A customer rarely sends the clean item number the ERP expects. They send a photo, a worn label, an old drawing, a local nickname or the number from the part that failed. The machine may be twenty years old. The original part may have changed suppliers three times. A prior retrofit may have changed the bracket, cable, software and procedure around it.
The parts desk must identify the equipment, determine the service position, reconstruct the current configuration, find the approved replacement, check everything required to install it, promise a credible date and apply the right price. If any step relies on memory, the fastest quote can still ship the wrong answer.
This playbook covers the complete quote from customer request through order and installed-base update. It treats fit, availability and price as separate decisions, because one system or team rarely owns all three.
Start from the machine, not the requested number
A requested number is evidence, not the answer. Match it to the customer, site, asset, service position and current configuration. The same number can refer to an obsolete part, a drawing detail, a supplier item, a customer stock code or a part removed years ago.
Ask for the smallest set of evidence that can identify the physical context. Use the OEM serial first when it exists. Add machine model, customer asset tag, site, component position, photo, dimensions, failure symptom and the source of the number. Do not make the customer complete a long form when the OEM can recover these facts from its own records.
| Evidence | What it can prove | What it cannot prove alone |
|---|---|---|
| Machine serial | One manufactured asset | Current field configuration |
| Customer tag and site | Local identity and position | OEM model or serial |
| Part number on removed item | Installed item identity or supplier marking | Approved current replacement |
| Photo | Geometry, label, connector or damage | Hidden specification or effectivity |
| Old invoice | What the OEM sold before | What remains installed now |
| Failure symptom | Function and diagnostic context | Exact failed part |
Turn the request into a controlled parts case
Create one case for the request and preserve the original email, portal message, photos and attachments. Link the customer, site and candidate assets. Record quantity, urgency, required-at date, delivery location, requested number and the customer’s own description without rewriting them as confirmed facts.
Separate identification, fit, supply and commercial status. “Part found” does not mean it fits. “In stock” does not mean it can arrive at the customer by Friday. “Price approved” does not mean export or hazardous-goods rules allow shipment.
| Decision | Status examples |
|---|---|
| Asset identification | Confirmed, candidate, conflicting or unknown |
| Part fit | Approved, conditional, engineering review or rejected |
| Supply | Available, transferable, make-to-order, repair, backorder or unavailable |
| Commercial | Contract price, list, exception approval or quote blocked |
| Delivery | Promised, estimated, customer action required or no date |
Find the service position before the item
Identify what function the part performs and where it sits in the machine. A pressure switch at the lubrication manifold and a pressure switch in the hydraulic power unit may look alike and use the same connector while carrying different range, material or certification.
The service BOM should describe serviceable positions and the approved parts for each product configuration. Siemens describes the service BOM as the serviceable and spare-parts view of the product, linked to the serialized asset configuration. That relationship gives the parts team a safer path than searching the catalog by description.
If the installed record lacks the position, use the current drawing, field photo and service history to establish it. Preserve that evidence so the same question does not return on the next request.
Reconstruct the current configuration
Start with as-built data, then apply commissioning changes, service replacements, field modifications and software updates through the request date. A machine built with Part A may now run Part C after an approved retrofit. A model-level catalog that ignores the field change will recommend the wrong stock.
Show the source and date behind every material relationship. A technician scan from last month can outweigh a twenty-year-old serial BOM for current state. A shipment can prove that a kit left the OEM but not that the customer installed it. When sources conflict, stop the automatic recommendation and ask for targeted confirmation.
The installed-base guide explains the full equipment data model. For quoting, the minimum is asset identity, current parent-child position, modification state, software dependency and evidence date.
Build fit rules that engineering can own
A fit rule should name the product family, service position, option, serial or date effectivity, required modification, software level and excluded conditions. Engineering owns the rule. Parts and service use it. Do not bury it in a sales note or one employee’s spreadsheet.
Use positive and negative rules. “Fits PX-400” is incomplete if washdown machines require another seal. “Does not fit before serial 2800 without kit FK-118” prevents a costly assumption. Link the rule to the engineering change or service bulletin that authorized it.
| Fit dimension | Example |
|---|---|
| Model or family | PX-400 transfer press |
| Position | Lubrication manifold valve V3 |
| Option | Food-grade washdown package |
| Serial effectivity | Serial 2800 and later |
| Modification | Field kit FK-118 installed |
| Software | Controller 6.2 or later |
| Exclusion | High-temperature seal option |
Distinguish replacement, substitute and successor
Use precise relationship types. A direct replacement restores the same function without other changes. A substitute can serve under stated conditions. A successor replaces an older part in the product lifecycle and may require a kit, instruction or software update. An alternate may come from another approved source while retaining the same OEM part identity.
Follow the whole supersession chain. Oracle Service Logistics can search substitute and supersession relationships when the requested part is unavailable, and its parts search follows successive supersessions from A to B to C. The quoting workflow still needs to check whether the final item fits this asset and whether older stock should ship first.
Never show “superseded by” as proof of drop-in fit. Store the installation conditions and required accompanying work.
| Relationship | Meaning for the quote |
|---|---|
| Direct replacement | Quote the new item with the same installation basis |
| Conditional substitute | Quote only when the asset meets named conditions |
| Successor | Check chain, kit, procedure, software and commercial policy |
| Approved alternate | Use the approved source under the same OEM identity or rule |
| Repairable exchange | Quote exchange price, core return, condition and turnaround |
| No approved replacement | Route engineering or offer a supported upgrade |
Quote the installation kit, not one line item
A successor can need brackets, seals, cable adapters, firmware, labels, fasteners, tooling and a new procedure. Quote the complete installation unit. If the customer buys only the central component, the machine may remain down while they wait for a five-dollar adapter.
Define kits by asset configuration and service action. Separate mandatory contents from recommended consumables and optional tools. Show which parts the customer can reuse and which parts the procedure requires them to replace.
The Teamcenter SLM Spring 2026 release can create spare definitions from alternates and substitutes in the source BOM and link spare definitions to service-plan elements. The same rule should hold in any system: engineering releases the valid spare and work package once; quoting and service then use that controlled answer.
| Kit layer | Example |
|---|---|
| Primary replacement | Successor servo drive |
| Mandatory adaptation | Mounting plate and cable adapter |
| Mandatory consumables | Gasket, seal and locking hardware |
| Software | Parameter file and firmware load |
| Procedure | Replacement, test and commissioning instruction |
| Recommended work | Inspect motor insulation and cooling fan |
Separate availability from delivery promise
Available-to-promise needs quantity, location, reservation, replenishment, handling and transit. Ten units in global stock do not help if another order owns them, the units need inspection, export blocks the lane or the customer’s site only receives freight twice a week.
Search the service network in a defined order: technician stock, local depot, regional warehouse, central stock, approved distributor, supplier, repair loop and manufacture. Consider complete-kit availability. The primary item may sit locally while a mandatory seal kit drives the date.
Oracle parts search illustrates the transaction depth: it can source across stocking locations, transfer orders, sales orders, transit times and alternate parts. The quote should use the resulting source and arrival date, not a static inventory balance.
| Date | Meaning |
|---|---|
| On-hand date | The stock exists at a source location |
| Available date | The quantity is free after reservations and controls |
| Ship date | The source can pick, inspect, pack and release it |
| Arrival date | The carrier and lane can deliver to the destination |
| Install date | The customer, technician, tools and full kit can perform the work |
Offer a repair, exchange or upgrade when the part is not the best answer
A new spare is one route. High-value components may support repair, remanufacture or advanced exchange. Obsolete assemblies may justify a retrofit. A quote should compare the viable recovery paths with time, warranty, core condition, downtime and future support.
For exchange, identify the unit the customer must return, the core charge, acceptable condition, return deadline and ownership transfer. For repair, state inspection fee, expected scope, turnaround and what happens if the unit cannot be repaired. For upgrade, name the affected machine configuration and the new supported baseline.
| Option | Commercial basis | Operational risk |
|---|---|---|
| New part | Full sale price and warranty | Stock or manufacture lead time |
| Repair | Inspection plus approved repair scope | Condition unknown until teardown |
| Advanced exchange | Exchange price plus return and core terms | Wrong or late core return |
| Remanufactured part | Defined condition, warranty and traceability | Availability by qualified unit |
| Retrofit kit | Parts, engineering, software and field labor | Planned outage and installation complexity |
Build landed cost before setting price
Cost the specific supply path. Include purchase or manufacturing cost, repair, inspection, kit components, internal handling, packaging, freight, duty, brokerage, hazardous-goods charges, emergency premium, obsolescence reserve, warranty exposure and expected return loss.
Use current inputs and show uncertainty. A supplier cost from last year or a freight assumption from another lane can turn an apparently high-margin emergency quote into a loss. If the date depends on overtime or premium freight, carry that cost and the customer approval into the same option.
Price service parts by segment and lifecycle
Cost-plus alone ignores customer value, competitive alternatives, part criticality, price visibility, lifecycle and the economics of the installed product. A commodity filter should not carry the same margin logic as a proprietary control board that prevents a week of downtime. Contract, channel, geography, quantity and urgency can also change the final price.
Syncron supports cost-plus, value-based and competitor-based service-parts pricing, along with kit, lifecycle and supersession logic. Its lifecycle guidance recognizes a real aftermarket issue: pricing changes as the product moves from introduction through growth, competition, decline and end of support.
Set guardrails. A value-based range does not justify arbitrary price. Use a documented segment, approved floor, target, list basis, contract rule and authority for exceptions. Show the approver the full kit cost, availability, customer history and alternative path.
| Pricing input | Example decision |
|---|---|
| Cost and supply risk | Protect the margin on premium freight and obsolete stock |
| Part class | Commodity, standard, proprietary, repairable or critical |
| Lifecycle | Launch, steady state, decline or end of support |
| Customer and contract | Discount, price list, warranty or SLA term |
| Competition | Known equivalent and channel price visibility |
| Machine economics | Repair cost relative to equipment value and downtime |
Show the customer one usable answer
The quote should identify the target machine and service position, offered part or kit, fit basis, quantity, price, availability, delivery basis, validity, warranty, exclusions and any installation requirement. Use the customer’s own asset tag alongside the OEM serial where possible.
If several routes exist, compare them clearly. A repair, exchange and retrofit should each show price, expected downtime, warranty and conditions. Do not send a catalog dump and ask the customer to decide which item fits.
State uncertainty as an action. “Fit subject to confirmation” is weak. “Send a photo of connector J4 and confirm controller version before 2 p.m.; we will release the reserved kit after review” tells both sides what closes the gap.
Approve exceptions with the evidence beside them
Route only real exceptions. Contract price, standard discount and target margin can flow automatically when identity, fit and supply are confirmed. Route a quote when the part lacks approved effectivity, margin falls below the band, premium freight creates exposure, a nonstandard warranty applies or an export control needs review.
The approver should see the asset, fit rule, configuration evidence, landed cost, price waterfall, availability and customer deadline. An approval email containing only part number and discount forces the manager to repeat the analysis or approve blind.
Reserve the supply basis behind an urgent quote
A quote can become false while it waits in the customer’s inbox. Define when to reserve stock, how long to hold it and what happens at expiry. For scarce critical parts, link the commercial validity to the allocation window. Do not promise the same serial or last unit to several customers.
When the customer accepts, convert the exact quote option into the order. Preserve the source location, kit, promised date, price, freight and conditions. Re-running generic availability after acceptance can silently change the answer.
Turn the accepted quote into the correct order and work
A parts-only order may need shipment, tax, export and customer notification. An installed kit also needs a work order, technician skills, procedure, tools and outage. An exchange adds the return material authorization and core tracking. A repair adds receipt, inspection and approval gates.
Create every dependent record from the accepted option. The customer should not repeat the asset identity and problem to service after buying the kit. Pass the machine, configuration, selected path, source evidence and promised dates into execution.
Update the installed machine after the part moves
Shipping a spare does not prove installation. Record the shipment against the target asset, then confirm install through technician debrief, customer scan, commissioning record or another accepted event. Close the old component interval, open the new one and record the removed unit’s disposition.
This update improves the next quote. It also supports warranty, engineering bulletins, service planning and failure analysis. If the customer holds the part as stock, record it as customer inventory and do not change the machine configuration.
Worked example: an obsolete drive stops a packaging line
A food producer emails a photo of a failed drive marked VD-220 and asks for overnight delivery. The OEM finds three packaging machines at the site. The customer’s line number maps the request to machine PK-1842. Its as-built record shows VD-220, but a 2023 field kit changed the mounting plate and controller firmware.
Engineering data shows that VD-220 became VD-260, then VD-300. VD-300 fits PK-1842 only with adapter cable CA-31 and parameter file PF-88. Washdown machines also need seal kit SK-12. The installed record confirms the washdown option and firmware 7.4, so the full quote needs all four items and the replacement procedure.
The regional depot has one VD-300 and two adapter cables. The central warehouse has the seal kit. Standard consolidation would deliver in four days. Premium transfer of the seal kit to the regional depot allows one complete shipment tomorrow and arrival the following morning. A remanufactured VD-260 can arrive one day later at a lower exchange price, subject to return of the failed drive.
The quote shows both supported routes. The customer accepts the new VD-300 kit with premium freight. The order reserves the depot drive, transfers the seal kit, books a technician for installation and creates the customer notification. The technician scans the new drive, loads PF-88 and records the current. The asset configuration now shows VD-300 and the installed kit; the removed VD-220 enters scrap with its failure evidence.
| Decision | Answer |
|---|---|
| Target asset | PK-1842 at Packaging Line 2 |
| Approved part | VD-300 after two-step supersession |
| Complete kit | Drive, cable, seal kit, parameter file and procedure |
| Supply options | New kit next-morning or remanufactured exchange one day later |
| Commercial choice | New kit plus premium freight |
| Closeout | Installed serial and modification state update after technician scan |
Measure wrong-part risk and quote quality
Quote speed matters after the answer is safe. Track time from request to confirmed asset, confirmed fit, supply promise and customer quote separately. That shows whether identity, engineering, supply or commercial approval causes the delay.
Track the physical result too. A fast quote that creates a return, second shipment or repeat visit is expensive. Use installed confirmation and return reason to improve fit rules, catalog data and service BOM coverage.
| Measure | Definition |
|---|---|
| Request-to-asset time | Receipt to confirmed physical machine and position |
| Asset-to-fit time | Confirmed asset to approved part or kit |
| Fit-to-promise time | Approved kit to credible source and arrival date |
| Quote cycle time | Receipt to customer-ready offer |
| First-time part fit | Delivered items that install without replacement or rework |
| Kit completeness | Jobs that start with every mandatory part, tool and instruction |
| Return by cause | Wrong fit, damaged, duplicate, no longer needed or core return |
| Quoted-to-installed margin | Revenue less actual product, freight, labor and concession cost |
Know which system owns each answer
PLM or service-lifecycle management should own released fit, effectivity, supersession conditions and the service BOM. The installed-base record should own the current physical configuration. ERP should own item, stock, supply transaction, cost, order and invoice. Pricing software can own segmentation and price policy. CRM should own the customer request and opportunity. Field service should own execution and debrief.
The quoting application joins those records for one decision. It should preserve their IDs and dates, show conflicts and write the accepted result back. Avoid making a new parts master inside the quoting tool.
| Answer | Typical owner |
|---|---|
| What fits this product state? | PLM, SLM or governed product data |
| What is installed now? | Installed base or asset master |
| Where is the part and when can it arrive? | ERP, service logistics or planning |
| What does it cost? | ERP, supplier or repair system |
| What should we charge? | Pricing, contract, CPQ or ERP |
| What did the customer accept? | CRM, quote and order |
| What entered the machine? | Field service and installed-base event |
How Bourne handles spare-parts quoting
Bourne reads the customer email, photo or portal request and matches it to the account, site and installed asset. It assembles the current configuration from ERP, PLM, service history and prior modifications, then applies the approved fit, supersession and kit rules. Conflicts and unsupported matches go to the parts or engineering owner with the exact source evidence.
The application searches stock and supply options, brings in cost, contract and price policy, calculates the complete offer and prepares a customer-ready quote. A person approves engineering exceptions, unusual commercial terms and uncertain identity. Standard supported cases can move quickly.
After acceptance, Bourne creates the order, reservation, transfer, work or return steps across the existing systems. When installation finishes, it prepares the component and modification update so the next request starts from the machine that exists now.
Pilot the hardest twenty requests
Select twenty recent requests that include old machines, missing serials, customer aliases, obsolete parts, multi-step supersession, field modifications, exchange units, partial stock, contract pricing and export destinations. Include several easy repeat orders so the pilot tests both exceptions and volume.
For each request, compare the current process with the new flow. Check asset match, fit, kit, promise, landed cost, price, approval, quote and eventual installed result. Have engineering review every recommendation during the pilot. Classify each error by identity, product rule, installed state, supply or commercial data.
The pilot passes when the team sends supported answers faster, reduces wrong-part and incomplete-kit failures, makes a credible delivery promise and improves the installed record after execution.
Arda Bulut
Arda Bulut is the co-founder and CTO of Bourne and HockeyStack. He leads engineering at Bourne, building the platform people use to create AI products, agents and automations.