Keep crane spare parts on the shelf when you can identify the machines they serve, explain the cost of waiting and show that the warehouse can keep them ready for use. The previous guide ended with a closed purchase record. That record gives the fleet a better starting point than a supplier catalogue because it shows what was accepted, what was actually issued and how long it took to obtain.
Start with actual issues to the workshop. Pull the asset number, accepted part reference and issue date from each closed work order. Separate scheduled service from breakdown demand. A kit issued every time a defined service comes round has a different buying pattern from a sensor ordered once after an incident. Remove returns and cancelled orders from the usage count. Record genuine stockouts separately because a request that could never be filled will be absent from an issue report.
Then ask what happens if the next request cannot be filled. A scheduled job may be moved to another workshop slot. An immobilised machine at a remote yard may wait for freight and a technician. Discuss those consequences with the fleet planner and record what the team can realistically do during the wait. Treat the parts lead time as a range observed between the approved order and goods available to the workshop. Include periods when freight or receiving held up a shipment.
An order history can point to a useful catalogue reference without settling the stocking decision. A buyer who has previously purchased the QY55KA-Y outrigger seal kit C14 should first establish which cylinder position and assets are supported by the accepted record. Keep the package identity and any storage requirements with the stock proposal. A description such as “outrigger kit” is too broad for one common bin across the fleet.
A boom angle sensor listed as 803591856 raises a different question. If it is being considered as one of the fleet's critical spare parts, document the exact assets covered, how the workshop confirms the reference and whether an authorised person or additional documentation is needed to release it for use. When evidence is limited to an old quote or a photo without an asset ID, keep that reference on an enquiry list and assign someone to confirm it. The list can still save time when a new request arrives.
Yes, if the fleet can show why waiting is expensive and why the unit on the shelf would cover the machines in question. Write down which jobs would stop, how long a replacement usually takes and how the warehouse would preserve the part. Compare buying one locally held unit with using a shared stock point or obtaining a written supply commitment. Include the time to move a shared part to the branch that needs it. An inventory decision based on downtime only works when the fleet knows how quickly the part could be issued and put into an authorised repair workflow.
| Stocking decision | Evidence to bring to the review |
|---|---|
| Hold at the depot | Confirmed fitment and a recurring requirement or an outage the depot cannot cover in time |
| Share between depots | Confirmed fitment, an available unit and a transfer route that meets the job window |
| Source when needed | A verified reference and a supply window the planner can work with |
| Confirm identity first | An open question about the asset, assembly position or reference |
Assign the stocking category to the exact part reference and depot. The same spare can belong on the shelf at a busy service base and on the sourcing list at a branch with a different equipment mix.
A shared spare needs a named custodian and a transfer window. Ask each depot to check the route during the hours it actually operates. A unit held at a branch that closes before the night shift can collect it may need a different release arrangement. If the plan depends on sharing, make that arrangement part of the stocking decision.
For each fleet inventory candidate, record its accepted reference, covered assets, recent issues, observed supply window and the reason for the stocking decision. Review the rows with the maintenance planner and warehouse lead together. They should be able to say what makes each item worth buying and what would cause the decision to change. The stock code guide takes this shortlist and deals with duplicate codes, suffixes and bins before any quantity is assigned.
Start with the evidence retained in the parts order closeout. For every item approved for stock, set up a part-specific stock code and bin label.
