Spend & Cost Management

MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Operations)

Also known as: MRO, Maintenance repair and operations

MRO refers to the goods and supplies used to keep an organisation's equipment and facilities running — maintenance parts, repair items, tools, safety and consumables.

MRO covers everything needed to operate and maintain, rather than to produce: spare parts, lubricants, hand and power tools, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment and general consumables. It is a classic indirect category — high in transaction volume, spread across many small suppliers, and prone to unplanned, urgent buying.

Because MRO is fragmented and often urgent, it benefits strongly from consolidation onto a managed catalogue: fewer suppliers, contracted pricing, and reliable availability so maintenance is not delayed waiting on parts.

Frequently asked questions

What is MRO in procurement?
MRO stands for maintenance, repair and operations — the parts, tools, safety gear and consumables used to keep equipment and facilities running, as opposed to materials that go into products.
Why is MRO spend challenging?
It is high-volume, fragmented across many suppliers and often urgent, which makes it hard to control and a common source of tail and maverick spend.

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