Value Stream Analysis in the Spare Parts Business

Initial situation

An internationally operating manufacturer and wholesaler of technical components faced significant challenges in its spare parts business. Over the years, numerous systems, individual solutions, and manual processes had emerged that were not synchronized with each other. Product data, spare parts structures, and pricing logic existed in parallel across different systems and were partially maintained manually. Sales, service, and logistics worked with different data statuses. This regularly led to delays in order processing, high coordination effort, and unnecessary inventory in the warehouse. At the same time, market pressure increased: customers expected quickly available spare parts, clear pricing structures, and reliable delivery times.

What we implemented

Create Transparency Across Value Streams and System Landscape

Initially, the existing spare parts processes from engineering to delivery were analyzed together with the specialist departments. The relevant systems, data flows, and manual interventions were made visible. Based on this, a clear picture emerged of the current value streams as well as the major media breaks and inefficiencies in the spare parts business.

Harmonize Product and Spare Parts Structures

Together with product management, service, and sales, the existing product and spare parts structures were standardized. The goal was a consistent structure usable for both engineering and spare parts sales and service. Duplicate article structures were cleaned up, variants reduced, and a consistent logic for spare parts definitions created.

Synchronize Systems and Processes

In parallel, central systems were integrated with each other and processes redesigned so that product data, spare parts information, and order data were consistently available. This enabled manual coordination to be reduced, data to be automatically synchronized, and the processing of spare parts requests to be significantly accelerated.

Result

Through the harmonization of spare parts structures and the synchronization of the system landscape, a significantly more stable and transparent process for spare parts business and service emerged. Sales, service, and logistics now worked with consistent data and clear process flows. Spare parts requests could be answered more quickly and orders processed more reliably. Material inventory and the associated capital commitment were reduced.