With the pressure of time-based competition increasing, and customers demanding faster service, the availability of service parts becomes a critical component of manufacturing and servicing operations. Potentially, the aftermarket service industry may account for 25% of a manufacturer s annual revenue. On the other hand, keeping too many of such spare parts increases operational costs and eats up the bottom line. The challenge is the erratic demand patterns of service parts. Demand commonly is intermittent with some time periods having no demand at all. Forecasting for intermittent demand...