fewer false stockouts
- Improved asset reliability and maintenance uptime
Conclusion
This success story highlights the transformative power of clean data and tailored solutions. By optimizing the MRO inventory system, we helped our client reduce costs, boost productivity, and position themselves for long-term operational success.
