The Benefits of Automated Inventory Management Systems

At Fullbay, we AIM to please our customers—and in this case, “AIM” stands for “automated inventory management.” 

Pretty clever, right? Because we offer Automated Inventory Management systems to please our customers—and these systems deliver countless benefits to the heavy equipment repair shops that use them. Get it? Good.

Read on for an in-depth explanation of how automating your inventory management strategy can make life easier for you, your employees, and your customers.

What Is an Automated Inventory Management System?

Before we can get into the benefits of automated inventory management systems, you’ll need to understand what inventory management systems are in the first place. Fortunately, this concept is as straightforward as it gets: these systems are computer programs that can help you keep track of your heavy-duty shop’s inventory.

If your shop already has an inventory management system, you might think there’s no room for its workflow to improve. However, that might not be the case—after all, the best systems in this category are automated. That means they can keep track of part locations, stock levels, and more with little to no input on your part.

Once your shop invests in automated inventory management systems, you won’t have to manage your inventory manually. Because of that, these systems are a must-have for today’s busy truck and equipment repair shops.

Benefits of Automated Inventory Management for Repair Shops

When your diesel truck repair shop has access to automated inventory control, you’ll enjoy benefits like:

• Increased accuracy. Since automated inventory systems are…well, automated, they can help you avoid the risk of human error that comes with manual inventory management. Instead, you’ll always know how many parts you have in stock and where your parts are.
• Time savings. If your shop manages inventory the old-fashioned way, your techs will have to spend valuable time looking for parts. But once you start using software with automated inventory tracking capabilities, these workers will be able to locate the components they need ASAP—allowing them to spend as much time as possible actually working on jobs.
• Improved efficiency. By streamlining your shop’s inventory-related processes, you can significantly improve its turnaround times while keeping downtime to a minimum.
• Reduced costs. If you aren’t careful while ordering parts, you could run the risk of overstocking. Since automated inventory management systems can let you know when you actually need parts, you’ll be able to avoid buying these components in excessive amounts (and you’ll keep inventory carrying costs to a minimum).
• Real-time data. Any automated inventory system worth using will give your employees real-time updates on your shop’s stock levels. With access to that information, you can make better decisions about part ordering and much more.
• Optimized stock levels. Your repair shop won’t be able to keep completing jobs without a steady supply of parts. Fortunately, reorder reminders from automated inventory systems can let you know when you’re running low on vital parts—making component-related repair delays a thing of the past.
• Seamless integration. While inventory software plays a crucial role in modern auto shops, this probably isn’t the only system your shop relies on. The best systems in this category can easily integrate with CRM systems, accounting software, maintenance schedules, and other business tools.
• Scalability. When your shop grows, your inventory management software should be able to scale alongside it. If that’s the case for your system, it will be ready to track your shop’s increasing volume of parts and repairs.
• Improved customer satisfaction. Since inventory management systems can reduce wait times and prevent delays, using one of these systems is an easy way to keep your customers happy. And when your clients have a positive experience at your repair shop, they’ll be more likely to come back the next time they need service.

Key Inventory Management Tools and Systems for Repair Shops

Now that you understand what automated inventory management systems are and know how they can help heavy-duty repair shops, it’s time to look for the right inventory system for your business. During your search, pay close attention to programs that come with these tools and systems:

Inventory Monitoring System

If you’re still following a “traditional” approach to inventory tracking, your workers will have to spend a great deal of time thinking about part locations. However, the drawbacks don’t stop there—since it’s much easier to steal parts in shops without automated inventory management systems, bad actors may be tempted to steal these valuable components. Even if your employees aren’t trying to commit theft, they could still misplace components and tools.

Fortunately, adopting the right inventory software can stop these issues from affecting your business. Since these programs will give you real-time updates on parts locations, you’ll never have to worry about components getting stolen or misplaced—and your workers won’t have to track this information by hand.

Automated Inventory Tracking

So, how does inventory management software automatically track your shop’s parts? In order to accomplish this task, these systems rely on barcodes and RFID technologies.

Whenever one of your workers uses a barcode scanner or RFID reader on a component, you’ll get updates on part locations and stock levels. Since the only human input involved in this inventory tracking method is a quick scan, these systems are ideal for shops looking to increase their accuracy. 

Automated Reordering

No matter how carefully you track your stock levels, there’s always a chance that you’ll run out of the components you need most. Fortunately, today’s inventory management systems can help you avoid this situation with features that partially automate the reordering process.

Be wary of systems that will automatically order for you, since you might end up with a few hundred more of a part than you really need. Rather, a good system will monitor your shop’s parts levels until they hit a predetermined threshold. When that happens, your inventory software will send you an alert letting you know it’s time to reorder parts—allowing you to restock well before you run out.

Modernize Your Shop’s Workflow With Fullbay

At Fullbay, we automated inventory management to please our customers—but here, we’re using “automated” as a past-tense verb. We built a powerful automated inventory management system made just for heavy-duty shops and fleets, and we’re proud to share these tools with you.

When you adopt Fullbay’s software for automated inventory control, your shop will keep the effects of missing parts, stock issues, and downtime to a minimum. Because of that, you’ll be able to focus on completing jobs as quickly and effectively as possible, improving customer satisfaction in the process.

Are you ready to rethink your shop’s approach to inventory management? We’re ready to help—all you have to do is schedule a demo today!