Like almost all mechanical and plant engineering companies, the market leader for extrusion technology, the Reifenhäuser Group, is facing the challenge of offering its customers a high level of delivery service for spare parts, while ensuring that the costs of inventory and warehousing remain acceptable. In a joint presentation with ebp-consulting, the head of services, Mr Marcus Schroeder, reported on the project to improve availability of spare parts while simultaneously optimising inventories. Although an evident contradiction, it was resolved by establishing a systematic policy for the scheduling of service parts. This was achieved through comprehensive data analysis of logistical movement patterns for all relevant article numbers and the subsequent classification of the articles according to a defined scheme. ebp’s proprietary, extremely efficient analysis and simulation tool was used to develop a scheduling policy and to systematically assess each of the respective performance indicators. This ebp tool enabled the development and comparison of different variants for delivery service and inventory costs. Successful implementation began with a pilot project, which also involved systematic training of the dispatchers. Among the key lessons learned was that scheduling parameters require continuous monitoring and, when necessary, modification, as a sustainable outcome will otherwise be impossible.