The problem
Oil, filters, wiper blades, bulbs and pads run out without anyone noticing until a technician reaches for them. The car comes off the ramp, waits for the factor's van and goes back on later. Three jobs a week held up like that, each wasting 45 minutes of a technician's time worth $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour, is about $386£290€345A$557C$545 a month.
What the AI does
Workshop Software has stock control built in. Stock levels drop when parts are booked out to a job and rise when deliveries are received, and the system alerts you when items run low. You raise purchase orders from the same system and tick items off when they arrive, so they go into stock automatically. Reports show slow-moving stock and what you use most.
A worked example
A three-technician garage in Wigan keeps common service parts on the shelf. They set minimum levels for their 60 most-used lines in Workshop Software, check the low-stock list each afternoon and raise a purchase order for the morning delivery.
Before
About 3 jobs a week held up by a part that should have been on the shelf
After
Low stock seen and ordered the day before; hold-ups down to about 1 a fortnight, for unusual parts
What it's worth
About $322£242€288A$465C$455 a month in technician time, against $132£99€118A$190C$186 to $158£119€142A$228C$224 for the software. That is 2.5 fewer hold-ups a week (3 down to 1 a fortnight) at 45 minutes each, at an assumed $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour, times 4.3. If you already use the system for MOT reminders, there's no extra cost.
How to set it up
- List your 50 to 100 most-used parts and count what's on the shelf to get honest opening stock levels.
- Set them up in Workshop Software with a minimum level for each.
- Book parts out to every job, including the oil and filters, so the stock count stays true.
- Check the low-stock alerts each afternoon and raise a purchase order with your factor.
- Tick items off the purchase order when they arrive so they go into stock, and do a stock take each quarter.
What goes wrong
- Stock control falls apart if parts are taken off the shelf without being booked to a job. Make it the rule from day one.
- Silver is $158£119€142A$228C$224 a month on monthly billing or $132£99€118A$190C$186 billed annually; the page doesn't say whether VAT is included.
- Minimum levels set too high tie up cash in stock. Use the slow-moving stock report to trim them after a few months.