Parts management is a critical component in the automotive repair process. The majority of vehicle repairs require parts meaning that the repair shop is dependent on effective parts management. In order to excel in this area – parts requirements must be complete and timely, pricing and availability information must be easily accessible, parts delivery must be reliable and the parts distribution process must be clearly defined. Following are critical interdependencies in parts management:
- Part Requirements – The person responsibility for sourcing and procuring parts must have clear and timely visibility of part requirements while the technician relies on parts being available in order to perform the required work on a vehicle. The effectiveness of this interdependent relationship can have a serious impact on shop performance.
- Pricing and Availability – Easy access to pricing and availability is essential to effective parts sourcing and procurement. The shop depends on efficiency and sufficient profit margins on parts in order to be successful. This interdependency will result in a win-win if handled diligently by both parties.
- Parts Delivery – In parts procurement the parts manager is dependent on the supplier for competitive pricing and reliability. The supplier depends on the shop to place orders on scheduled intervals with reasonable size to make deliveries profitable. This interdependent relationship extends outside the shop to a partner and can be just as important as internal relationships.
- Parts Distribution Process – Parts are taken from stock or delivered by vendors for specific repairs. The process by which required parts are distributed to technicians should be clearly defined and efficient or productivity will be negatively impacted on both sides of the relationship.
