The Biggest Benefits of a Modern Auto Parts Inventory Management Process

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May 22, 2023

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Read time: 3 min

Inventory can include items like oil, tools, and large equipment. It also includes stock items, or parts which are sold to the customer during the course of repairs, such as gaskets and timing belts.

Inventory management and parts management go hand in hand, but outside of labor profits, the profit a shop brings in ultimately comes from parts markup at the point of sale. Consequently, there’s very little room for error in managing parts.

Simply put, mismanaged parts means money left on the table and unhappy customers—a combination no shop owner or automotive team wants to experience.

A good auto parts inventory management system should let you:

• Know what parts you have in stock and how many you have

• Track what sells and what sits on the shelf longer than it should

• Help you plan for growth.

With the right auto parts inventory management system, your shop can go from disorganized to a well-oiled machine generating more and more profit.

How to know when it’s time to update your auto parts inventory management system

What are some indicators that your auto parts inventory management could use a tune up? And when should you start looking into shop management systems like Tekmetric? Here are some indicators to look for:

1. Overstocking Parts

It is easy to overestimate the demand for a specific part, especially if you are ordering parts between seasons, ordering specialty parts, or still using pen and paper or a spreadsheet to calculate your inventory.

Whatever the cause, it is important to remember that every part has a carrying cost. You can think of “carrying cost” as the storage cost for a part. Every part that sits on a shelf and occupies space that better selling products could take up costs your business money.  

2. Parts Shortage

If you’re constantly running out of supplies, your auto parts inventory management system is failing. Good parts management requires staying ahead of the curve to anticipate the needs of your shop.

If you are always running out of parts and having to order them before you can complete a job, jobs will take longer, you’ll wind up paying more for parts, and you may lose your customers’ trust.

3. You're wasting time finding parts!

Whether the problem is a shortage or overstocking, either way your shop is spending too much time managing inventory ineffectively! If inventory management has become a dreaded task at your shop simply because it takes so long to complete, it is time to upgrade your system.

Inventory management must be a smooth process if you want the rest of your shop to operate efficiently. If regular check ups on your auto parts inventory are taking too long, it is probably a sign of a larger underlying problem—disorganization.

Own Your Parts Inventory With a Cloud-Based Shop Management System

You can’t run a shop without the right parts and tools, and in today’s automotive industry. Cloud-based shop management systems not only simplify your shop's operations, they even make it easier to make more money!

1. Direct Integrations with Parts Vendors

With immediate access to your favorite vendors directly inside Tekmetric, service writers can instantly find what they need.

Even better, because you an integrate multiple vendors, your shop can compare prices to get the best deal, and place an order in a matter of seconds.

2. Complete Inventory Management - From Anywhere

Track the flow of parts in your shop with Tekmetric's Inventory that connects to repair orders, estimates, and more. If you don't have a part in stock while working on a car, quickly swap the part for a similar one in inventory.

And because your shop management system is in the cloud, you can access your shop's parts inventory and do everything you could in your shop right from your phone or tablet. Literally, you can log in from anywhere in the world you have an internet connection to gain complete access to your shop remotely.

3. Create parts matrices to apply the right mark-up every time

Using a parts matrix in particular is one of the most important aspects in making sure your shop is profitable.

By building streamlined process for marking up parts, shops can ensure grow your shop’s profit margin while staying fair to customers.

Fine Tune Inventory Management with Tekmetric

Whether you need to track down a stray steering column or make a decision about how much to invest in A/C repair parts for the summer, Tekmetric is your go-to system for gaining a better understanding of how parts move through your shop.

👉 Ready to grow your automotive business? [Book a personalized Tekmetric Demo Here]

FAQ

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Tekmetric, the leading Houston-based automotive repair technology company, has been recognized as a 2022 MOTOR Top 20 Award winner for its recent integration with RepairLink by OEConnection (OEC), a renowned technology provider for the aftersales industry.

The integration, selected by industry experts as well as public popular vote, allows shop owners to seamlessly order original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts directly from the Tekmetric Shop Management System.

For over three decades, the annual MOTOR Top 20 Awards have recognized outstanding new industry solutions across the automotive industry, from the most innovative tool or equipment to creating the best customer experience.

Winners are selected by automotive professionals and experts who voted over a thirty-day open voting process from a selection of this year’s most valuable contributions to the industry.

“As a leading shop management system, our team at Tekmetric shares a mutual belief with our partners at OEC that we best support shop owners in all their business needs by providing modern and relevant solutions,” said Sunil Patel, Co-Founder and CEO of Tekmetric.

“We are honored and humbled to have the Tekmetric-RepairLink integration recognized by both our customers – shop owners – and our industry peers as one of this year’s most innovative solutions.”

With its combination of Tekmetric’s cloud-based capabilities and RepairLink’s parts ordering platform, the integration builds upon Tekmetric’s existing parts ordering offerings to streamline the process of ordering OEM parts for auto repair shops. Through the integration, shop owners can track orders or returns with real-time online updates, as well as address orders in one screen, transferring any quoted parts and VIN numbers automatically into Tekmetric.

“Vehicle sophistication is growing rapidly, and all signs point to even more advancements, meaning it’s absolutely necessary for repairers to have enhanced access to critical parts and information,” said Bonnie Coleman, OEC Director, Mechanical Retail.

“This is why OEC is thrilled to partner with Tekmetric, and that this integration has been recognized for the valuable contribution it offers to the industry.”

To learn more about the MOTOR Awards and view the 2022 Top 20 Awards, visit https://www.motor.com/top20awards-winners.

About Tekmetric

Tekmetric, a Houston-based auto repair technology company, offers a cloud-based platform that enables auto repair shop owners to enhance productivity and increase profitability through its streamlined workflow management processes.

Designed by a former shop owner, Tekmetric’s platform drives shop efficiency through real-time data, a customizable user interface and customer-centric communication tools.

Since its launch in 2016, Tekmetric has disrupted the industry with its robust fully-integrated system, developed with an emphasis on customer transparency and user collaboration.

For more information, visit www.tekmetric.com

About OEConnection Holdings LLC

OEConnection Holdings’ portfolio includes OEC, the leading parts ecommerce technology provider for OEM distribution networks, serving over 20 OEMs and 100,000 dealership and repair customers.

Providence Equity Partners is the majority stakeholder of OEConnection Holdings; Ford Motor Company and General Motors are minority stakeholders.

The company is headquartered in the greater Cleveland area at 4205 Highlander Parkway, Richfield, Ohio, 44286

Additional information is available at www.OEConnection.com.

Tekmetric Recognized as 2022 MOTOR Top 20 Award Winner

September 20, 2022

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Well, there’s an easy way to make sure none of that happens ever again.

Just like how it’s easier than ever to book an appointment with your doctor, or even your barber, in a matter of seconds online -- your auto repair shop can modernize the scheduling process too.

During a recent webinar, Join Kieran O’Brien Co-founder of ShopGenie Co-Founder, and our very own PJ Leslie, Head of Business Development at Tekmetric, offered their insight on how auto repair shops can provide a modern experience for their customers with online scheduling.

Why Auto Repair Shops Need Online Scheduling

May 16, 2024

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If you’re an automotive shop owner or service advisor looking to upgrade your system, you’ve likely encountered the name Tekmetric. Like any smart shopper, you are looking for a free trial of Tekmetric before you purchase. Below, you can find a few options to test drive Tekmetric for free.

Option 1: Free Tekmetric Trial

To access your free Tekmetric self-guided trial, you can use this link here. It will walk you through the key parts of the Tekmetric software, customer experience, estimate building, customer approvals, digital vehicle inspections, and more. Afterwards, you can book a demo to chat with our sales team and start the onboarding process.

Option 2: Personalized Demo with Tekmetric

If you prefer to chat with a Tekmetric employee, you can book a demo here and ask any questions you have. We will show you how Tekmetric can maximize your efficiency, improve your customer experience, and boost sales. We will also talk about your shop's needs, goals for your business, and what gives your shop a competitive edge.

Option 3: Case Studies and Customer Reviews

We think our customers are the best sales team. So, we have provided our customer success stories, real customer reviews, and G2 rankings to aid in your decision-making process. This is a great place to see the ROI Tekmetric can provide for your shop.

Tek-Tip: Ask ChatGPT or Gemini for a summary of Tekmetric and how it could be a fit for your business.


Final thoughts

Whichever option you pick, we hope you will give Tekmetric a try. Built by a former shop owner, Tekmetric understands the importance of finding the right software for your shop. Tekmetric offers month-to-month pricing options in addition to discounted annual plans to fit any budget. Unlimited users, unlimited RO's, unlimited support, no hidden fees. Are you ready to take your shop to the next level?

Tekmetric Free Trial: How to Test Drive Tekmetric Before Buying

December 2, 2025

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