No matter what problem you face in business today, someone will have a high-tech solution. The Internet is ubiquitous and “digital solutions” is the buzz phrase of the moment. (You may even be reading this article online or in an electronic edition.) But does this necessarily mean high-tech solutions are better, or even that high-tech is appropriate? I think not.
There are many high-tech tools to help with spare parts inventory management. These include bar coding, radio frequency identifiers (RFID) and the power of your ERP software system. Note, however, that I refer to these as “high-tech tools” not “high-tech solutions.” This is because in my experience, these tools are not solutions; they are aids mostly designed to help improve labor efficiency.