Planning a Spare Parts Stock

Start from what stops a machine

The parts worth holding are the ones that stop production when they fail. Needles, sinkers, feeder drive belts, yarn guides and stop motion parts are the usual first list.

Hold sets, not pieces

For needles and sinkers, a partial stock does not solve the problem, because a machine should be changed as a set. Plan around one spare set per machine model rather than a loose quantity.

Group by machine model

Stock is only useful if it fits. Organising the shelf by machine model rather than by part type is what prevents a part being in stock but unusable.

Consolidate shipments

Ordering across several part groups in one shipment is usually the cheaper route than repeated small orders, and it keeps references consistent.

Keep the references

Record the exact reference ordered against each machine. The most avoidable delay in spare parts is re-identifying a part that was already identified once.