Parts Responsibility

[NeoMatrix]

PS--I used to work for Radio Shack!...while I was there (back in my college days) I remember when they transitioned from a list count sheet to a barcode scan method...I'll take the barcode scan method ANY day!!!....and even nowadays, with smartphones barcode scanning capability, there is absolutely no reason not to have software and maintain good inventory control!

Re: Parts/inventory barcode scanner :

Hopefully my next software programming project. Barcode scanners are reasonably cheap.


There's never enough time to get every thing done......

[subaro]

We don't have a large business and we try to estimate what the problem is, get the correct part and fix it.

PERSONALLY, if I take a part out of a stock bin at the office, it gets installed on the machine....if I don't install it, it goes right back into the inventory bin at the office!....simple! If we have to order a part, we put down two on the order list...one for the customer and one for stock. SIMPLE!....the problem is when techs don't write down the shit they use or slip it into their car inventory and not put another one on the order list to have in the shop.



PS--I used to work for Radio Shack!...while I was there (back in my college days) I remember when they transitioned from a list count sheet to a barcode scan method...I'll take the barcode scan method ANY day!!!....and even nowadays, with smartphones barcode scanning capability, there is absolutely no reason not to have software and maintain good inventory control!

Large outfits has dedicated parts person or persons . They are responsible for distributing and restocking the tech car stock. Acutally the software does the restocking notice and the parts person just sends out the parts when the tech stock level is needed. This is for the most common parts. If a tech needs a part, he sends the request via the call software from his smart phone and it is immediately sent to the parts person. This works very well for us and field transfers from one tech to another is done from the call software. If you don't want to get bogged down and spend wasted time tracking inventory, then you have to invest in a decent call system. small operations will not have that option as it can be an expensive overhead.
some of our techs don't see the office for years and parts are shipped out to them. Once a year at inventory stock count, tech car stock are counted and balanced with the system. All techs have scanners, but i don't think any one uses them. The tech puts in the last four digits or so in the search option and the parts shows up and he can see how much he has in his stock. The software does the math when the tech input what he uses in a call ticket and so everthing is updated by the software. When a tech uses a part from his stock, it is mandatory for him to put it in the call software.
The only person to mess up your carstock is the parts person as only very few people has rights to change options there. A good system can save you a lot of headaches.
Besides, a company AND TECHS can get good feedback on how a machine is performing, by checking the history on the call software. Managers need these information to make rational decisions on updating, upgrading, or accounts on a whole. As the saying goes, if you cannot keep up in the race, you get left behind.
Before this system, we had a dbase program written by one of our IT guys and it worked well, but it was DOS based and lots of keyboard commands. That had to go as the query and feedbacks was a long process.

[qbert69]

Large outfits has dedicated parts person or persons . They are responsible for distributing and restocking the tech car stock. Acutally the software does the restocking notice and the parts person just sends out the parts when the tech stock level is needed. This is for the most common parts. If a tech needs a part, he sends the request via the call software from his smart phone and it is immediately sent to the parts person. This works very well for us and field transfers from one tech to another is done from the call software. If you don't want to get bogged down and spend wasted time tracking inventory, then you have to invest in a decent call system. small operations will not have that option as it can be an expensive overhead.
some of our techs don't see the office for years and parts are shipped out to them. Once a year at inventory stock count, tech car stock are counted and balanced with the system. All techs have scanners, but i don't think any one uses them. The tech puts in the last four digits or so in the search option and the parts shows up and he can see how much he has in his stock. The software does the math when the tech input what he uses in a call ticket and so everthing is updated by the software. When a tech uses a part from his stock, it is mandatory for him to put it in the call software.
The only person to mess up your carstock is the parts person as only very few people has rights to change options there. A good system can save you a lot of headaches.
Besides, a company AND TECHS can get good feedback on how a machine is performing, by checking the history on the call software. Managers need these information to make rational decisions on updating, upgrading, or accounts on a whole. As the saying goes, if you cannot keep up in the race, you get left behind.
Before this system, we had a dbase program written by one of our IT guys and it worked well, but it was DOS based and lots of keyboard commands. That had to go as the query and feedbacks was a long process.

You must be referring to the e-automate software!...Our owner is looking to move to it so they can more accurately run P&L reports overall and for each individual machine!

[subaro]

You must be referring to the e-automate software!...Our owner is looking to move to it so they can more accurately run P&L reports overall and for each individual machine!

Yes e-automate. we have been using this for 4yrs now and from an end user like myself, it does the basic things a tech would want to get through his day. I have read other here use it and they can provide some more detailed info and like or dislike. I hear it is pricey and the more functions you want added you have to pay the licence fee ect.

[Gar the pilot]

In Oregon it's against State law to charge a tech for missing anything. You can wright-up or replace a tech but you can't charge them $. I think when you get too thin on parts and clients are down for more than 1/2 day you start loosing clients.
Back-up lease-returned & trade-in machines help with keeping 1 of everything aval as long as the back-up machine is repaired each time a part is "Borrowed". We sell a lot of lease-returned (Used) copiers so getting a High Milage parts back-up is a low cost to us.
The running tech ( 5-8 calls per day) does a lot to keep people happy but that prevents tech's from spending a lot of time on carstock. Of course the newer stuff is unitized to the point of carring a lower stock. For me, most of the new stuff is "marry maids" time,.. dust and clean and let them run.