Build It Once, Stock It Smart: How OEMs Can Streamline Low-Volume Inventory with General Machine

Spare parts are critical to customer satisfaction but managing them can be costly and inefficient — especially when those parts are low volume, irregularly ordered, or difficult to manufacture in-house.

At General Machine, we help OEMs simplify this challenge by providing small-batch, on-demand production and stocking support for spare and replacement parts. This approach helps reduce overhead, improve responsiveness, and increase aftermarket sales — all while freeing up internal resources.

The Challenge: Low-Volume Spare Parts, High Stakes

For many OEMs, it doesn’t make sense to keep full inventories of every spare part. At the same time, when a customer’s equipment breaks down and a part isn’t available, the consequences are immediate:

• Delayed repairs

• Lost sales

• Decreased customer satisfaction

• Potential loss of future equipment sales

Even when parts are technically available, long lead times or internal production bottlenecks can put strain on both your team and your customer relationships.

The Solution: Strategic Spare Parts Support from General Machine

We partner with OEMs to build and stock the parts that are essential but not always practical to keep on hand. This includes:

• Legacy parts for older equipment

• Specialized brackets, housings, shafts, and pins

• Small production runs for low-volume builds

• Complex parts that are time-consuming to produce in-house

We help fill the gap between “not enough volume to justify production” and “too important to be unavailable.”

Our Process: From Concept to Inventory

Whether you have a complete print or just a sample part, we can help. Here’s how our process typically works:

1. Part Identification & Intake

You provide a part drawing, CAD file, or physical sample — or simply describe what’s needed. We can reverse-engineer parts when documentation is missing.

2. Prototyping & Production

We fabricate or machine the part to spec, whether that’s one-off or a small batch. Our mix of CNC and manual equipment allows flexibility for complex and unconventional jobs.

3. Stocking & Fulfillment

We can hold inventory at our facility and ship parts on demand, giving you the benefit of availability without tying up capital or warehouse space.

The Business Case: Less Overhead, More Sales

Partnering with General Machine to manage spare parts production and stocking provides multiple advantages:

• Lower inventory costs – Reduce internal warehousing and excess stock

• Increased responsiveness – Deliver critical parts to customers faster

• Improved service levels – Position your brand as a responsive, reliable supplier

• More aftermarket revenue – Capture sales that might otherwise go to third-party providers

• Operational focus – Free up your production team to concentrate on building new equipment

Your equipment is only as reliable as the support behind it. When customers know that spare parts are ready to ship — not weeks away — they’re more likely to return for future service and equipment purchases.

At General Machine, we specialize in becoming that support system. We understand the urgency, the expectations, and the value of long-term reliability.

Let’s Talk About What You Need

Whether you’re looking to build a reliable spare parts program or simply need help with a few hard-to-source components, we’re ready to help. Contact us to learn more about how we can support your team with custom fabrication, machining, and inventory management for OEM spare parts.

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