Playbook · MRO Distribution
How to automate the RFQ and sourcing process in MRO Distribution (2026)
Last updated September 2026
The short answer
Quote in minutes, not days — and never overpay again. 4 steps, in order, for a mro distribution operation.
What you are working against in MRO
- 15–25% of MRO stock excess or obsolete
- Most POs are low-value, off-contract tail spend
- Criticality and consumption buried in spreadsheets
Before you start: where MRO usually sits
| Metric | Typical for MRO | What good looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Quote Turnaround Time | 1–3 days | Tail-spend RFQs are the biggest speed opportunity |
| Days Sales of Inventory | 90–180+ days | Service buffers inflate DSI; watch the slow-mover tail |
| Inventory Turnover Ratio | 2–4 turns | Criticality buffers lower turns; target the dead tail |
| Inventory Carrying Cost | 25–35% / yr | Obsolescence risk pushes MRO higher |
Published ranges, not targets. Take your own baseline before step one.
The steps
- 1Compress RFQ cycles from days to minutes
- 2Benchmark every quote against fair market value to flag overpriced buys
- 3Compare supplier options and internal surplus in one pass
- 4Cut maverick and off-contract tail spend
Why it pays off
days → under 2 hours
20–30%
10 days
Frequently asked questions
How do you tell whether this is working in mro distribution?
Recompute the same way each period. Quote Turnaround Time: Quote Turnaround = Time(quote sent) − Time(RFQ received).
What does MRO start from?
Quote Turnaround Time of 1–3 days is the published band for mro distribution — tail-spend RFQs are the biggest speed opportunity. The 4 steps above are the same in any sector; the band you start from is not.
See what your inventory is really costing you.
Tell us where the cash is trapped — excess stock, idle surplus, slow RFQs — and we'll show you the outcome Maintained can unlock.