Parts hold

[jazdale]

I wasn't part of this meeting, but I'm beginning to piece together the issues behind this.

Sounds like you guys want to be able to pre-sell a part to a customer.

Not tied to an invoice, and as Exmopar says, not through an SOR. Just tied to a customer in hopes of a future sale.

Using a magic wand to do whatever it is we want, how would we do this?
Woould it be a new function outside of I/PRO/SOR?
Would it prompt for customer name/Vehid?
Would it expire after so many days?
Would it be a protected function?
Would I be able to sell it to someone else if it was on reserve?


Questions to the group
1. How often does this happen?
2. On average, how many parts would be on reserve at any given time?
3. How do you handle it now?

I'm struggling with the validity of this functionality, especially without an open invoice for proof of necessity.
Here's 2 scenarios in my head.

Counter invoice
Cust - I need a kanuter valve.
PM - Got one
Cust - Great hold it for me
PM - creates and saves (but doesn't close) an invoice showing part sold

RO invoice
Cust - I need a kanuter valve installed
PM - got one
Cust - great, I'll be in next week
Tech - Gimme a kanuter valve
PM - sorry, I've got one, but I think I sold it for next week when the car comes in.


Help me understand, guys.

[exmopar]

Jaz:

You are somewhat correct, but...

You have a kanuter valve in stock and car is in shop - part is warranty and not customer pay. Customer does not have 4 hours to install kanuter valve, or service dept does not have 4 hours available - cust will be back in 2 days to have replaced. Manufacturer states "no open RO's", so your service dept has to close and re-open new one when cust comes back. How do you hold the part?

If someone calls for a kanuter valve, the only way we will hold is if it's paid for, probably same as you. After all, how many kanuter valves can you possibly need?

The biggest issue we have is with customers thinking it will only take half an hour to repair ANY problem with their vehicle, and are "too busy" that day to do repair.

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No, i'm sure you said left, right?

[ZOOM1]

You can create a manual SOR,tie it to the VIN #,and enter "STK" as the order type.This will "hold" the part for that vehicle,and when a repair order is opened for it,it will flag the SOR part.You will still have the option of selling it to someone else if you need to,.ADP will show qty OH,qty needed for SOR's,extra qty available.

[cantfind122]

I must preface this response by saying I grew in the Parts world of the NY metro area, however, I'm sure it applies to most places. The two first things you learn as a parts guy/gal is 1)never tell someone you have one knauter valve left until you physically touch the part and 2) never leave a part you have promised to someone on the shelf (in fact if you put it on the SPO shelf hide it). Its kind of a fun scenario in a weird sort of way but nothing new to the nature of he business. My curiousity is always piqued when people get handcuffed by an electronic system. I don't beleive any DMS would write software that would not allow an override to sell a part even if it were "being held." Of course, there is always the arguement that "John" is doing it all the time, but maybe "John" is the back counter guy and "Mr. Rightfullysoownerguy" is telling John to take care of his customers in the shop first. Which lead into the discussion of how fill rate is calculated and blah blah blah I'm getting boring. Its a tough call.

[Mike]

We use a method similar to zoom. The difference is:
1.) We add it to the RO or create a Parts ticket in customers name.
2.) We zero the qty filled and add STK as the order type.
3.) No order is ever placed for order type STK.
4.) Customer comes in, new RO/INV we process through normal SOR order fill method.

The problem for us is not the fill rate it's that now I have a part on shelf that is sold, but DMS does not recognize that so no replenishment order is placed by DMS. Now until my original customer reschedules and appears I have essentially got a stock out situation and have to place an SOR each successive customer. I pay a 2% (now 4%) penalty to GM for each CSO so I would prefer the DMS recognize the hold as a sale and reorder the part on a DRO.

Customer needs a guide and a regulator. I have the guide but no regulator. Add a STK order type for guide and an CSO for the regulator. In the 2 weeks it takes to get original customer back in I have had another demand for guide. I could sell original off shelf and reorder (paperwork and computer tracking problem) or order a guide for second customer. Also during this time OE connection shows me having one that I won't sell.

It's not such a big issue that it brings the wheels of commerce to a screeching halt, but it is just one more of those daily hassles to work around and figure out todays solution to. Here it seems to come up several times a week. I currently have 18 parts on STK type order (which means they are being held)

[This message has been edited by Mike (edited 06-29-2009).]

[gmcgrew]

Ex I understand what you are trying to do. Really you have 2 options: open an SOR for the parts or open an invoice and sell the part on it. As long as the parts manager says this is how to handle this and makes sure everyone is on the same page it shouldn't matter which method is used. The invoice would not affect your fill rate and you could also verify exactly how many times this scenario comes up. If this issue comes up very often it is probably a service advisor issue. If you can, push the work through the shop. The techs can normally handle more work if they have more work and the customers will be happier if they don't need to come back. Yes some jobs wont get done but if the advisors are proactive and call customers before they call looking for their car they wont have a problem. Funny thing is the advisors and techs usually start making more money and are happier.

[Ironchild]

I can't find my original post on this. It must have been too long ago and been wiped out of the archives. I had noticed on the side bar of websuite that there was a category titled "Parts Holds". Couldn't figure out how it worked. Turns out it doesn't. Was looking to see if there is a way to somehow put a part on a hold status. If the same part number of which there is only 1 in stock is quoted out to 2 different techs by 2 different parts people within a short period of time and then sold by 2 different service advisors, there is a problem. If there was a way to show a warning pop up window sort of like the SOR window, it could prevent a scenerio like this. Also would come in handy if a customer calls and needs a part you have in stock and wants you to set it aside for "later in the day" or tomorrow. At least it would show that the part is spoken for or make the parts counter people question whether or not the part is in stock available to be sold. I hate to start creating invoices as that relieves the part from inventory and opens up a can of worms with cashiering and re-ordering. Just throwing this back out as it was mostly the explanation of my original post a while back.

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"You want a 710 part?"

[Mike]

I'm by no means an expert on websuite, but I believe the parts hold function is for placing a hold on an RO until a warranty part or core is returned. At that point parts releases their hold on the RO.

[jazdale]

Mike is correct.
Parts hold is designed for the parts dept to put a hold on an RO.

[Ironchild]

Ah...I remember that was the explanation given to me from ADP at that time. The way I'd like to use it is what we had discussed in the phone conference with Matt.

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"You want a 710 part?"