Phillip Slater's

Inventory Revolution

Materials and Spare Parts Inventory Management & Optimization

Since 2001 Phillip has advised:

• 315 companies

• with +1,000 storerooms

• holding $3.6bn of inventory

Go to Phillip Slater's CV

Phillip Slater is a qualified mechanical engineer, an experienced operations manager, a seasoned management consultant, and a published author. Phillip holds degrees from the University of NSW and Monash University. He has authored four operations management books, including Smart Inventory Solutions and The Optimization Trap. He is in demand internationally as a consultant, conference speaker, and trainer and has been published more than 100 times in industry and trade magazines around the world.

Since 2001, Phillip has provided inventory management consulting, advice, and training to 297 companies, managing 1,000 storerooms, holding +$3.5bn of inventory.

With nearly 25 years of operational and consulting experience Phillip Slater provides a broad combination of skills and experience. As a known entity with a reputation for results Phillip Slater is perhaps your lowest risk option for addressing materials and spare parts management issues.  Read testimonials and case studies

What is an Inventory Revolution?

A revolution occurs when a fundamental change takes place in a relatively short period.  An inventory revolution occurs when you change the way that your company approaches and manages its spare parts inventory.  This takes much more than just software, this requires a shift in practices, policies, procedures, metrics and reporting.

What do you do?

As a Materials and Spare Parts Management Specialist I help (typically large) companies achieve real savings through inventory optimization (reducing their working capital), improving the control of ongoing inventory spend (so that they maintain the benefits into the future) and, 'fixing it for good' (so that they don't keep revisiting the same old problems).

How do you do help companies improve their results?

I provide a combination of analytical review, policy and procedure development, training, and implementation support. The process the I employ for inventory optimization is the Inventory Process Optimization Method.

The focus is on improving the client company's understanding of key issues, and the skills and knowledge of their key personnel.  As much as is possible I also seek to have much of the work done by the client team members as this is the best way to get them to ‘buy into’ the results and change their mindset about what is possible. I achieve this by working with the client team to identify and then make the changes.

There are a number of ways that companies can leverage my experience to improve their results (for more detail visit the consulting or training pages):

• Snapshot Reviews - a diagnostic review of inventory management capability, accountability and systems

• Implementation Programs - including the Inventory Process Optimization Method and policy/procedure development

• Training Boot Camps - a multi-day intensive program that gets you team into shape for inventory optimization

• Short Course Training - single day training sessions

• Leveraged Consulting - remote consulting advice and coaching

• The Warehouse Knowledge Base - a depository of articles, videos, guidelines and more

• Purchasing my books  - Smart Inventory Solutions, A New Strategy for Continuous Improvement, The Optimization Trap

• Materials and Spare Parts Management Blog - visit the blog

• Inventory Insights tips - sign up on our home page

• Visit our on-line resource center - www.SparePartsKnowHow.com

But lots of people do consulting and training - why should they use you?

There are three reasons why any company serious about achieving results should use my services:

1. Results - My track record of success shows that I actually do get results.

2. Tailored Solutions - I have a unique specialty - engineering materials and spare parts management. I am often told that no one else really specializes in this area. It is because I have a background covering engineering, maintenance, operations, logistics and finance that I am able to uniquely cover all aspects of this discipline.

3. Team Engagement - it is my belief that power lies in the actions that you take with the knowledge that you have. All of my work is targeted at engaging your team to improve their skills and empower them to take action (that's why my company si called Initiate Action!).

All good reasons why you should leverage my experience! 

So do you work with all types or inventory? 

No I specialize in MRO, engineering materials, and spare parts inventory.

So who are your clients?

My clients cover a wide range of different industries. Here is a sample list:

• SCA – a global hygiene and paper company with sales in 100 countries

• Transocean – the world’s largest offshore drilling contractor

• OneSteel - Australia’s largest manufacturer and distributor of structural and other steel products

• One Steel Piping Systems - Australia’s leading provider of pipe, valves and fittings

• OneSteel Manufacturing - Whyalla based blast furnace on steel making operation

• RasGas – one of Qatar’s leading energy companies in the global liquid natural gas (LNG) industry

• Delta Electricity - the largest capacity electricity generator in the National Electricity Market

• Yarra Valley Water – one of Australia’s largest retail water supply and sewerage businesses

• V/Line Passenger – Australia’s largest regional public transport operator

• Boart Longyear – the world’s leading provider of mineral exploration drilling services and drilling products

• SLA – the no. 1 designer, manufacturer and distributor of lighting systems in Australia & New Zealand

• Davey Products – a market leading manufacturer and exporter of water pumps and filtration equipment

• Biota – a leading anti-infective drug development company

• Orbital Corporation - an international designer and developer of innovative engine management systems

• Cargill - an international producer of food, agricultural, finacial and industrial products and servcies

• CBC Bearings - Australia's bearing inventory and distribution network

• MEP Flims - a division of the World Mark group of companies

• Sharp Corporation - global manufacturer of electronics goods

• Kellogg's - global manufacturer of breakfast cereals and snacks

You might also be interested in seeing some testimonials and case studies

If you rely principally on one person how can you service a company of our size?

They key is the way I work.  By involving your team, rather than bringing in a team, I ensure a skills transfer and this helps deliver lasting results. The thing to remember is that your team needs a combination of skill and process improvement, not more people.

Also, when appropriate, we can pilot a program and then train your people to roll it out across your organization.

Finally, because we have developed a Global Partner Network we have access to other companies that we have trained in the application of our processes.

But my team are all busy.

Sure they are but aren't they always busy? The issue is priority and getting the best from your time and money.  If you go for a 'quick and dirty' solution that doesn’t change the team’s behaviors and skills then you will keep getting the same result.  They key question is - how important is this to you?

I am not sure about working with an individual.

The advantages of this are:

• You deal directly with the principal and decision maker, this makes me more responsive and more flexible in delivery.  Consulting firms lack this because they all focus on employee utilization (I know this because I have had senior positions in a couple of major consulting firms).

• You are not paying for people to learn the consulting business - I already know what I am doing!

• My approach is tailored - I do not provide ‘off the shelf’ packages. Many people don't realize that big firms need to use standard approaches as a way of maximizing the efficiency of their team, not your team!

• My expenses will be less because you are not paying for a team of people.

And at the end of the day you are paying for value and results, not quantity and size.

What about working with a guy from Australia?

I have been providing consulting services all over the world since 1994. During that time I have worked in more than a dozen countries from Europe, the Middle East, throughout Asia and in North America.  My location is no impediment to a successful project. The 'travel issue' is also something of a myth. The costs of travel are much lower these days than they have been in the past and it would be unlikely to be even 10% of the total cost of engagement. 

Also, I have run programs that involve many locations. For those programs I had teams working at each location while I provided the operational insight and leadership. In short, I have experience in successfully running programs simultaneously across a number of different countries.

What about risk management?

Anyone engaging an external resource needs to consider the risk issues associated with that engagement. Can they do the job? Will they do the job? Will they engage or alienate my team? Will they leave me hanging if there is a problem? My response is that as a known entity with a global reputation for successful outcomes Phillip Slater is perhaps your lowest risk option for addressing materials and spare parts management issues.