Resources
Preparing for an inventory project
Reference material for chief engineers, vessel officers, superintendents, purchasing teams, and yard project teams considering an inventory audit, a storeroom restoration, or a newbuild loadout.
Before we arrive
What helps a project start well
- Access to the current inventory records or system export
- Equipment and machinery list, with makers where available
- Existing storeroom location scheme, if one exists
- Known problem areas: spares that have gone missing or been reordered
- Planned yard periods, voyages, or crew changes affecting access
- A vessel point of contact for storeroom access and questions
Warning signs
Indicators that an inventory has drifted
- Parts reordered because nobody could confirm they were onboard
- Records showing quantities the shelf does not support
- Unlabeled or hand-labeled bags with no traceable part number
- Spares stored where they fit, not where the system says they are
- Duplicate entries under different descriptions or part numbers
- Crews keeping private lists because the system is not trusted
Common questions
Frequently asked
- What is the difference between an audit and a full-service project?
- An audit documents the true condition of the inventory: what is onboard, what is missing, what cannot be identified, and what the records get wrong. A full-service project carries out the corrections — counting, matching spares to equipment, reconciling the software, correcting locations, relabeling, repackaging, and reorganizing the storeroom.
- Are consumables included?
- Consumables are excluded from the full inventory scope unless the client separately includes them in the agreed scope.
- Which inventory systems can you work with?
- Never-Lo has hands-on experience with Maximo®, NSE, BASSnet®, and other computerized maintenance and inventory-management systems. That experience is independent and project-based; Never-Lo is not employed by, endorsed by, or formally affiliated with the developers or owners of these platforms.
- Do you train the crew?
- Never-Lo works alongside vessel personnel when appropriate, providing practical guidance and familiarization throughout the project. This helps the crew understand and maintain the completed system; however, formal training is not the primary purpose of the engagement unless separately included in the scope.
- When should a newbuild storeroom be established?
- During the newbuild or shipyard phase, before the vessel enters service. Loadout spares can be accounted for, scalable storage locations established, and the physical inventory reconciled with the vessel's management software while there is still time to do it properly.
- What do we receive at the end of a project?
- A clear account of the inventory's condition, the discrepancies identified, the corrections made or recommended, and the opportunities for improvement — in a format usable by both shipboard crews and shore teams.
Downloads & references
Additional material
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