Inventory and Maintenance meet in the Spares category. Items there can be linked to the equipment components they belong to, so a part can be found from the machinery it fits, and the machinery's spares can be seen from the component.
This only applies to the Spares category, and only when the vessel's plan includes the Maintenance module. Elsewhere the linking fields are not shown, and an import that tries to set a component on another category is rejected. While the Maintenance module is active, the Spares category itself cannot be deleted in Vessel Settings → Inventory.
Creating the link
Add or edit an item in Spares and use the Linked Components field to pick one or more active components. A single item can serve several components — the link is a reference, so the same stock is shared rather than duplicated.
When importing into Spares, the template's component column offers a dropdown of the vessel's active components and also accepts several component names separated by commas. Each name must match exactly one active component on the vessel; a name that matches none, or more than one, is flagged before the import is confirmed.
Where the links show up
- In the Spares list — the table view includes a Components column showing the linked component names, and the filter panel gains a COMPONENT section so you can narrow the list to the parts held for specific equipment.
- On the component — a component's detail view has an Inventory tab listing the active items linked to it, with the columns Name, Qty., Manufacturer, Part Number/Model, Internal part number, Location, Min/Max, Exp. date and Supplier (Min/Max, Exp. date and Supplier are hidden by default and can be enabled from the table's column picker), plus its own search. The tab appears for users who hold the Inventory View permission on vessels with the Inventory module.
- On tasks — when adding inventory to a task raised against a component, the item picker lists that component's linked spares under FROM THIS COMPONENT, above ALL RESULTS.
When equipment changes
- Deleting a component removes its links; the inventory items themselves are untouched and keep their stock.
- Copying a component, or a whole piece of equipment, offers Link all inventory items. Leaving it ticked points the new component at the same active items rather than duplicating any stock; archived items are skipped. The option is only available to users who hold the Inventory Edit permission.