What is RCS?

Reliability Centred Spares (RCS) is a rational method for determining the stocks of spare parts needed to support maintenance requirements.

RCS can use the output from a Reliability Centred Maintenance (RCM) analysis to determine the spares needed to support the RCM maintenance decisions. Its decision logic uses a flow scheme that is similar to that of RCM, and RCS decisions are based on the same consequence categories as RCM (hidden, safety, environmental, operational and non-operational).

RCS is a completely general methodology that can be applied to any inventory. From fast-moving items like nuts and bolts to slow-moving items such as turbine spares, large power transformers, pumps and vessels.

In practice the maximum benefits are achieved by careful choice of the systems and items reviewed. In most cases this means choosing systems whose unavailability could have a significant impact on production and parts that are slow-moving but have a long purchase or repair lead time.

RCS itself is a framework for enabling people to make decisions, not only a software package. RCS provides engineers and stock analysts a tool which enables them to agree on inventory decisions based on business needs, not on emotion or "gut feel".

The RCS package includes a comprehensive software toolkit which automates most calculations and enables RCS reviewers to perform sophisticated sensitivity analyses to see the impact of their decisions.