How Inventory Management of electronics leads to substantial savings on maintenance costs

The manufacturing industry is developing at a breakneck pace. New applications like Smart Maintenance ensure plant failure can be predicted, and maintenance can be planned 'just-in-time'. But without proper Inventory Management, you lack the resources to perform this maintenance. In this blog, we will tell you why good Inventory Management is of utmost importance, which steps you need to take for this, and how you can save a lot on maintenance costs.
 

What is Inventory Management?

Inventory Management refers to the process of ordering, storing, using, and selling a company's inventory. This includes the management of raw materials, components and finished products, as well as their storage and processing. It's about having the right stock, at the right level, in the right place, at the right time and at the right expense and price.

High expenses due to lack of insight 

Just what the impact is of a sudden failure of a machine is well known: production grinds to a halt. Much less known are the considerably increasing (and often unnecessary) costs this is accompanied by. Research shows that the costs of downtime can average more than € 70,000 per year. Do you know just how much you spend on repairing electronics or replacing defective electronics if a production line suddenly comes to a standstill? Including the cost of machine maintenance? 

Unfortunately, the answer we often hear is: 'No, we don't have any idea'. Many Maintenance Managers struggle with keeping maintenance costs manageable, and we often see that it stems from a lack of insight. For example, it often happens that in the event of a sudden machine failure, the electronics are not always available or even no longer available for supply. A solution must then be found under high (time) pressure. And that while the production line is down, and valuable time is ticking away. This results in extra costs having to be incurred to solve the problem, while the electronics could have been proactively replaced by the Technical Service (TD) if the electronics had been on hand.

“We have noticed that electronics are often a neglected child in Inventory Management"

Get insight in your maintenance

We have noticed that most production companies do not think enough about the electronics parts that keep the production lines running. The TD provides insight into exactly which mechanical parts are present in the machines, but not which electronics the machine contains. We have noticed that among TD employees, as well as among Maintenance Managers, electronics are often the neglected child. After reading the above, we probably agree: Insight into your machinery, and therefore also insight into your installed electronics, is the basis for a saving on your maintenance costs.

How do you get a grip and insight?

It is essential to collect and document all the information about your machinery. Information about machines therefore also means information about the installed electronics that ensure the correct control of machines, installations or systems. If you do not have this available, an extensive inventory is the first step that must be taken. At UNIS Group, we offer a great solution with our Inventory and Evaluation service. Besides an extensive inventory, we add important information. For example, we evaluate the future demand for parts, their (worldwide) availability, which spare parts you have in stock, and which electronics can be repaired. With a detailed report, we provide insight into which electronics pose a risk.

Read more about our Inventory and Evaluation service here >>

Two steps to proper Inventory Management

After stocktaking of the electronics, the next step is to put these critical modules in stock. Once you know which electronics are crucial for keeping your production lines running, you can make sure you have these electronics and (spare) parts on the shelf. It is not only important to look at how often a defect occurs, but also at the availability of the part. Is it an obsolete part or is it still in production? You can look for the necessary parts yourself, but you can also outsource it. Thanks to our extensive network of suppliers, UNIS Group can help you find these critical modules.

We create insight, so you can immediately save on maintenance costs

We help you lay a strong foundation for complete Inventory Management, so you have full insight into your machinery and can make substantiated and cost-saving choices towards replacing your electronics. And with which you purchase as economically as possible and then save on your maintenance costs.

Read more about Stocktaking and evaluation >>