Torsten Grünzig: What I've Learned from Hundreds of Enterprise Spare Parts Optimisation Projects
By Torsten Grünzig, VP Sales at SPARROW
Over the past few years, I've had the opportunity to speak with hundreds of manufacturing companies about spare parts optimisation. Some were preparing for an SAP S/4HANA migration, others wanted to reduce inventory, improve data quality or explore how AI could support their maintenance operations.
Every company had its own priorities, but after a while I noticed something interesting. The same questions kept coming up, regardless of the industry, the size of the business or the ERP system in place. More importantly, I began to recognise the same patterns in the projects that delivered lasting results.
The most successful projects combine the right technology with clear ownership, reliable data and a phased implementation approach. More often than not, they're the ones that approach spare parts optimisation in the right order.
It starts with people, not software
One misconception I still encounter is that spare parts optimisation is an IT project.
That's understandable. Many initiatives begin with an ERP upgrade or an SAP S/4HANA programme, so it's easy to think the technology will drive the transformation. In reality, technology is only one part of the equation.
A spare parts project brings together maintenance, procurement, warehouse operations, engineering, master data and IT. Each team has different priorities and different ways of measuring success. Maintenance wants maximum availability, procurement focuses on supplier consolidation, finance looks at working capital, while IT is responsible for governance and system integration.
None of those perspectives are wrong. The challenge is getting everyone to work towards the same objective.
I've seen projects lose momentum simply because responsibilities weren't clearly defined. I've also seen organisations make remarkable progress because they invested time upfront in aligning stakeholders before discussing software or implementation.
That's one of the reasons we place so much emphasis on onboarding. Technology can support a project, but people are the ones who make it successful.
Turn assumptions into a business case
Another pattern I've noticed is that most companies already know where their challenges are. They suspect they have duplicate materials, obsolete inventory or inconsistent master data. What they often lack is an objective understanding of the scale of the problem.
Without that, it's difficult to prioritise initiatives or build a convincing business case.
Once the facts are on the table, the conversation changes.
That's exactly why we developed the SPARROW MRO Value Scan. Before talking about solutions, we help organisations understand where they stand today. Creating that transparency gives teams the confidence to make informed decisions and helps management prioritise investments based on measurable business value rather than assumptions.
AI is only as good as the data behind it
It's impossible to have a conversation about manufacturing today without talking about artificial intelligence.
Customers ask how AI can improve maintenance, automate planning or support procurement decisions. They're the right questions to ask, and I have no doubt AI will continue to transform the way manufacturers manage spare parts.
At the same time, I've learned that the companies seeing the greatest value from AI are usually the ones that invested in getting the fundamentals right first.
Reliable master data. Consistent material descriptions. Visibility across sites. Clear processes.
Without those foundations, even the most advanced technology has limited impact. AI can analyse millions of records in seconds, but it still depends on the quality of the information it's given.
In other words, AI doesn't replace good data management. It builds on it.
Think long term, but don't try to solve everything at once
One of the most common questions I receive is where to start.
That's a difficult question because every organisation is different. Some struggle with duplicate materials, others with planning, inventory visibility or supplier management.
What I've found is that successful companies rarely try to tackle every challenge at once.
Our SPARROW experts help you identify the issue that will create the greatest business impact, solve it well and use that success to build momentum for the next phase. Over time, those individual improvements become a broader transformation.
It's tempting to create a roadmap that addresses every problem from day one. In practice, the projects that deliver the most value are usually the ones that stay focused and demonstrate measurable progress early.
Looking back
Looking back, one thing has become clear to me. The most successful spare parts optimisation projects don't happen by chance. They start with clear ownership, a solid understanding of the business opportunity and a reliable data foundation. Once those elements are in place, technology becomes a powerful enabler that helps organisations achieve their goals faster and at scale.
That's the approach we've taken at SPARROW from the very beginning. Because in my experience, lasting transformation isn't driven by software alone - it's driven by combining the right technology with the right people, the right data and a clear roadmap. That's what separates projects that stall from those that deliver real, measurable results.
Want to understand where the biggest opportunities lie within your spare parts inventory?
I'd be happy to show you, in a personal demo, how SPARROW helps manufacturers uncover optimisation opportunities, build a compelling business case and develop a roadmap that delivers measurable business value.
