Get Big Returns With Fleet Parts Room Reorganization

Is your parts stockroom resembling a chaotic marketplace or yard sale? It might be time for a thorough cleanup and reorganization.

Everyone has parts and supplies on hand in the shop, because repairs and maintenance require parts and supplies.

Here are some common problems fleet managers have with parts room(s):

• Frequently the parts you have are not the parts you need.
• You might have functionally equivalent parts that you could use, if they could only be identified.
• Your parts room may be cluttered with broken, damaged, obsolete, and surplus parts which have no value in terms of your current fleet assets.
• There never seems to be enough space (see above) to have one or two of every part for your fleet mix.

If your fleet is facing common issues like having the wrong parts, struggling to identify functionally equivalent ones, or dealing with cluttered spaces filled with obsolete items, a parts room reset is in order. Consider reorganizing by the VMRS system code, involving your staff at every step, creating a project plan, and cleaning out existing areas. This systematic approach, along with AMCS's support, ensures an efficient, well-organized fleet parts stockroom, reducing costs and improving inventory management.

What, Where, When, and How to reset your parts stockroom

• Involve your staff in every step – it is their shop
• Create a project plan and review with your staff
• Draw a layout of your parts stockroom, either electronically or on paper
  • Label your shelves with Row A always on the bottom for consistency
  • Leave room on the shelves for new parts
• Create a staging area to sort parts
• Clean out the existing parts area(s) – include tool boxes, corners, desk and filing cabinet drawers, etc.
  • Discard all broken and damaged parts
  • Return surplus and obsolete parts to vendors
  • Empty the parts area and CLEAN it
  • Install sturdy shelving
  • If necessary, install additional lighting
  • Clean and label the aisles, rows, shelves, and bins, etc. by VMRS code (per your plan)
• Create a list of all parts in the staging area with part numbers, descriptions, VMRS system code, and current pricing
  • Solicit the help of vendors to identify parts with no numbers and provide current pricing
  • Website resources for parts number and pricing are available from some OEM’s and aftermarket suppliers
• Arrange the parts by VMRS code, including used and remanufactured parts
  • Put parts back on the shelves. In AMCS Fleet Maintenance, create or update the parts record with the new stocking location (short location) and print labels for each part
  • Have an area in the parts stockroom dedicated to “will call/special ordered parts”
  • Have an area in the parts stockroom for returns, cores, and warranty
  • Have a dedicated area in the parts stockroom for shop supplies and expendables
• Take a physical count of all parts and adjust the quantity on hand in AMCS Fleet Maintenance

You may also need to review and update your current workflow processes. Culture and housekeeping changes may be required, such as returning unused parts to the stockroom. Put the part where it belongs, not on the floor. Resetting your existing parts stockroom in a clean and logical manner will allow for efficiency and overall cost reductions.

While the above sounds like a straightforward process, many fleets simply don’t have time to do the planning and reset themselves. We have  an experienced team of parts professionals that can help you through the stockroom reorganization and getting your parts set up and organized in AMCS Fleet Maintenance. Our Parts Inventory Management then helps keep you on the right path by identifying when and how much to order, managing receipts and payables, and tracking and managing parts stock and usage. AMCS many Part Management reports and analysis tools allow you to monitor your performance against goals, and improve your inventory cost and availability performance every year.

Want to learn more about AMCS Fleet Maintenance? Request a Demo or download the brochure below.