A man looking at a mechanical seal in front of a spare parts shelf
8 min read

Spare parts: A sophisticated system is behind every fast delivery

 

If a pump component fails, the downtime costs for the company start to increase rapidly. KSB supplies the right spare part quickly and smoothly – whether it’s a joint ring weighing just a few grammes or a casing for a mining pump weighing several tonnes. But behind this seemingly run-of-the-mill process is a global logistics system that guarantees efficiency and reliability. 

Bar chart of downtime costs per year in the automotive industry, heavy industry and the oil & gas sectors

Downtimes cause high costs

Production downtimes caused by component failures create considerable costs for companies. A Siemens study shows that the financial burden of downtimes is increasing in many branches of industry. Downtime costs in heavy industry increased 1.6 times to 59 million US dollars per plant per year between 2019 and 2023. The world’s 500 largest companies are losing around 11 % of their revenue as a result of unscheduled downtime – a total of 1.4 trillion US dollars, which is equivalent to the annual GDP of Spain. Furthermore, the average time to get production up and running following downtime increased from 49 to 81 minutes. One reason for this is that predictive maintenance prevents many smaller, quickly rectifiable failures, which increases the proportion of time-consuming faults. However, in addition to a shortage of skilled labour, the study also identifies supply chain issues with sourcing spare parts as a further cause. Fast and reliable spare parts deliveries are therefore crucial to maintaining production processes and minimising losses.

Four factors for efficient spare parts logistics

Whether via the KSB Web-Shop, the MyKSB customer portal, an electronic interface from the company’s own SAP system or in the traditional way via a sales or service employee, ordering spare parts is easy for KSB customers. However, it takes a combination of experience, technology and foresight to ensure that the components reach our customers quickly and reliably. Here are four factors that are crucial to ensuring fast spare parts deliveries: 

A laptop showing the KSB Web-Shop on the screen

1. Excellently maintained data

Standardisation and automation provide the basis for speed when it comes to spare parts logistics. Orders can only be processed quickly and reliably if the underlying data such as customer data, supplier data, material ident. numbers and spare part properties are correct. Here’s an example: If the house number is missing in the customer data, the interfaces of transport service providers such as DHL or FedEx cannot process the order. Manual intervention is then necessary – and that costs valuable time. Similarly, if the weight of a component is missing in the system or is updated incorrectly, the order cannot be handed over to the transport service provider. Accurate data maintenance is also crucial for compliance with legal requirements, such as EU regulations or customs regulations. At KSB, data quality is a key priority – because we know that every minute counts when spare parts are needed. For our customers, this means fast access, smooth processes and reliable delivery. 

2. A worldwide network of warehouses

With a global network of six spare parts warehouses in Grünstadt (Germany), Johannesburg (South Africa), Pune (India), Shanghai (China), Várzea Paulista (Brazil) and Richmond (USA), KSB ensures that spare parts reach customers quickly and efficiently. This network offers two advantages: Firstly, the locations around the globe shorten transport routes, which significantly reduces delivery times. Secondly, the warehouse contents are precisely tailored to the needs of the local markets. 

For example, while spare parts for water pumps play a major role in Europe, spare parts for mining pumps are very important in South Africa. The global network of warehouses enables KSB to keep exactly the parts that are needed in stock in every region. Global networking via SAP enables transparent and efficient management. As the warehouses are digitally linked to each other, it is immediately clear which parts are available in India, China or South Africa. If a spare part is not in stock at one location, it can be quickly ordered from another warehouse. Following the principle of “local for local”, the strategic positioning of the warehouses close to the production plants ensures that most spare parts are manufactured locally. This not only saves time, but also enables additional services such as impeller trimming to adjust the flow rate of centrifugal pumps to match the optimum operating point. 

An employee of a KSB spare parts warehouse in an aisle between two shelves

3. Intelligent stockkeeping

Spare parts need to be available in the warehouses so they can be delivered quickly. KSB has set itself the goal of keeping 95 percent of the parts ordered in its spare parts warehouses at all times, enabling intelligent inventory planning. The software analyses historical consumption and demand data, then uses a variety of different algorithms to calculate future demand. It also takes seasonal fluctuations into account and derives optimum safety stocks that are fed into the system. Production orders are dynamically adjusted to the predicted demand to avoid overstocking and prevent bottlenecks. This innovative solution is already in use in KSB’s warehouses in South Africa, India, China and Germany. In future, it will be rolled out to additional locations. Through intelligent inventory planning, KSB ensures that customers receive their spare parts quickly and reliably – exactly when they are needed. 

4. The right logistics partner for every order

Fast and reliable delivery of spare parts depends on selecting the right logistics service provider – and KSB leverages the full spectrum of the logistics industry. Whether air freight, sea freight, DHL, GLS, FedEx or Schenker, every order is processed using the most suitable service provider. This ensures that both a small seal in an envelope and a component weighing several hundred kilograms will reach the customer quickly and efficiently. 

KSB’s global network of spare parts warehouses is once again an advantage here. The local employees are familiar with all the logistics service providers and know which provider is best suited to a particular order. Local logistics partners often have a particularly well-established network in their region, which further shortens delivery times. Where possible, KSB is networked with service providers via IT connections. This speeds up the ordering process and enables seamless delivery status tracking in real time. Thanks to a global warehouse network combined with targeted selection of logistics service providers and digital networking, KSB ensures that spare parts are delivered quickly, reliably and accurately – all over the world.

A spare part is no longer produced? No problem!

Pumps are often in operation for many decades. Some KSB customers are still operating pumps that were installed in the 1970s and for which spare parts have not been manufactured for many years. For cases like these, KSB’s reverse engineering team offers fast and pragmatic solutions. The required components are measured precisely to create a 3D model which serves as the basis for production. Depending on the requirements, the component is either cast or printed using a modern 3D metal printing process based on laser powder bed fusion. Final machining is then carried out with great care to ensure the highest quality and a perfect fit. As a leading supplier of pumps and valves, KSB is experienced at optimising almost everything, from individual impellers or shafts to entire assemblies – even for products from other manufacturers. 

A KSB employee checks the diameter of an impeller with a caliper.
Ein Mitarbeiter von KSB SupremeServ übergibt einer Frau ein Paket mit Ersatzteilen.

Learn about KSB’s spare parts services

From simple online ordering processes to customised reverse engineering, KSB provides replacement parts when you need them. You can quickly find the right part in our spare parts shop – simply search by serial number, pump type or ident. number and order directly. Registered and authorised users benefit in two ways: from fast delivery via our global warehouse locations and high availability, worldwide.

View spare parts solutions

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