Abstract
Spare part inventory management is an essential aspect in the operation of process
plants to ensure the optimal running of processes. A mature, well-functioning system is
the backbone of a robust spare part inventory management system. Experts in the field
are consulted to determine what dimensions constitute a mature spare part management
system. Expert opinions are validated against one another using the Best-Worst Method
to determine the weights of the various dimensions and sub-dimensions, establishing a
newly developed maturity model. The most critical dimensions were production impact,
economic impact, database administration methods and criticality analysis. Five Food and
Beverage companies were interviewed to assess their maturity level and test the maturity
model. The results varied with companies corresponding to the various levels between
the Initial (Level 1) to the Optimised (Level 5) level of maturity due to the different key
focuses on the dimensions of the various companies.