Successful Repairable Parts Management Program 4 Essential Elements

• Root cause analysis and rebuild/remanufacture procedures are the foundation of repairable parts management.
• Root cause analysis identifies the causes of component failures with the intention of treating the primary cause rather than the symptom of a problem (which, in this case, is a failed or malfunctioning part). In-depth failure analysis is carried out by highly specialized reliability engineers to identify the distinct—and resolvable—causes of a part failure.
• The second RPM benefit is the implementation of thorough repair and preventive maintenance procedures that deal with the identified underlying causes of a problem. RPM specialists repair or remanufacture an assembly to "better than new" quality using premium components that meet or exceed OEM specifications.

Establishing a Powerful RPM Program

Planning and dedication are required for a successful RPM campaign. Here are four pointers to get you going:

Inform the company about the benefits of RPM:

MRO is a critical expenditure for any manufacturing company, but far too many businesses continue to use flawed or naive methods to weigh the costs of repairs and replacement equipment.

Modifying how people view repaired parts:

Repaired parts are stigmatized as having a longer lifespan but less effective performance than the original. The truth is that RPM's data-driven approach to rebuilding and remanufacturing will frequently perform better than OEM specifications.

Perform extensive due diligence on prospective RPM partners

When investigating and evaluating prospective partners, keep the following things in mind:

• outlined repair and quality assurance processes
• A proven track record of workable solutions
• flexibility in regard to the main goals

Analyze internal systems and procedures to realize the RPM vision:

True, effective RPM demands the participation and cooperation of every department inside the company. A change of this magnitude needs to be planned and coordinated. If not, it will undoubtedly fall short of its potential or, in the worst situation, fail. Areas to think about include:

• To ensure that priceless cores are returned to the crib for repair, maintenance personnel must establish a core return protocol.
• In order to automate decision-making, such as whether or not a part is repairable, purchasing departments must update databases.
• Engineering teams must put data loggers and sensors in place and be able to quickly transmit this data as required.

The benefits of investing in RPM are for example:

• The cost of MRO is declining, and purchasing departments are saving more money.
• Finance observes decreased inventory costs, less overhead, and generally more favorable operating expenses.
• Less reactive repairs are made thanks to maintenance, which also allows for more proactive planning of machine repairs.

Comprehensive RPM programs are rarely quick or simple to implement, but over time they can offer significant benefits. To decide what you would want to get out of an RPM program and whether or not you are prepared to start implementation, take into account the aforementioned considerations and share this information with your team. Contact us right now or check our Repairable Spares Purchasing and Inventory training course