Your annual parts inventory can be a hectic time. Disruptions, conflicts and skepticism can create an environment that affects your entire business, from employee morale to productivity to customer service.

But a well-managed parts inventory can offer a number of benefits to your dealership. It improves customer satisfaction, increases productivity, optimizes capital and maximizes profits and success.

To make the most of your parts inventory, you need to ensure your records are accurate and well maintained. Outsourcing this task to an independent third party is more often than not the best solution to meet this objective.

Here are 7 reasons why:

1. Outsourcing Your Parts Inventory Minimizes Interruptions

One of the biggest disadvantages of completing your parts inventory internally is that it disrupts your teams. Not only does it take key parts personnel away from their regular duties, it can also disrupt the flow and productivity of your service department, not to mention the time it can take away from your parts and accounting departments while they work together to sort out discrepancies.

When you outsource your parts inventory to an automotive specialist, you ensure your team is able to focus on what’s important to your business - customers and jobs. This helps you maintain productivity and efficiencies. And, depending on your needs, an independent inventory management company can complete your parts inventory before, during, or after business hours, fitting your schedule and minimizing interruptions.

2. Outsourcing Most Often Ensures Greater Accuracy

Inventory Companies specialize in managing and counting inventory, which means they come equipped with the tools and knowledge needed to complete the most accurate inventory possible. And because inventory is their business, they take pride in providing accurate inventory counts that give you a bigger picture, so you can make the best decisions possible.

3. It Minimizes Obsolescence and Optimizes Value

Unloading old or obsolete parts can be a difficult task. When you opt for an inventory management company that specializes in automotive parts inventory, you will benefit from their industry knowledge and connections. They will help you optimize the value of these parts, create processes to minimize future obsolescence and ensure your team is taking full advantage of the programs available to them.

4. Third Party Providers Make Your Parts Department Honest

Having a third party take control of your parts inventory can allow for more transparency when it comes to accurately managing your parts department. While we don’t like to accuse our team of mismanaging parts or stealing inventory, these can be real issues. Working with an inventory management firm can help highlight possible vulnerabilities, implement processes that minimize losses and ensure you are getting the most accurate results possible.

Remember, when selecting a provider, it is important to choose one that will work positively with your team and create an open environment.

5. They Will Offer You Helpful Advice as Part of Their Service

Automotive inventory specialists will not only provide you with counting and reporting services, they will also provide you with helpful insights and advice to ensure your inventory is effectively managed year round.

6. They Can Better Identify Inefficiencies and Solutions

Automotive inventory management should be your providers specialty, which means they have experience with dealerships all over the United States. They have seen what works and they have seen what doesn’t. As a result, they will have the necessary skills to identify and resolve areas of inefficiency all while helping your bottom line.

They will also be able to offer advice specific to your dealership, based on years of experience, to ensure your parts department is optimized for success.

7. They Unify Your Teams

The service vs. parts vs. administrative conflict exists in almost every dealership and often comes to the forefront during the yearly inventory count, especially when discrepancies arise.

Outsourcing your parts inventory can be an effective way to unify your team and minimize conflict. Your inventory specialists will work as a mediator, helping your teams align their goals, while also providing your teams with tips and tricks for better communicating their ideas and concerns.

At Pro Count West we offer inventory management services to help your parts department improve accuracy and efficiencies. Our team of experienced inventory specialists have years of experience in the automotive industry.

For more information on how we can help you, contact us today!