Walk into most line stations and you'll find the same thing: shelves packed with parts that haven't moved in months.
The problem isn't complex, but it's expensive. Line maintenance teams buy parts like they're preparing for the apocalypse.
"Better safe than sorry," they say, while $30,000 worth of dead stock collects dust three feet away.
Here's the brutal truth: overbuying for "coverage" doesn't create uptime.
It creates cash flow problems and cluttered storerooms.
The Real Cost of Playing It Safe
I watched this play out at a busy A320 line station last year.
The team prided itself on "never being caught short."
Their inventory looked impressive—filters, seals, minor components stacked floor to ceiling.
But when we ran the numbers, the reality hit hard.
Nearly 40% of their line stock hadn't moved in six months.
$30,000 tied up in parts that were "just in case" purchases.
Meanwhile, they were expediting critical items they didn't stock because nobody tracked what actually moved.
The kicker?
They thought they were being smart.
This scenario plays out everywhere because most teams plan material needs around fear, not facts.
The Data-Driven Solution That Actually Works
Smart line maintenance material planning starts with three simple principles that eliminate guesswork:
1. Build your plan from data—not guesses
Your line maintenance tasks are predictable. The same inspections, the same parts, over and over.
If you track your consumption by task card or MPD item, you can map demand to reality.
That means no more guessing, no more hoarding. Just precision.
Not every part deserves shelf space. Stock what you consume. Period.
2. Use task-based kits, not piecemeal picks
Stop buying individual parts for routine maintenance.
Bundle everything needed for recurring task cards into standardized kits.
One kit covers your 150-hour checks.
Another handles your 300-hour intervals.
Each kit contains exactly what those task cards require—nothing more, nothing less.
This approach cuts ordering time, reduces picking errors, and ensures you stock what actually moves.
No mystery parts. No "I think we need this" purchases.
3. Replenish based on cycles, not calendars
Instead of restocking every quarter or “when it feels low,” use consumption cycles to drive timing.
If a kit supports 20 checks, you know it needs to be replenished around check #18. No guesswork.
No surprises. No dead stock.
We helped one operator shift to cycle-based kitting and cut their line station inventory by 40%—with better uptime.
The Bottom Line
Your line station doesn't need more parts. It needs the right parts at the right time.
Data-driven material planning eliminates dead stock, improves cash flow, and ensures you have the necessary materials when aircraft arrive at your line.
No more cluttered shelves.
No more emergency expedites.
Just efficient operations that support reliable turnarounds.
Stop buying insurance policies disguised as inventory.
Start planning material needs around consumption cycles and task card reality.
✅ Want to see what smarter kitting could look like at your stations? Let’s run a material consumption audit and show you exactly where you’re overbuying.