A donation of $4,700 in products from Akro-Mils, a North American provider of storage, organization and transport products, has provided needed resources for students at the Reliability and Maintainability Center at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville’s College of Engineering. The donated products — AkroBins® , Attached Lid Containers, ShelfMax® Bins, Wire Shelving, Enclosed Steel Shelving with AkroDrawers® , steel Portable Tables, and a ProCart™ — are being used in a course that addresses using Lean techniques in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) organizations to improve customer lead times and product quality while reducing inventory, floor space and labor. The center sought out Akro-Mils products for the course because they are specifically designed to improve inventory control and productivity in any setting, according to Dr. Klaus M. Blache, Center Director and Research Professor in UT’s College of Engineering. Blache says he is aligning key “learning points” of the class with hands-on exercises using Akro-Mils products and actual parts. The industry professionals can then take the best practices they learn in classes to improve their MRO spare parts process. “Being able to walk into a setting that is like what our students will see in their careers truly enhances the learning experience,” he adds. “Knowledge only has value when you can put it to use. Being able to show examples of best practices is worth a thousand words!”