Optimizing product support (spare parts procurement) strategy by considering system operating environment – A case study

Abstract

Existing industrial system / machinery availability depends highly on the form and the level of product support. Product support, which is also referred to as after sale service to the product, is important for the customer as well, because it assures the expected function of the product in its operational phase. Product support is affected by different factors, such as reliability and maintainability characteristics and the operating environment of the product. The forecasting of required product support and spare parts based on these factors is one approach for product life cycle cost optimization along with system availability maximization. This paper describes a method to estimate the spare part requirements based on an estimation of reliability of the existing product under the influence of the product-operating environment. Subsequently, in a case study, the management of the spare parts inventory based on the geographical location and required performance of the product will be addressed.