Stock · Beginner

Understand Materials and Stock Management in ManWinWin

Learn how material records, stores and stock movements fit together in ManWinWin and support maintenance work. This introductory tour uses ManWinWin Web without creating or changing records.

Effective materials and stock management is crucial for seamless maintenance operations, ensuring the right parts are available when needed. In ManWinWin Web, understanding how material records, stores, and stock movements interconnect is fundamental to optimizing your maintenance inventory. This guide introduces the core components of stock management within ManWinWin Web.

Where it's available and step by step

Step by step in ManWinWin Web

1
Open Materials in ManWinWin Web to locate the area used to consult maintenance materials and spare parts.
2
Open an existing article by clicking its code and distinguish the material record, which identifies the article, from its stock quantity.
3
Return to Materials and use Stores to select a store, recognising it as a physical storage space rather than a separate material catalogue.
4
Locate Movements for a selected article and identify its purpose as access to stock activity, without analysing individual transactions in this lesson.
5
Locate Store Output, if your permissions allow it, and distinguish this stock-changing operation from simply viewing an article; do not create an output.
6
Open an existing work order in Works and expand Stock items to recognise where materials are reported against maintenance work, without adding or changing records.

Theory and technical background

The Role of Material Records in CMMS

A material record in a CMMS like ManWinWin is the master data for any item held in stock or used in maintenance, such as spare parts, consumables, or tools. It defines critical attributes like part number, description, unit of measure, cost, and safety stock levels. This foundational data distinguishes the item itself from its quantity, enabling consistent identification across different stores and transactions. Accurate material records are essential for effective procurement, inventory valuation, and ultimately, for supporting maintenance activities without delays due to part unavailability.

Understanding Stores and Stock Locations

In maintenance management, a 'store' (or warehouse) represents a physical location where materials are kept. It is a logical division within the CMMS that holds quantities of various material records. Unlike a separate catalogue, the store links directly to the defined material records, indicating how much of each item is available at that specific location. Proper organization and identification of stores are vital for inventory accuracy, enabling maintenance technicians to quickly locate necessary parts and supporting efficient stocktaking processes compliant with ISO 55000 asset management principles.

Stock Movements and Their Impact on Operations

Stock movements refer to all transactions that change the quantity or status of materials in a store, including receipts (inflows), issues (outflows), transfers, and adjustments. These movements are critical for maintaining accurate inventory levels and for financial tracking. Every stock movement directly impacts the available quantity and can influence KPIs like inventory turnover and carrying costs. Timely and precise recording of movements in ManWinWin ensures that maintenance planners have a real-time view of material availability, preventing stock-outs and enabling better scheduling of preventive and corrective work.

Best practices

Ensure unique and descriptive codes for all material records to avoid duplication.
Regularly review minimum and maximum stock levels to optimize inventory holdings.
Implement a clear process for all stock movements to maintain data accuracy.
Train technicians on correct material withdrawal procedures for work orders.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a 'material record' and 'stock quantity'?

A material record defines the item's identity (e.g., 'Bearing 6205'), its characteristics, and properties. Stock quantity refers to how many of that specific item are currently available in a particular store. The record is the definition; the quantity is the count at a location.

Why is it important to define specific 'stores' in ManWinWin?

Defining stores helps organize physical inventory locations. It allows tracking where specific parts are stocked, enabling efficient retrieval, accurate inventory counts per location, and better management of distributed spare parts, which is essential for large facilities or multiple sites.

How do stock movements relate to maintenance work orders?

Stock movements, specifically 'Store Output' or issue, record materials consumed against a work order. This linkage is crucial for costing maintenance tasks, tracking spare part usage, and ensuring accurate inventory levels. It provides data for critical analysis and budgeting.

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