The challenge
A global food manufacturer was carrying tens of millions of pounds in spare parts across its sites, half of which hadn’t moved in more than four years. That prompted a business review, highlighting that stock levels and purchasing decisions were spread across multiple departments. They had one unified CMMS but at each site different people managed the spare parts decisions. Each site managed its own inventory in isolation, so the same part could sit unused on one shelf while another site bought it new. The data needed to run leaner already existed, there just wasn’t enough time or resource to feasibly optimize each decision.
What we did
Parts Control was selected to help embed a long-term software solution, not a one-off review project. We were so confident in the opportunities, we even offered to refund any fees if we couldn’t deliver the savings we promised!
Then we established ways to ingest the company's existing and historical maintenance data from their CMMS, covering spare parts usage, stock and purchasing activity. Our platform surfaces a list of suggestions for the experts in the business to approve or decline. Using agentic AI this list of suggestions is constantly being updated and refined to show where money is being tied up or spent unnecessarily.
In practice that meant highlighting where min/max levels could be safely tightened, flagging local overstocks, and identifying items that had become potentially obsolete. Crucially, the platform doesn't just point out the problem, it provides the route to act. Rather than write surplus stock off, it can be shared with other sites that need it, or sold through established marketplaces and professional resellers, turning idle inventory back into cash.
The numbers
The company runs 21 global manufacturing sites. They spend around £20m a year on parts and hold roughly £30m of stock worldwide.
At go-live, the platform surfaced suggestions worth £1.35m. These weren't theoretical figures, each suggestion came with the underlying data for a user to have the confidence to approve the updates. Within two weeks, the team had reviewed and approved enough verifiable savings that the system paid for itself almost immediately.
What's next
With the value proven for internal efficiencies and network sharing possibilities, now the focus turns to sourcing. Benchmarking the prices they’re paying for their parts as well as the quantities recommended in the spares lists by their OEM suppliers. Ensuring they always have the right amount of parts at the right price.
Let's discuss if we can save you money.
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