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&#39;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&#39;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&#39;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&#39;re not forever dependent on parts that are disappearing from the market. It&#39;s really about finding that sweet spot where we&#39;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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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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