Outsourcing av reservdelar. Studie på lokala små och medelstora företag

Sammanfattning: The  purpose of this work  is to investigate the  extent to which small and medium-sized manufacturing  companies handle spare  parts with  the help of outsourcing,  what factors influence  the decision, and what effect it has on the  maintenance  in  general.   The  aim  of the  study  is to identify  any  challenges that outsourcing  of spare  parts management creates. The  goal of the  study  is to  answer the  two  following  research questions:   ⦁  What are  the driving  forces for outsourcing  spare  parts management?   ⦁  How is maintenance  at  large  is  affected by  outsourcing  of spare  parts management?   It is important to note that due to the unpredictable  demand and uncertainty  about spare  parts, stock planning  and demand forecasts  are  challenges  for  spare  parts managers. This is a problem that can be  solved with the  right outsourcing  strategy.  It is a challenge  for  companies to find the  right solution based on  their manufacturing  and time-to-failure  rate. The  study  is conducted with semi-structured interviews with  people who are  directly connected to spare  parts  management and maintenance. Three  different companies,  about  the same size  on local level  have  been taken in the  study. The  study  has found  that there  is a significant  connection to  how outsourcing  affects  maintenance  and which  factors must be considered.  There  is clear potential for  increased  profitability  through  outsourcing  spare  parts management. The  results of the  study  cannot be  generalized but  must  be  applied  based on  the conditions the company  has.  Currently,  more  and more  companies choose to outsource  the  spare  parts management. This question  needs  to be studied deeply  in every  segment to display  what advantages  and disadvantages this option can have  for  specific  enterprises on different levels