Preventive maintenance and parts management depend on each other. A technically sound PM task still fails if the required parts, tools, or labor information cannot be found when the work order opens.
Throughout “MVP 306: PM Development & Optimization,” Senior Reliability Consultant Steve Janow explained how a modern CMMS helps maintenance teams uncover what they do not know about their own equipment and inventory. "You don't know what you don't know," Janow said, a principle that applies to how facilities organize PM and inventory records.
Lost Wrench Time Adds Up
A technician receives a filter-change PM but cannot identify the correct filter SKU. The asset lacks a spare-parts list, the filter sits under an inconsistent description in the storeroom, and the last unit has already moved to a workbench. Instead of completing the task, the technician searches bins, checks with other mechanics, and calls the storeroom lead. While the repair itself may take minutes, locating the part often takes much longer.
Janow emphasizes connecting equipment records to spare parts lists. This lets technicians see the components tied to each asset. When a PM includes an assigned spare-parts list, the system populates the correct parts and removes the guesswork. Without that link, technicians rely on memory and manual searching, which slows PM compliance and chips away at labor productivity. Every hour spent hunting for a part is an hour not spent inspecting or repairing equipment.
Emergency Purchasing Replaces Planned Work
Inaccurate quantities, min/max thresholds, or receipt records turn planned work into emergency purchasing. Buyers create rush purchase orders, pay expedited freight, or accept substitute components that may not suit the asset.
Janow describes spare-parts data as a tool that should support planning rather than react to failures. Accurate inventory records let maintenance teams confirm required materials before work begins and ensure critical components arrive when equipment is scheduled for service.
A CMMS connects work orders, assets, inventory, and purchasing so replenishment triggers and cycle counts stay accurate. However, those tools work only when technicians check parts out and record storage locations with care. Gaps in that data create a false sense of security that often surfaces as a stockout right when maintenance needs the part most.
Poor Data Distorts Maintenance Decisions
Workbench hoarding, duplicate SKUs, and inaccurate on-hand quantities hide the true cost of maintaining an asset. A planner may believe the plant holds the resources needed for a shutdown, only to discover a shortage after production releases the equipment. Janow stresses that a complete PM record should identify estimated parts, required tools, skills, craft hours, and the number of workers needed for the job.
Craft hours carry weight because production often asks maintenance, "How long do you need it?" Without reliable labor estimates, maintenance cannot answer that question with confidence or balance its own workload. Complete asset, PM, and inventory records give planners the factual foundation needed to reduce surprises and keep maintenance performance on track.
Register for MVP 306: PM Development & Optimization.
