Abundance of Ladders: Why Your MRO Program Might Be Climbing in Circles

Picture this: you’re walking through your facility and every corner seems to have one thing in abundance—ladders. Big ones, small ones, collapsible ones, maybe even a few tucked away behind equipment you didn’t know you owned. Just like ladders, your MRO inventory can accumulate and multiply beyond what’s necessary, leaving you wondering, “Why do we have so many of the same thing?”

Managing MRO is a lot like that, too. Having the right part, in the right quantity, at the right price, and in the right place is crucial. Yet, much like the ladder situation, most facilities face an overabundance of parts that often sit collecting dust or have inflated costs and unclear origins. Let’s take a step up (on that ladder) and explore the challenges and solutions for MRO management.

The Challenge of MRO: Too Many Ladders

For those in procurement, the phrase “abundance of ladders” might resonate with how MRO is often handled. You think you’re solving a problem by ordering in bulk or sticking with a vendor, but you end up with 12 ladders and no replacement parts for your critical equipment. The truth is, MRO management can be incredibly complex, and many organizations are simply climbing in circles.

Here are some common MRO challenges:

• Competing Agendas: Procurement wants cost savings, maintenance wants uptime, finance wants cost control, and operations want minimal disruption. Everyone’s climbing different ladders.
• Inflating Inventory: Parts ordered but never used. The ladder analogy holds—one of them is always shoved in the corner, unused for years.
• Emergency Orders and Spot Buys: Ever ordered a ladder overnight because no one knew where the other ten were? That’s MRO in a nutshell.
• Maverick Spending: Everyone doing their own thing—buying ladders from every local supplier—leads to uncontrolled spending and, more importantly, inefficiency.
• Extensive time spent finding parts: Tribal knowledge, hoarding, lacking confidence in your database of parts (or even lacking such a database altogether) can slow down the process of finding parts.

These are just a few examples, but you get the point. MRO isn’t just about buying parts; it’s about managing a process that often involves cross-functional teams with differing goals. And much like your ladder collection, the abundance isn’t always necessary.

Life Cycle Management: Use the Ladder Wisely

In the world of MRO, the right part is as good as knowing how to properly manage its life cycle. Effective life cycle management means ensuring that each part—just like each ladder—is used when and where it’s needed, not just stored for a rainy day. But achieving this requires a proactive approach, one that evolves with your operational needs.

The traditional sourcing approach—consolidating vendors, relying on one big distributor, and chasing realized savings—might not always be the best ladder to climb. Sometimes, you need to source locally or by specific parts, integrating with maintenance data and ensuring that all parties, especially your maintenance team, are on board. After all, they’re the ones who know which ladders (and parts) are actually being used.

What We’ve Done: Reducing the Ladder Chaos

At Dryden, we’ve helped clients across various industries rein in their MRO chaos. The first step is always to identify the landscape, document the challenges, and build tailored recommendations.

For example, we’ve implemented solutions like:

• Integrated Supply Solutions: Sourcing vendors by category, region, and capability, while tracking performance so you don’t end up with 14 ladders and no essential parts.
• Technology Evaluations: Helping teams find and implement CMMS and tool crib systems, educating maintenance teams on better ways to source and track parts—so that the ladders they need are always within reach.
• Vendor Management: Ensuring that service levels are appropriate and that vendors are integrated into long-term MRO strategies rather than being a short-term fix.
• Revamping sourcing solutions: Integrate “why vendor X versus vendor Y” with prioritized agendas

Our approach recognizes that not all clients have the same appetite for change or the same MRO challenges, but we create strategies that are both scalable and sustainable.

Trends: Ladder Maintenance for the Future

The future of MRO is much like proper ladder maintenance: it’s all about getting rid of what you don’t need, using what you have efficiently, and integrating new solutions to avoid future headaches.

• Parts Identification Protocols: Ensuring no new part is added to inventory without checking if it already exists. Think of this as ladder consolidation—only keep the ones you actually use.
• Eliminating Dead Inventory: Reducing reliance on obsolete parts, ensuring they’re not just collecting dust in the tool crib—just like those ladders no one’s touched in years.
• Technology Solutions: Implementing handheld tech for maintenance teams so they can find parts quickly—no need to search the storage closet (or climb a ladder) to find what they need.
• Rightsizing Tool Cribs and Point-of-Use Protocols: Focus on reducing tool crib sizes and implementing only what’s needed, where it’s needed—avoiding unnecessary vending machines or excess inventory. This ensures parts are available without overstocking or relying on tools that don’t add real value.

What You Can Do: Climb the Ladder to Success

Assess your current MRO program, vendors, and technology. Identify gaps and inefficiencies—whether it’s unnecessary ladders or parts—and develop a roadmap for ongoing improvement. Dryden can help by evaluating your current state and proposing both short-term fixes and long-term strategies to ensure your MRO program isn’t just a collection of ladders, but a streamlined, effective process.

Remember, MRO isn’t about collecting as many tools, parts, or (yes) ladders as possible. It’s about ensuring that what you have is working for you—and that you’re not just climbing in circles. Contact Dryden Group today to get started.