Taking the time to discover new ways to improve your parts department’s inventory management can prove incredibly valuable to the operations of your dealership but implementing these changes can be difficult.

Not only do you have to work with your own team, you often have to convince the service departments, admin departments and/or upper management that your ideas have merit.

Then there is the actual process of implementation which can be stressful, to say the least. That is because most people don’t like change. Whether they are uncomfortable with it, don’t understand it or just like things to stay the same, change is not easy in any industry.

Before you begin implementing your new inventory management processes, it is important to set goals.

When setting goals, you want to ensure they are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and timely. When you take the time to consider these areas, you increase your chances of success.

Once you have set your goals and have decided how you want to go about reaching them, it’s time to implement change. 

Too much change can be bad and forcing too much on your team, too quickly, can create chaos and discourse.  

When implementing your new ideas, change management can help ensure that you, your employees and the organization are able to transition smoothly, with limited complications. To help you on your way, here are some useful tips, when it comes to managing change:

1. Gain Upper Management’s Buy In – Your Parts team, and whoever else is effected, will look to other leaders within the organization for direction. By ensuring you have support, you can improve the rate of acceptance among your team. Goals that are clear, purposeful and measurable can help with this step. 
2. Involve Everyone – Once you have support from your superiors, it is time to involve the rest of your team. You will want to clearly communicate the reasons for the change, what the outcome is and how it affects your employees, the department and the dealership. You will also want to identify the roles that each member will play.  
3. Be Prepared – Before launching into change, be sure that everyone has the necessary information, training and support to be successful.  
4. Measure the Impact – Assessing how the change is affecting your team and the dealership, as well as proactively addressing any issues, is critical to the successful implementation of change.  
5. Communicate – It is important to maintain open communications throughout the entire period of change. You must ensure that those involved understand the process of change, that they stay up-to-date with what is happening throughout the change and that they feel comfortable raising concerns.  

Implementing new inventory management processes can be beneficial and stressful all at the same time. By ensuring you properly prepare, set appropriate goals and implement change effectively, you can improve your likelihood of success and the success of your dealership.

To find out how Pro Count West can help with you inventory management, contact us today.