How do you keep your maintenance materials and spare parts organized?

One thing I've found helpful was demand analysis by this way we can get an accurate estimate of the future, not only based on past demands but also based on changes in technology. We should know that sometimes storing lots of maintenance materials in fear of the lack of finding them in future can increase our costs.

Ok. so as far as the aircraft maintenance materials are concerned, consumables, or spares, they always need a special handling. Generally we arrange the stores into various categories, Bonded, unserviceable, quarantine, POL etc. Bonded stores are those which keep the serviceable stores, can be consumables like grease, washers, and may be spares to be used. Most of the times, these are lifed items, and consumables need to be tracked on the basis of Batch number, lot numbers etc. They need to follow FIFO. and generally kept in controlled environments. Unserviceable stores are those where you keep the components which are unserviceable, awaiting spares, or their turn to come for repairs. again they need environmental protection.

These days, the inventory happens to be so large that it may not be possible to keep track of them manually. Bigger stores can have the system of automatic retrieval system also. apart from that, the inventory needs to be managed for their life also. The life may depend on hours, cycles, etc. the software in such cases come in handy to work with and resolve the issues. Using software has other numerous advantages too. you can set alarm quantities, and levels; once reached an automatic order can be placed on the vendors, something like automatic replenishing system. In case of AOGs, the system can tell you how many of the required parts are stationed at place and can be accessed in the shortest possible time.

5S system in fact is taken from Japanese terms: Seiri (sort), Seiton (set in order), Seiketsu (standardise), Shitsuke (sustain). That simply means, put your stores in order. In fact, our ladies in India have been following the variation of 5S systems from hundred of generations. Take kitchen for example, the basic ingredients which are needed for day to day cooking are kept just right in front them. Those items which you need say once a week are kept in the bins down below. And the bulk are stored in the stores room. And all the containers are tagged properly for identification. By following 5S methods, you can easily set your work areas in order, sorted out and standardise for working. You keep only those things in vicinity which needed.

One aspect is the efficient usage of spare parts, whether to replace a defective component with a new one, or take out specific parts from the new component and install in the old/defective one. And if the initial one is practiced , the old one which is replaced can be kept to use non defective parts on future defective ones. The thing is to consider cost, workability and reliability of asset. Perhaps a better example would be when replacing door components( Lockset, closer, handle, hinges, strike plate).