5 Things to Consider for Successful Spare Parts Management
If you’re working in the business of home appliance repairs, you’ll be only too well aware just how many different manufacturers and models are available these days. And that makes spare parts management a time-consuming and potentially costly business. After all, it’s simply not practical for repair outfits to hold stocks of every part for every single appliance.
With that in mind, we’ve put together five points to help you manage your spare parts more successfully, leading to better outcomes for your customers and for your business too.
1 Develop an operating strategy
Your business operating strategy determines how quickly your business can respond to changing circumstances, so it needs to be overhauled on a regular basis. Think of it as your business roadmap. Highlight the direction you’re taking and set out your future plans, as this will allow you to allocate your resources to best effect.
2 Manage your inventory
Storing all the spare parts you might need would be expensive and time-consuming and would almost certainly result in redundant or obsolete parts over time. Consider Just in Time Distribution, which delivers the parts you need exactly when your field service engineers need them, saving you time and money in unnecessary storage costs.
3 Assess the data
Data analysis should be right at the top of your To Do list, as it enables you to plan ahead for your business. Patterns can soon emerge showing trends, such as specific parts being needed at certain times of the year. Boiler spare parts are often needed very quickly during colder months, for example, when central heating requires them to be working around the clock.
4 Choose appropriate suppliers
Manufacturer’s own parts are often required in order to maintain the integrity of guarantees, so this needs to be factored in when considering which suppliers to use. But in some cases, it’s possible to source cheaper replacements at short notice, making repairs quicker and more cost effective.
5 Select effective delivery options
Teaming up with a reliable distribution partner is one of the most effective decisions you can make. Scheduled and multi-drop deliveries get the parts you need exactly where you need them to be. But you can refine the process even further with In Boot deliveries that have your field service engineers ready to start work from the moment they clock on. And this means they won’t have to waste any precious working time chasing up spare parts.
Home appliance companies need to be responsive and cost effective to ensure repairs can be fulfilled in a timely manner. GenRev has a range of delivery solutions to help you supply parts to your field engineers as and when required, including In Night Deliveries that avoid daytime traffic jams.
In our next blog, we’ll share advice on whether you need to create a fast inventory strategy. Why not see how GenRev can help you manage your spare parts and cut your warehousing costs? Contact us to find out more about the benefits of our smart delivery services.
