Inventory Cleansing for a Major UK Port Operator

The Customer

A major UK port operator with operations across England and Wales, managing an inventory of more than 16,000 individual parts at multiple sites to support critical marine, cargo and infrastructure services. Maintaining accurate inventory data and streamlined maintenance processes is essential to minimising downtime and optimising operational costs.

The Challenge

Like many organisations, the client faced widespread issues with inventory data integrity. Part descriptions were unstructured, making search and filtering difficult, leading to delays in maintenance and extended machine downtime. Part Numbers (P/N) were inconsistently populated, mixing vendor and manufacturer’s P/Ns which were frequently modified with prefixes or suffixes.

Original Part Manufacturer (OPM) numbers were rarely identified, as equipment manufacturers often assign their own references to bought-in components. Master data records were not consistently updated when part numbers or suppliers changed. These problems were further compounded by limited staff knowledge of cataloguing best practice and a lack of training in cost-reduction tactics.

The consequences were mounting - increased stock-out incidents, emergency purchases and rising holding costs. Senior management recognised the urgent need for intervention.