# MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Operations)

> The supplies, parts, and consumables a maintenance team uses to keep operations running — separate from raw materials that become finished products.

Canonical URL: https://maintenease.com/learn/mro

## Definition

MRO stands for Maintenance, Repair, and Operations. It refers to the goods a business consumes to keep itself running, as opposed to the raw materials that get turned into finished products. Spare bearings, lubricants, hand tools, safety gloves, light bulbs, cleaning supplies, and PPE are all MRO. In accounting terms MRO is usually expensed rather than capitalized.

## Why MRO is hard to control

MRO inventory can sprawl because items are often low-value individually but material in aggregate. Multiple people may order from different suppliers without checking stock first; critical spares can become hard to find while obsolete parts remain on the shelf. Establish a verified baseline through counts and transaction review instead of assuming a universal inventory-accuracy gap.

## How a CMMS helps

A CMMS may connect on-hand quantity, reorder points, supplier, cost, and asset compatibility to work orders. Products vary: verify whether closing work changes stock automatically, how adjustments are approved, and which low-stock or vendor reports actually exist. The records are useful only when receipts, issues, returns, and counts are entered consistently.

## MRO best practices

Standardize on as few part numbers as possible; consolidate suppliers to negotiate better terms; lock the storeroom and require check-out; do a quarterly cycle count rather than an annual full inventory; and review the slow-moving list every six months to write off true obsolescence.

## FAQ

### Is MRO the same as spare parts?

Spare parts are a subset of MRO. MRO also covers consumables, tools, and operating supplies that are not strictly 'parts'.

### How much MRO inventory should I carry?

Enough to cover critical-spare lead times for assets where downtime is expensive, and no more. Anything else ties up cash without reducing risk.

## Related

- https://maintenease.com/learn/cmms
- https://maintenease.com/learn/work-order
- https://maintenease.com/learn/preventive-maintenance