What is a stock-out?

Needed a part, shelf was empty — the delay that turns a repair into downtime.

A stock-out is when a needed item isn't on the shelf. In maintenance, it's rarely just a purchasing miss — it's a job waiting on a courier while a machine stays down.

Stock-out rate on critical spares is a leading downtime indicator. Preventing them is what reorder points, safety stock and tying parts to upcoming work orders are for.

• How it's used