Availability in a challenging world

The 2026 Swedish Maintenance Fair [Underhållsmässan] will focus on the challenges and opportunities of the future. The pandemic, geopolitical crises and disruptions in global supply chains have put the industry’s maintenance efforts under severe pressure. How can you ensure that the right products are in place at the right time, while sustainability and digitalisation are becoming increasingly important requirements?

One player that faces these challenges on a daily basis is Alligo, with its brands Swedol in Sweden and Tools in Norway and Finland. The company supplies industry, construction and the public sector with workwear, tools and supplies. These are products that should be readily available.

For Johan Reihnoldsson, Industry Segment Manager at Alligo, there is no doubt: availability is key.

– For our customers, it’s often about minimising downtime. How do we best supply maintenance workshops? It’s not simply that the products are available, they also need to be delivered quickly and to the right place. Our customers can’t wait, he says.

Global disruptions have changed the landscape

In recent years, the maintenance industry has had to navigate through turbulent times. The pandemic exposed weaknesses in global supply chains and showed how vulnerable the system can be when transport flows and production capacity are disrupted. Since then, new disruptions, from geopolitical conflicts to raw material shortages, have continued to affect the availability of key components.

This has led to a shift in priorities. In the past, the focus was often on optimising costs through just-in-time delivery and price pressure, but in a more uncertain world, security of supply and availability have taken on a more central role.

– We can see that the industry continues to adapt. It is no longer enough to have a functioning supply chain in normal mode, it must also be able to withstand stresses and be flexible enough to handle sudden changes, Johan says.

To reduce vulnerability, many companies are now working to diversify their supply chains, increase stockpiling of critical components, and invest in digital solutions that provide better visibility and control over material flows

Digitalisation is changing the maintenance industry

Digitalisation has become a key factor in the evolution of the maintenance industry. From being a support tool in the form of simpler ordering systems and digital inventories, technology is now a driving force that is reshaping how maintenance is planned and carried out.

Things like automation, AI and integrated systems make it possible to streamline flows, shorten lead times and create more proactive maintenance management. As systems become more sophisticated, the need for the different parts of the supply chain to work together seamlessly also increases.

– Digitalisation is not just about introducing new technology, but about how we use it to create better flows and more robust solutions. This requires close collaboration between suppliers, customers and system developers for the technology to really make a difference, Johan says.

While digital solutions enable efficiency gains, it is still people who determine how they are implemented and used in practice. For technology to become an asset rather than a challenge, there’s a need for both skills and a clear strategy on how to integrate digitalisation into operations.

Sustainability as a competitive advantage

According to Johan, maintenance is no longer just about repairing and keeping equipment running. It has also become a strategic issue linked to sustainability. With increasing demands for resource efficiency and reduced environmental impact, the industry has started to re-evaluate how maintenance is carried out.

– Sustainability and maintenance go hand in hand. It’s about extending the lifetime of equipment, using more sustainable materials and reducing transport. We see these issues becoming increasingly important in industry, Johan says.

Health, environment and safety will be at the centre of many discussions at the Swedish Maintenance Fair. The demand for more sustainable processes is not only coming from regulations and customers – it is also an opportunity for companies to develop their ways of working and create more long-term solutions.

– It’s not just about doing what is required but about thinking more broadly. How can we minimise risks while making maintenance more sustainable? The companies that succeed in this will strengthen both their competitiveness and their working environment, Johan concludes.

Read more about Underhållsmässan 2026 here.