Disorganized Small Parts Cost You Time and Money

It’s a problem that may occur frequently in your shop. You need a small part, such as a screw, heat-shrink terminal or O-ring, and you must stop everything to look for it. Maybe it’s in a box or drawer, mixed up with other small parts that need to be sorted and organized. Maybe it’s been misplaced, or you used the last of your stock and didn’t replenish it. Perhaps the part was improperly stored and no longer usable. You find yourself running out to a brick-and-mortar store to buy parts more often than you’d like.

The time you spend looking for small parts cuts into your productivity and increases your operating expenses. Not to mention, the disorganization of your inventory does not allow you to see whether you’re overstocked, under-stocked or completely out of specific parts you use regularly. Improper storage can even damage certain small parts, leading to an unpleasant surprise when you need them.

You need an inventory management solution to keep your shop more efficient and lower your inventory costs. How much better would your shop run if the right parts were kept in an easily accessible place when you need them?

The problem is, inventory management and tracking can be time consuming. According to SCORE, a nonprofit catering to small businesses, 43 percent of small businesses still track inventory by hand rather than using an automated system. This can lead to human error, further complicating your inventory tracking efforts and impacting your budget.

Fortunately, Kimball Midwest has many great options for your shop that will save you time, keep you organized and reduce your overall operating costs with very little work on your part.

A Maintenance Efficiency Center (MEC) is a space-saving option that is tailored to your needs. Your small, inexpensive items are organized in well-labeled drawers or bins, allowing you to find what you need quickly and easily. With nearly 700 drawer assortments to choose from, you can create an MEC that perfectly suits the needs of your shop.

• Makes it easy to find small parts
• Saves space, since storage is tailored to needs
• Keeps everything in a central location
• Eliminates ordering errors
• Reduces downtime

The Ultimate Assortments program allows you to keep a variety of similar small parts on hand you regularly use, labeled accordingly and sorted into trays or bins. You have 700 options to choose from, so there is something for every need, from automotive to electrical to fluid flow. The benefits of Ultimate Assortments include:

• Makes it easy to find small parts
• Eliminates reorder errors
• Reduces downtime
• Satisfies frequent maintenance needs

Plan-O-Graphs are a customized option if prepackaged options don’t work for you. You can choose storage equipment and assortments that cover multiple product lines and accommodate the needs of different workstations. The benefits of this option include:

• Makes it easy to find small parts
• Is customized specifically to the needs of individual work areas
• Increases productivity/decreases downtime
• Eliminates unneeded products
• Eliminates ordering errors

Best of all, these inventory management solutions come with a sales representative who services your shop, visiting regularly to check inventory levels, maintain organization, clean your storage equipment and reorder stock. This frees you up to concentrate on your job.

If organizing your shop has proven difficult and you need some help, we are here to help!