Industry Report

Unlocking cost savings in spare parts management

The 2026 benchmark report on MRO spend, productivity, and working capital

New research from 362 manufacturing executives shows exactly where spare parts management creates or destroys free cash flow. Get the data, and the business case to bring it to your leadership team.

In this report:

Benchmark your inventory and visibility against 362 global manufacturing peers
See which value drivers most affect spend, productivity, and working capital
Get a ready-made framework to build the business case for MRO investment

From strategy gaps to free cash flow

Last year, SPARETECH's MRO Strategy Gap Report identified four structural disconnects holding manufacturers back: rising inventory spend alongside persistent stockouts, growing working capital tied up in parts that may never be used, MRO's low strategic priority despite its effect on margins, and slow adoption of MRO software despite clear evidence of its value.

This year's research moves beyond identifying the problem. It shows manufacturing executives how to turn spare parts management into a measurable free cash flow story, and how to put that story in front of the people who need to hear it.

Key findings from the 2026 survey

More than 50% of organizations have no global visibility across their operations.

Organizations hold $169 million in spare parts, while inventory reduction ranks as the lowest-impact value driver.

Bridging executive and operational priorities strengthens the business case for MRO improvement.

Productivity use cases account for four of the five top MRO value drivers.

18% of MRO inventory remains unused after five years.

12% of orders are placed outside negotiated framework agreements.

45% of organizations have no standardized global data enrichment process.

Get the full report

Keep exploring MRO value drivers

Webinar

Unlocking cost savings in spare parts management

We explore what is preventing manufacturers from turning spare parts management into measurable business value, and how they can close the gaps to value creation.

2025 Report

The MRO strategy gap

Discover the four gaps in MRO strategy facing manufacturers today and get the insights you need to strategically manage MRO, increase efficiency, improve free cash flow, and unlock measurable value across operations and procurement.

Download now

Unlocking cost savings in spare parts management

The 2026 benchmark report on MRO spend, productivity, and working capital

Download the report

From strategy gaps to free cash flow

Key findings from the 2026 survey

Methodology

These are just the headlines

Keep exploring MRO value drivers