Spare parts management overview

Overview

• Spare parts inventory is the stock pool in an enterprise warehouse, service station, or regional warehouse.
• Personal inventory is the spare parts an engineer carries or keeps.
• Spare parts consumption is the work-order record of new parts used and used parts recovered on site.

Three modes

Simple mode

Work order
  ↓
Enter spare parts consumption
  ↓
Used only to trace what this work order used

• Select parts from the product range. You do not choose personal inventory or a warehouse.
• You can record new-part quantity and used-part recovery. The system does not create material requisition orders, material return orders, outbound orders, or inbound orders.
• The system does not keep engineer on-hand quantity or warehouse balances. Consumption means “used,” not “which stock was deducted.”

Normal mode

Material requisition
  ↓
Engineer personal inventory
  ↓
Work order spare parts consumption
  ↓
Personal inventory new parts decrease / used parts return to personal inventory
  ↓
Material return
  ↓
Personal inventory quantity decreases

• Engineers first create a material requisition order. After confirmation, personal inventory details increase and the spare part type is New Part.
• For work-order consumption, select new parts from personal inventory details. You do not choose a spare-part source or warehouse.
• Used parts recovered on site first enter personal inventory. Unused new parts or recovered used parts are returned through a material return order.
• The system can show what the engineer picked up, used, returned, and still has. It does not maintain real warehouse stock.

Advanced mode

Spare parts inventory
  ↓
Spare parts request (does not deduct stock)
  ↓
Spare parts delivery (deducts shipping warehouse stock after approval)
  ↓
Sign-off
  ├─ Personal inventory receipt → create material requisition order → increase personal inventory
  └─ Spare parts inventory receipt → create inbound order → increase receiving warehouse stock
  ↓
Work order consumption / spare parts return shipment
  ├─ Source = personal inventory → affects personal inventory
  └─ Source = spare parts inventory → affects warehouse stock

• Engineers can still pick warehouse parts into personal inventory. After requisition outbound, personal inventory increases and warehouse stock decreases.
• Service providers or repair sites can also submit a spare parts request. A request may or may not link to a work order. The request itself does not deduct stock.
• After a request reaches Pending Shipment, the warehouse creates a delivery order from the request. After the delivery order is approved, the system creates an outbound order for the shipping warehouse and deducts stock.
• Sign-off destination depends on receipt mode. Personal inventory receipt creates a material requisition order and increases engineer personal inventory. Spare parts inventory receipt creates an inbound order and increases receiving warehouse stock. One delivery can include only requests that use the same receipt mode.
• Work-order consumption must select a source. Personal inventory source uses personal inventory details. Spare parts inventory source uses stock in the selected New Part Consumption Warehouse and requires a used-part recovery warehouse.
• A spare parts return shipment returns unused good parts or recovered used parts to a target warehouse. You can return by request item or by stock item from spare parts inventory or personal inventory. After confirmation, the system creates an outbound order or material return order and deducts source quantity. After the target warehouse signs off, that warehouse stock increases.

Core concepts

Easy-to-confuse concepts

How inventory changes

Notes

• Each organization selects only one mode. Mode changes visible menus, available part sources, and stock meaning. Before switching, confirm whether you need personal inventory and whether warehouse stock should live in Field Service.
• Spare parts requests, delivery orders, and return shipment orders initialize only in Advanced mode with new spare parts consumption. If Advanced mode is on but these entries are missing, check whether old spare parts consumption is still in use.
• Do not use Simple-mode consumption records to judge whether warehouse or personal inventory decreased.
• Work order is required for spare parts consumption. Simple mode selects parts from products. Normal mode selects from personal inventory details. Advanced mode must first choose personal inventory or spare parts inventory as the source.

Related topics

• Select spare parts management mode
• Configure spare parts classification and inventory
• Manage personal inventory
• Request and ship spare parts
• Consume and return spare parts
• Manage service BOM