Spare Parts Management in South Africa: How to Stop Stockouts and Reduce Waste

Poor spare parts management is one of the main reasons repair jobs drag on. When a critical asset fails, the single biggest driver of mean time to repair (MTTR) is often not the fix itself but the wait for the right part. In South African mining, manufacturing, and facilities, that wait is compounded by import delays, supply chain disruptions, and remote locations where restocking can take days or weeks. Getting maintenance inventory right — the right parts, in the right place, at the right time — reduces downtime, cuts waste from overstocking, and keeps operations running. This guide covers why spare parts management matters, South Africa–specific challenges, ABC classification, min/max and reorder points, critical spares strategy, multi-warehouse and supplier management including B-BBEE tracking, and how a CMMS ties it all together.

Why Spare Parts Management Matters for Maintenance

Maintenance repair time breaks down into diagnosis, travel, waiting for parts, and the actual repair. In practice, waiting for parts is often the largest slice. A technician may identify the fault in minutes, but if the bearing or seal is not on site, the asset stays down until the part arrives. That delay directly increases MTTR and multiplies the cost of the failure: lost production, safety risk, and sometimes contractual penalties. Conversely, holding too much MRO inventory ties up capital, increases obsolescence risk, and can hide underlying issues (e.g. repeated failures that should trigger a root-cause fix instead of more stock). Effective spare parts inventory management balances availability with cost: enough stock to support planned and emergency work, without carrying excess that never gets used.

South Africa–Specific Challenges

Spare parts management in South Africa faces conditions that make both stockouts and overstocking more likely if not managed deliberately.

Import and supply chain delays. Many critical spares — specialist bearings, OEM components, electrical and hydraulic parts — are imported. Port congestion, customs clearance, and logistics can add weeks to lead times. A part that might be “next day” in a well-served market can take two to four weeks or more. That pushes operations to hold more safety stock, but without clear min/max and reorder logic, some items get over-ordered while others are forgotten until a failure occurs.

Inflation and currency. MRO costs have risen with inflation and rand volatility. Holding excess inventory locks in today’s prices but increases carrying cost and the risk of holding obsolete stock. Planning reorder quantities and lead times with current costs and lead times in mind helps avoid both under- and over-buying.

Remote and multi-site operations. Mining and some manufacturing sites are far from main centres. Restocking a remote store can mean long drives or infrequent deliveries. Multi-site facilities (e.g. property portfolios, retail or industrial estates) may have several small stores with no single view of stock. Without a clear picture of what is where and when to reorder, one site runs out while another sits on surplus.

Fragmented ordering. When technicians or planners order directly from multiple suppliers without a central view of what is already on the way or in stock, duplicate orders and last-minute rushes are common. Centralising spare parts data and linking it to work orders reduces that fragmentation.

ABC Classification for Spare Parts

Not all parts deserve the same level of attention. ABC classification segments your maintenance inventory by impact so you can focus control and capital on what matters most.

• A items — High impact: critical to production or safety, long lead time, or expensive. These justify tighter control: accurate min/max, regular cycle counts, and often a dedicated critical spares strategy. Examples: hoist brake components, critical pump impellers, specialist drive parts.
• B items — Medium impact: used regularly but not always critical; moderate cost or lead time. Standard min/max and reorder rules apply. Examples: common bearings, seals, belts, filters.
• C items — Low impact: low cost, short lead time, or low usage. Simplify control (e.g. two-bin or bulk order) to avoid spending more on administration than the parts are worth. Examples: common fasteners, gaskets, small consumables.

Classify by criticality and usage, not just value: a R500 part that stops a R50 million line is an A item even if others cost more. Revisit ABC periodically as equipment and usage change. An asset register that links parts to assets helps you see which spares support critical equipment and should be treated as A or B.

Min/Max Stock Levels and Reorder Points

Min/max (minimum and maximum stock levels) and reorder points are the core of routine spare parts inventory management.

• Min (minimum) — The level at which you trigger a reorder. When stock falls to or below min, a purchase or transfer is raised. Set min high enough to cover demand during lead time plus a safety buffer for variability.
• Max (maximum) — The target level after replenishment. It caps how much you hold and prevents over-ordering. Set max from economic order quantity, storage space, or budget.
• Reorder point — Often set equal to min: when quantity on hand (plus on order, if you track it) hits the reorder point, the system generates a reorder alert or request.

For A and B items, base min/max on historical usage (e.g. average consumption per week or month), lead time in days or weeks, and desired service level. For C items, simpler rules (e.g. “reorder when bin is empty” or “order 12 months’ worth”) are often enough. A CMMS that holds usage history per part can calculate suggested min/max and reorder points and surface reorder alerts so nothing is left to memory or spreadsheets.

Critical Spares Strategy (Insurance Spares)

Some parts are so critical to high-impact equipment that a single stockout is unacceptable. For those, an explicit critical spares (insurance spares) strategy is used: you hold one or more units in reserve, often with dedicated storage and controlled issue, so that when the installed part fails, a replacement is available immediately. Typical candidates are long-lead-time components, single points of failure on critical assets, and parts for which no local substitute exists. The cost of holding the spare is weighed against the cost of extended downtime if you do not have it. Document which parts are critical spares, where they are stored, and how they are issued (e.g. only against a work order for that asset). In South Africa, remote mining sites often hold critical spares on site for hoists, winders, and key processing equipment because lead times from coastal suppliers make just-in-time replenishment unrealistic.

Multi-Warehouse Management

Operations with more than one store (e.g. a central warehouse and site stores, or multiple facilities each with a small stockroom) need a single view of inventory across locations. Multi-warehouse management in spare parts means: knowing what is in each location, being able to transfer between locations when one site is short, and setting min/max and reorder rules per location where lead times and usage differ. Without it, one site may order from a supplier while another site has the same part sitting unused. A CMMS that supports multiple stock locations can show availability across sites, suggest transfers, and still trigger reorders when total or location-specific stock falls below the reorder point.

Supplier Management and B-BBEE Tracking in Spare Parts Procurement

Spare parts procurement involves many suppliers: OEMs, distributors, and local specialists. Managing them well means preferred supplier lists, clear lead times and terms, and — in South Africa — B-BBEE tracking so that maintenance spend supports your scorecard. When you raise a purchase for a part, recording the supplier and their B-BBEE level (and certificate validity) ensures that spend is counted in preferential procurement reporting. Without it, a large portion of MRO spend can fall outside B-BBEE reporting or be attributed to unverified suppliers. Keeping a supplier register with B-BBEE level, certificate expiry, and preferred status makes it easier for planners and technicians to choose compliant suppliers when ordering. For the full picture of how to track B-BBEE in maintenance procurement, see our guide on B-BBEE procurement in maintenance.

Barcode and QR Scanning for Stock Control

Manual data entry for issues, receipts, and cycle counts is slow and error-prone. Barcode or QR code scanning speeds up transactions and improves accuracy: scan the part (or bin), scan the location, confirm quantity. Stock movements are recorded in real time, and the system can auto-deduct from work orders when a technician issues parts against a job. Scanning also supports cycle counts: walk the store, scan each item or location, and reconcile to system quantities. Labels can be printed from the CMMS or inventory module so every part and location has a unique code. In multi-warehouse or busy stores, scanning reduces the time spent on stock control and cuts the errors that lead to incorrect reorder alerts or “phantom” stock.

How a CMMS Manages Spare Parts

A CMMS built for maintenance inventory ties spare parts to work execution, reorder logic, and reporting so that spare parts management is part of the same system that schedules and records maintenance work.

Parts linked to work orders. When a work order is created (preventive or corrective), the technician or planner can reserve or issue parts from the parts list attached to that order. The system deducts from stock when parts are issued, so consumption is tied to the job and the asset. That gives accurate usage history per part and per asset, which feeds min/max and ABC decisions.

Auto-deduction and stock levels. As parts are issued against work orders, quantities on hand decrease. The CMMS can warn when a job cannot be completed because required parts are below min or out of stock, and it can suggest alternatives (e.g. same part at another location) if multi-warehouse is supported.

Reorder alerts. When stock for a part falls to or below its reorder point (min), the system can generate reorder alerts or purchase requests. That keeps reordering rule-based and visible instead of reactive. Reports can list all parts below min or all open reorder requests so procurement and planners can act in one place.

Supplier and B-BBEE. The CMMS can hold a supplier register with B-BBEE level and certificate expiry. When a reorder or purchase is raised, the preferred supplier (and their B-BBEE status) is available for selection. Spend on spare parts can then be reported by supplier and by B-BBEE level for scorecard and audit use.

Asset and parts linkage. Parts are often linked to assets (e.g. “this bearing fits conveyor C-01”). That supports bills of materials, “what parts does this asset need?” queries, and critical spares planning based on asset criticality. Together with an asset register, the CMMS becomes the single place where equipment, maintenance history, and spare parts availability are connected.

For a foundational overview of how a CMMS supports maintenance planning, execution, and compliance in South Africa, see our guide on what is CMMS.

South African Examples in Practice

Mining, remote sites. A mine with a central warehouse and several shaft or plant stores uses min/max and reorder points per location. Critical spares for hoists and key process equipment are held on site; common MRO items are replenished from centre or from suppliers on a schedule. The CMMS shows stock across sites, reorder alerts are generated when min is reached, and spare parts procurement is tracked by supplier and B-BBEE level for charter and internal reporting.

Manufacturing, JIT and stores. A manufacturing plant may use just-in-time delivery for some consumables but hold safety stock for critical or long-lead parts. ABC classification keeps A and B parts on min/max with reorder alerts; C items are managed with simple rules. Parts are issued from the store against work orders, so usage is recorded and MTTR is not inflated by “waiting for parts” when the part is in the system but not reserved for the job.

Facilities, multi-site. A facilities manager responsible for several buildings or sites maintains small stores at each location. Multi-warehouse visibility shows what is where; transfers between sites are used when one site is short and another has surplus. Reorder points are set per site based on local usage and delivery frequency. Barcode or QR scanning at each store speeds issues and cycle counts so stock data stays accurate with limited staff.

Conclusion

Spare parts management directly affects MTTR, downtime cost, and capital tied up in MRO inventory. In South Africa, import and supply chain delays, inflation, and remote or multi-site operations make it more important to have clear policies: ABC classification, min/max and reorder points, critical spares where justified, multi-warehouse visibility, and supplier management including B-BBEE tracking. Barcode or QR scanning improves accuracy and efficiency in the store; a CMMS links parts to work orders and assets, automates reorder alerts, and supports B-BBEE reporting so that spare parts management is consistent, visible, and aligned with your maintenance and compliance goals. If you would like to see how a CMMS can support spare parts and maintenance across your operation, explore Lungisa or contact the Skynode team to discuss your requirements.