The Real Reason You’re Over-Stocking MRO Parts: AI Just Found 12,000 Duplicates
The Hidden Cost of Duplicate MRO Materials
Two identical bearings. Two SKUs. One $50,000 mistake.
This is the reality for enterprise manufacturers managing millions of parts across disconnected ERP systems. Duplicate MRO materials silently inflate working capital, drive procurement inefficiencies, and increase the risk of stockouts – all while giving plant leaders a false sense of readiness.
In this guide, we break down how AI is transforming the identification and elimination of duplicate MRO materials, why ERP alone can’t solve the problem, and what kind of financial impact you should expect when you get it right.
Verusen’s platform has helped global manufacturers identify thousands of duplicate materials and unlock tens of millions in verified savings – without ripping and replacing existing ERPs.
Why Duplicate MRO Materials Are So Persistent
It Starts with Siloed Data
Most enterprise manufacturers run multiple ERP or EAM systems – SAP, Maximo, Oracle, or Infor – often with limited standardization between plants. As a result:
- One valve becomes five SKUs
- One bearing has three descriptions
- One part is ordered repeatedly – even when it’s already in stock somewhere else
Master Data Teams Can’t Keep Up
Even with dedicated MDM teams, manual reviews can’t scale across hundreds of thousands of materials. Worse:
- Naming conventions vary by region
- Specs are entered inconsistently
- Vendor-provided data is often outdated or incomplete
Traditional Tools Don’t Catch It
ERP systems rely on exact matches – if one character or attribute differs, it’s treated as a new part. Basic scripts and rule-based deduplication tools can’t handle the complexity of:
- Free text fields
- Cross-language part names
- Variations in unit of measure or packaging
How AI Uncovers Duplicate Materials at Scale
Pattern Recognition Beyond Human Capability
Verusen’s AI doesn’t look for exact matches – it analyzes material descriptions, specifications, classifications, and vendor data using natural language processing and probabilistic models.
This allows it to identify:
- Likely duplicates even with messy, inconsistent data
- Cross-plant duplicates that aren’t visible in one ERP
- Inconsistently named items with the same physical attributes
Confidence Scores, Not Guesswork
Each potential match is given a confidence score, which guides users in reviewing, approving, or rejecting deduplication suggestions. This accelerates review cycles while maintaining data quality.
Continuous Learning
Unlike static rules, Verusen’s models improve over time. As users confirm or reject matches, the system gets smarter – adapting to your naming conventions, local standards, and supplier catalogs.
Enterprise-Wide Impact of Deduplication
- Working Capital Reduction: Eliminating duplicate parts reduces excess stock across plants
- Procurement Leverage: Consolidated spend with fewer suppliers leads to better pricing
- Uptime Protection: Greater visibility helps prevent unnecessary reorders and stockouts
- ERP Performance: Cleaner data improves search, reporting, and planning accuracy
Case Study: Fortune 500 Industrial Equipment Manufacturer
Facing low visibility and fragmented ERP systems across multiple plants, this manufacturer struggled to control MRO costs and duplication.
Verusen implemented its AI platform across the enterprise, harmonizing MRO data into a single source of truth. Results:
- 3,000+ duplicate materials identified across sites
- $20.9M in inventory reduction opportunities discovered
- 2,000 materials flagged at risk of stockout, improving operational safety
- $55,000/hour in verified reductions within the first six months
The initiative didn’t require an ERP overhaul. Instead, Verusen layered onto their existing systems, delivering insights without disrupting operations.
FAQs: What Manufacturing Leaders Want to Know
How does Verusen integrate with our existing ERP systems?
Verusen connects to SAP, Maximo, Oracle, and others via non-invasive APIs and exports. It doesn’t require data cleansing before onboarding.
How long does it take to identify duplicates?
Most Verusen customers begin seeing high-confidence duplicate recommendations within 30-60 days, even across fragmented systems.
Do we need to clean our data first?
No. Verusen’s AI is designed to operate on real-world, messy data. It surfaces value without requiring upfront standardization.
What’s the ROI of eliminating duplicate MRO materials?
Clients typically see 10-20% reductions in MRO inventory. In one case, $20.9M in reduction opportunities were uncovered in six months.
Take Control of Your MRO Data – Without Overhauling Your ERP
Duplicate materials are costing you – in capital, uptime, and credibility. AI gives you the visibility to fix it fast.
Verusen’s platform helps global manufacturers uncover the truth in their data, eliminate duplication, and make smarter decisions across procurement and operations.
Book a call today to see how fast you can surface savings in your own MRO data.
