Inside MRO – Blog Series Part 2

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In the first post of the Inside MRO: Lessons from the Frontlines of Spare Parts Strategy series, we followed Andrew Jordan’s journey into the world of spare parts and explored one of MRO’s biggest structural weaknesses: poor master data. In this second installment, we turn our focus to a deeper issue of Parts Inventory Management—one that’s less technical but just as impactful: organizational culture.

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As Jordan points out, inventory systems for parts often suffer not from a lack of tools or knowledge, but from a lack of prioritization. The way companies perceive and structure parts inventory management roles has long-term consequences—not just for parts availability, but for asset performance, downtime, and most importantly, the development of your people.

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A Career-Limiting Choice

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One of the clearest signs of MRO’s marginalization is how roles in parts stock management are viewed within the broader supply chain function. For aspiring professionals, these roles are rarely considered strategic or career-advancing. And that, Jordan says, is part of the problem.

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“As a new graduate working Supply Chain, if I have to choose between being the replenishment planner for finished goods or working in the parts storeroom, the choice is clear if I’m seeking advancement.”

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Parts Inventory Management is rarely seen as a growth path. As a result, it often becomes a domain where late-career professionals land.  The knowledge and experience they bring is invaluable but this is also because the day to day tends to relay on “tribal knowledge” and not robust business systems.  Consistency relies on personal knowledge which is infrequently codified, making it hard to evolve the function.  That leads to a culture of routine maintenance, not transformation. Initiatives to streamline inventory workflow are often missing, best practices for parts inventory are hard to find. 

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Parts Inventory Management: The Hidden Cost of Low Status

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The sidelining of MRO roles has real business consequences. Because parts stock management positions aren’t treated as strategic, they’re often underfunded, under-analyzed, and poorly integrated into the broader supply chain strategy. This creates a self-reinforcing loop: low visibility leads to low investment, which leads to poor outcomes—which in turn justify continued neglect.

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Jordan argues that this mindset shift is essential. Parts inventory management isn’t just about stocking shelves—it’s about enabling uptime, protecting assets, and preserving capital investment.

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“When you look at causes of downtime for operating assets... between 20 and 40 percent of work orders are outstanding because parts aren’t available.”

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Those aren’t minor inefficiencies—they’re material risks. And they stem from the same issue: spare parts aren’t being treated like the essential operational lifeline they are.

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Inventory systems for parts: A Vicious Cycle in the Storeroom

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The cultural issues also play out in how spare parts inventory decisions are made on the ground. Jordan gives an example: someone from the maintenance team, frustrated by years of stockouts, is moved into the storeroom. Their first instinct?

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“They’re going to order everything. I have seven transformers. I need seven of these repair kits... We’ll never stock out again.”

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The result is predictable: bloated inventory, inflated carrying costs, and diminished performance. And because parts inventory management isn’t viewed as a strategic function, these behaviors often go unchallenged.

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Changing the Status Quo

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Jordan believes that reversing this trend requires more than better tools—it requires organizational courage. To streamline parts inventory workflows, companies need to recognise that spare parts roles deserve the same attention, resources, and talent as other supply chain functions. That starts by educating leaders and planners about the downstream effects of their decisions.

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“People are very focused on the day-to-day... but they’re not provided with that broader context of how their actions impact the organization.”

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In other words, awareness drives accountability. And accountability opens the door to better decisions, more resilient operations, and ultimately, stronger business outcomes.

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Parts Stock Management: From Maintenance to Mindset

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At the heart of it, this is a mindset issue. Spare parts are seen as unglamorous. They don’t get headlines. But they matter. They hold the line between uptime and downtime, between production and delay. And that’s exactly why they should be treated as a strategic priority.

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“The very reasons I find it exciting are the very reasons people avoid it.”

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Coming Up Next: What Good Looks Like in MRO

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In Part 3 of the Inside MRO series, we’ll move from cultural critique to best-in-class execution, providing best practices for parts inventory. Andrew Jordan will share real-world examples of organizations that got it right—and what others can learn from their approach to spare parts governance, data management, and long-term planning.

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Stay tuned for:
“The Gold Standard in MRO optimization: What Top Performers Do Differently”

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