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As a purchasing manager, how do you strategically balance inventory costs against production risks when dealing with discontinued AB ControlLogix parts that still support critical legacy equipment?

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Hey there! As a purchasing manager dealing with discontinued AB ControlLogix parts, I feel your pain. It's like walking a tightrope between inventory costs and production risks. On one hand, stocking up on these hard-to-find parts means tying up capital and dealing with storage costs. But on the other hand, if we don't have them when critical legacy equipment fails, production could grind to a halt - and that downtime costs way more than any inventory expense. What I've found works best is a tiered approach: I prioritize the most critical components that would cause the longest downtime if they failed, and keep a strategic safety stock of those. For less critical parts, I maintain relationships with specialized suppliers who can source discontinued components. I also work closely with engineering to identify potential upgrade paths or alternative solutions, so we're not forever dependent on parts that are disappearing from the market. It's really about finding that sweet spot where we're prepared but not over-invested. What specific ControlLogix parts are you dealing with? Maybe we can brainstorm some strategies together!

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