Streamlined inventory management for agricultural machinery suppliers

SPUDNIK EQUIPMENT Co, a leading U.S. supplier of agricultural machinery and parts and a subsidiary of Germany’s Grimme Group, is set to implement INFORM’s business software ADD*ONE, to boost spare parts availability and streamline inventory management. The system will go live in early 2026, rolled out at Spudnik’s central warehouse in Idaho as well as across seven retail warehouses.

Reduce inventory costs

Through this optimisation project, Spudnik aims to improve delivery performance, reduce inventory costs, and free up financial resources for future investments. It will also reduce the significant manual effort currently required in planning. Until now, the company has relied on in-house tools that offered limited forecasting capabilities, covering only medium- to high-volume items and a 12-month horizon. Critical factors such as supplier lead times or substitute parts were not taken into account.

Transparency through intelligent planning

By adopting ADD*ONE, Spudnik will benefit from AI-driven forecasting and advanced mathematical algorithms that automatically generate purchase proposals, detect potential shortages early and support service-level-focused decisions. The system will manage tens of thousands of spare parts across eight sites, ranging from small warehouses with just a few hundred items to large facilities with more than 7,000. Integrated as a cloud-based solution connected to Spudnik’s ERP system ‘Infor Industrial’, ADD*ONE will centralise sales and inventory data across all locations and enable transparent data sharing with parent company Grimme.

Professionalised planning processes

“Our goal is to be the leading source for spare parts in the agricultural sector, especially for potato harvesting and processing in North America,” said Evan Steel, sales director at Spudnik. “Reliable delivery capability is critical to achieving this. With ADD*ONE, we are professionalising our planning processes, reducing manual effort and keeping our inventory at a healthy level.”

“Like many companies, Spudnik faces the challenge of ensuring spare parts availability despite irregular demand,” added Bernd Heinrichs, senior vice president of inventory & supply chain at INFORM. “Traditional forecasting quickly reaches its limits here. AI-driven systems make it possible to factor in complex variables such as lead times or substitute parts. This creates the efficiency needed to balance inventory levels and service performance, ensuring long-term supply security.”