Survey Reveals Communication and Planning Gaps Hampering U.S. Manufacturers

Lack of inventory planning, fragmented communication across departments, and underutilized technology are key barriers for manufacturers, educational and medical institutions, life sciences firms, food processors, automotive makers, and facility maintenance companies, according to a recent nine‑month survey by Storeroom Solutions Inc.

The comprehensive study gathered input from a broad spectrum of industries and company sizes, ranging from less than 100 employees to over 1,000.

More than half of respondents reported that the condition of their maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) or indirect materials storeroom frequently leads to reliability issues or plant downtime. The survey also highlighted a stark lack of communication between the storeroom, purchasing, and the rest of the organization, and found that most companies lack end‑to‑end visibility into how inventory moves across their supply chain.

"In the U.S. alone, more than $500 billion is spent annually on MRO spare parts and services," said Michael Weinberg, vice president of sales and marketing for Storeroom Solutions. "A tremendous amount of time and resources are consumed managing that spending to maintain production reliability and maintenance effectiveness. This survey confirms what we already knew about MRO management while revealing new trends as well," he added.

For additional details or to view the full survey, visit www.storeroomsolutions.com.