Parts & maintenance · Updated 24 September 2026
Stop making your technicians search the whole parts list
A spare parts catalogue connects what a technician sees on a machine with the information a buyer needs to place an order. The most useful catalogues combine recognisable views, stable item references and clear part descriptions.
The long-list problem
Consider an end user looking for a replacement seal in a spreadsheet containing hundreds of rows. Several descriptions say only seal kit. Without an assembly view or equipment applicability, the buyer must interrupt a technician or make an uncertain selection. An illustrated catalogue can narrow the path from machine to assembly to item, with the approved ordering reference beside it. It should also identify whether the item is supplied alone or only within a kit. This does not prove compatibility: the responsible parts owner must approve the reference and any supersession.
Measure the search, not an invented saving
Choose a small group of known parts and ask a service reviewer to locate their approved references. Record unsuccessful searches, ambiguous descriptions and missing configuration information. These observations help prioritise work and can later support a measured comparison. Avoid publishing a percentage improvement without a defined baseline and comparable test. A useful first release may cover the ten assemblies that cause the most queries while the remainder of the product catalogue is progressively checked.
Create an identification path
Start with the complete machine, then lead the reader through major assemblies to replaceable parts. Use the same assembly names in the contents, illustrations and lists. An exploded view should help identification; it should not be treated as an assembly procedure unless that procedure has been separately prepared and reviewed.
Keep the list and the picture together
Each balloon should resolve to a row in the parts list. Each listed item should have an understandable reference, description and quantity basis. Make clear whether quantities are per assembly, per machine or per kit. Where left-hand and right-hand components differ, describe the difference rather than relying on a photograph alone.
Treat alternatives carefully
Supplier references and replacement options need a controlled source. Similar appearance does not establish interchangeability. Have the customer approve substitute part references and record applicability to different machine versions. This is especially useful when a product has changed over several years.
Put it into practice
- Reconcile balloons against the approved BOM.
- State the quantity basis.
- Identify kits and their included parts.
- Show the applicable equipment revision or serial range.
- Check supplier references with the responsible team.
Illustrative educational content. Equipment-specific instructions require your responsible technical authority’s approval.
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