Inventory+: How Rockwell’s Smart Spare Parts Program Keeps Your Facility Running

In manufacturing, every facility needs spare parts close at hand, but the traditional “buy-and-own” approach often creates more problems than it solves.

When you buy parts outright, the warranty starts ticking the day they arrive, whether they’re used or not. You make a large capital investment in hardware that might sit on the shelf for years, incurring holding costs like taxes, insurance, and storage, all while risking that those same parts will become obsolete when your equipment is modernized. The result is “dead” inventory that ties up money and space until it’s eventually scrapped.

Rockwell Automation’s Inventory+ Service Agreement offers a smarter alternative. Instead of owning your spare parts, you gain access to Rockwell-owned inventory stored right at your facility. The warranty doesn’t start until the part is put into service, the upfront capital burden disappears, and you’re free to adjust your inventory as your equipment evolves. It’s a simple shift from ownership to access with big benefits for uptime, flexibility, and your bottom line.

At HESCO, we work with manufacturers every day who are looking to move away from reactive maintenance and toward proactive asset management. Inventory+ fits perfectly into that mindset. It’s a way to make sure your facility is always prepared without the financial and logistical headaches of traditional spare parts ownership.

What Is Inventory+?

At its core, Inventory+ is a Rockwell Automation service agreement that gives you immediate access to critical spare parts, both on your site and through Rockwell’s regional HUBs for fast replenishment. The inventory is Rockwell-owned, meaning you get all the reliability of having parts on hand without the upfront CapEx or long-term carrying costs.

Every Inventory+ agreement also includes the entitlements of a Repair+ Service Agreement, which covers the cost of repairing or replacing parts used under the contract. Repair+ can also be used to remanufacture any Rockwell hardware or repair 3rd party parts, regardless of whether it's on Inventory+. This combination makes Inventory+ a comprehensive approach to asset support, helping you keep production moving while controlling both maintenance costs and risk.

How It Works

An Inventory+ agreement starts with a custom Bill of Materials (BOM) based on your installed base. When a part from your on-site inventory is used, that’s when you pay for it; the cost is triggered only upon consumption. At that point, the inventory is replenished, so your coverage stays intact.

How that replenishment happens depends on the type of part. Repairable parts are sent through Rockwell’s remanufacturing hub, where they’re restored to like-new condition and returned to your inventory,  saving you money compared to buying new. Consumable parts, on the other hand, are replaced with new components.

For facilities that need an additional layer of protection, Rockwell also offers an enhanced replenishment option that provides access to a dedicated pool of exchange inventory. This priority backup stock is available exclusively to participating contract customers and can further reduce turnaround time for replacements.

It ensures you always have critical spares within reach, while Rockwell manages the logistics, quality, and warranty behind the scenes. The agreement also includes repair coverage for parts on your BOM through Repair+, which can be structured as either Repair+ Spend, a prepaid repair budget with 20% additional buying power, or Repair+ Inclusive, which provides a predictable, fixed cost for the life of the contract to cover the remanufacturing of your Rockwell hardware.

The result is a continuous cycle of readiness. When a part fails, you replace it immediately with the spare on your shelf, and Rockwell handles the rest: repair, replenishment, and warranty management, all without disrupting your operations.

Why Manufacturers Choose Inventory+

Every manufacturer knows that downtime is expensive, but the real value of Inventory+ goes beyond just having parts nearby. The program delivers measurable improvements across your maintenance, finance, and operations teams.

First, it reduces downtime risk. With parts available on-site, you can respond instantly to failures. There’s no waiting on lead times, no expedited shipping, and no guessing which vendor might have stock.

Second, it improves cash flow. Because Rockwell owns the inventory, you’re not paying upfront to buy spare parts that might sit unused for years. Instead, you move from a capital expense model to an operational one: predictable, budgetable, and easier to manage.

Third, Inventory+ optimizes your spare parts inventory. The BOM can be adjusted as your production needs change, ensuring you’re always covered for your current equipment without overstocking obsolete components.

Finally, the program provides digital insights that support sustainability and cost reduction. With access to data from Rockwell’s tracking systems, including a sustainability calculator, you can measure how effectively you’re using your inventory and identify opportunities to streamline your operations even further.

Who Benefits from Inventory+

Inventory+ was designed for manufacturers who rely heavily on Rockwell Automation hardware and need predictable, reliable access to spare parts. It’s especially valuable for facilities that:

• Have a large Rockwell installed base but limited maintenance coverage.
• Depend on transactional repairs and want to move toward a more structured support model.
• Have completed an Installed Base Evaluation (IBE) and want to act on the insights gained.
• Need a simpler way to manage spare parts without the burden of ownership.

Maintenance managers, storeroom supervisors, and plant engineers often find the most immediate benefit. Instead of juggling part numbers and vendor lead times, they gain confidence that critical spares are ready and replenished automatically.

Overcoming Common Misconceptions

It’s common for facilities to think they don’t need a program like Inventory+. After all, “we already keep spares on hand” is a familiar refrain. But traditional spare parts management often hides costs and inefficiencies that only become clear over time.

When you purchase spares outright, you tie up capital in parts that may never be used. If they sit long enough, those parts can fall out of warranty or become obsolete before they ever touch a machine. Inventory+ eliminates the waste. Your parts are always current, warrantied, and ready to use.

Another concern is cost. Some assume an agreement adds expense, but in practice, it often saves money. One unplanned downtime event can easily exceed the annual cost of an Inventory+ contract. And because it’s billed as a fixed monthly, quarterly, or annual fee, your maintenance budget becomes predictable and easier to justify.

Finally, some worry about flexibility, like if you change our equipment or processes. Not to worry, Inventory+ is built for that. Your BOM can be updated as your facility evolves, ensuring your coverage always matches your current needs.

A Smarter Approach to Uptime

Think of Inventory+ as an evolution in how manufacturers approach spare parts management. Instead of relying on a patchwork of purchased spares, phone calls, and emergency shipments, you gain a structured, data-backed system that keeps your facility prepared for whatever happens next.

It’s also a bridge between preventive and predictive maintenance. By ensuring you always have the right parts available, Inventory+ allows your maintenance team to focus on root-cause analysis, long-term reliability, and strategic improvement rather than scrambling to source replacements.

In short, it shifts your organization from being reactive to being ready.

Getting Started

The first step toward implementing Inventory+ is understanding your current asset landscape. That’s why many customers begin with a Rockwell Installed Base Evaluation (IBE). The IBE provides a full audit of your automation assets, identifying what’s active, obsolete, or at risk, and serves as the foundation for building your Inventory+ Bill of Materials.

From there, HESCO works with you to customize the agreement to your specific needs, balancing coverage, budget, and production priorities. Once active, your Inventory+ plan immediately provides access to Rockwell’s replenishment network, repair coverage, and ongoing support.

The goal is simple: keep your plant running efficiently, reduce downtime risk, and turn your spare parts management into a strategic advantage rather than a logistical burden.

The Bottom Line

In today’s manufacturing environment, time is money, and so is preparedness. Inventory+ allows you to maintain uptime, protect your investment, and simplify how you manage your automation assets. It gives you the confidence that no matter what happens on your production line, you’re ready.

If you’re looking for a smarter, more flexible approach to managing your critical spares, HESCO can help you determine whether Inventory+ is the right fit for your facility. Contact our team to learn how this program can reduce risk, stabilize costs, and keep your operations moving forward.