13 minute read
Maintenance 101
THE ROLE OF THE MAINTENANCE STOREKEEPER
Exploring the role and responsibilities of the maintenance storekeeper, and what their primary duties include. BY PETER PHILLIPS
The storekeeper is the third key figure on the maintenance team. They play a critical role in a successful work order system. They work together with the planner and supervisor on the work order planning and scheduling process by ensuring the availability of parts to perform preventive maintenance and repairs on the facility and equipment.
What exactly does a storekeeper do to guarantee parts will be available when needed?
The storekeeper is responsible for general and department-specific routines, daily store activities, including processing postings, supplies receipt and distribution. They will be carrying out inventories control activities, and they may manage purchase orders. The storekeeper job description entails maintaining an automated inventory database and update materials, supplies, and equipment records within the program. They will generate related reports to verify inventory levels, determine re-order activities and verify part usage. It may also involve the distribution and issuance of uniforms, supplies and materials for operational and production-related activities.
Storekeepers also initiate purchase orders to replenish inventories following established guidelines and procedures of the company, and follow-up with vendors and suppliers to ensure prompt delivery of items. They are also responsible for conducting an inspection on the receipt of delivery from suppliers, and verify the quality and quantity of materials and supplies. They will deliver and store the incoming items to the appropriate areas within the facility.
Their work description may also include helping to prepare materials and equipment for disposal, or auction. It may entail providing support to sister plants by part transfers to other locations. The storekeeper must also prepare and maintain a variety of key performance indicators and other reports related to the organization’s store activities.
The primary tasks, duties, and responsibilities that commonly make up the storekeeper job description are listed below:
• Take delivery of all incoming materials and reconcile with purchase orders. • Track, document and resolve any discrepancies on received orders. • Ensure accuracy of the facility’s inventory system by updating records of physical inventory totals, receipts, adjustments and returns. • Manage inventory/supplies and ensure they are within the established minimum and maximum levels. • Manage maintenance software to keep up-to-date records of receipts and withdrawals from the stockroom. • Responsible for packing, pricing, labeling and shipping materials to vendors. • Responsible for stock rotation and coordinate the disposal of surpluses. • Manage supplier relations and maintain high ethical relationships both internally and externally. • Create purchase orders and utilize purchasing card to perform low-value procurement activities. • Add new inventory parts in the maintenance system and determine stock locations. • Maintain storeroom organization and cleanliness. • Staging parts for work orders that are ready for technicians to execute.
Reviewing the list of duties, it easy to see this maintenance position is a busy one. Just like the planner and supervisor the role of the storekeeper is critical to maintaining overall equipment effectiveness.
Equipment MTTR (mean time to repair) hinges on the availability of manpower and parts to perform repairs. When a piece of equipment fails during operation, it is critically important to have the part on hand, and for the technician to find them quickly. All too often parts needed for the breakdown are in stock, but no one can find
them easily and much time is wasted searching for parts.
Is having a full-time storekeeper and taking the time to organize the stockroom worth the cost?
Looking at the average cost per hour of lost production in industry, it indicates that a storekeeper’s salary comes with little or no cost to the company.
When looking at best maintenance practices, the average time to find a part in the storeroom should not be over 90 seconds. This may sound like an unreasonable short amount of time to find a part. However, when a storeroom is organized to a world class level, 90 seconds is an attainable target.
Another cost saving measure when it comes to work order efficiency is the staging of work orders. One of the critical planning steps of the work is making sure parts are available. In the work order staging area, parts are kitted into bins with the work order attached. Generally, the staging area shelving is located just outside the storeroom for easy access for the storekeeper (as shown in top image). When the technician prepares to carry out the work, everything they need is prepared in advance, which saves a great deal of time. Along with the staging bins, there is also a return area where technicians will return unused parts so they can be inspected by the storekeeper before they are returned to stock.
In summary, maintenance storerooms, stocked with correct quantities of materials, supplies and spare parts are a major factor in efficient low-cost maintenance operations. Materials are the biggest maintenance support function, contributing to low maintenance productivity. MRO
Peter Phillips is the owner of Trailwalk Holdings Ltd., a Nova Scotia-based maintenance consulting and training company. Peter has over 40 years of industrial maintenance experience. He travels throughout North America working with maintenance departments and speaking at conferences. Reach him at 902-7983601 or peter@trailwalk.ca.
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The Podcast for MRO Professionals
The podcast features conversations with industry experts about maintenance, reliability, repair, asset management, safety and operations. Topics that are of utmost importance to MRO readers.
Previous guests and topics have included:
• Kevin Wright, Country Manager, igus Canada Inc - The importance of plastic products in MRO; • Dr. Rafiq Ahmad, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Alberta - The role of additive manufacturing in the fight against
COVID-19; • Scott MacKenzie, Senior National Manager of External Affairs, Toyota Motor
Manufacturing Canada – Maintenance at TMMC Plants with a Focus on the Environment; • Martha Myers, Founder and Owner, Martha Myers Consulting Service –
Importance of Networking and Education in Maintenance; • Doc Palmer, Managing Partner, Richard Palmer and Associates Inc – Focus on
Scheduling and Planning of Maintenance; • James Reyes-Picknell, President, Conscious Asset – Managing Maintenance and Reliability; • Shawn Casemore, President, Casemore and Co Inc – Engaging Your Employees in a Safety Culture; and • Steve Richmond, CEO, Projetech Inc - How the expansion of 5G networks can benefit maintenance and repair operations MRO
Mr. O’s Tips
Past Mr. O tips are now available on our web site. We have tips from many industry experts on a wide variety of MRO related topics.
• Do not be afraid of change; • Increase affordability and efficiency with cloudbased EAM systems; • Sustaining our environment with maintenance; • Ramping up from your COVID-19 slow-down; • Planners: The underestimated safety heroes; • Online networking during COVID-19; • Asset information management; • Don’t lose productivity during COVID-19, gain it; • The first step toward building a safety culture; and, • Many more.
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