How to be effective in store management operations?

The objective and the purpose of Engineering Stores is to provide

• Materials when required
• Materials where needed

In plant maintenance stores should be run like a good retail operation: "Clean, efficient, everything in its place”, not too much or too little stocks, with focus on ‘customer service’

Ideally, stores should always contain have exactly what is needed, when needed, and should can deliver where needed at a short notice. Unfortunately this is not the general situation. Many companies treat their stores function as a necessary evil, a burdensome cost and as something that does not add value. This is not a positive approach.