Critical challenges of inventory management in service parts supply: A Delphi study

The primary purpose of the study is to determine the critical challenges facing service parts managers and to help bridge the gap between research and practice. In order to accomplish this, a series of semi-structured interviews with 18 senior service parts managers from a variety of industries frequently dealing with service parts inventory issues was used as the basis of input for a web-based Delphi study. The results of the study include 18 commonly identified potential service parts inventory issues and ten key challenges for the service parts supply industry. The identified challenges should serve as a guide for both researchers seeking to contribute to the service parts body of knowledge and practitioners who are regularly faced with service parts inventory issues.