CADENAS PARTsolutions has developed a Strategic Parts Management (SPM) platform to better manage standard parts and their usage as defined by business rules across various sectors, and not just in engineering. SPM serves as the missing link in Supply Chain Management (SCM) strategy by connecting manufacturer’s systems (ERP, PLM, CAD) to their supplier, industry and company standard parts. “Our mission is to help manufacturers save significant time and money by giving them more visibility and control over their standard parts data,” says Thomas. “Connecting the dots between engineering, procurement and suppliers is the key to uncovering huge cost savings.”

Up to 50 percent of a manufacturer’s products are comprised of standard parts. SPM makes it easy to find, reuse and control standard parts data critical to the design, planning and procurement stages of the supply chain. Gaining visibility and control of standard parts has big benefits for manufacturers with the overall value realized by several departments across the enterprise. As for Engineering, design time is reduced by up to 40 percent using advanced search capabilities. Hence, part reuse drastically reduces direct material spend and increases engineering efficiencies.

Planning and procurement also gains tighter control over the part selection process, driving engineers to select preferred parts and vendors as defined by the businesses, not just by the individuals. This prevents maverick buying, drives down per part costs, and increases leveraged buying power. Hence, order errors and shop floor fires are greatly reduced with more accurate Bills of Materials (BOMs).