Problem guide
Truck stock never matches the system
Truck stock drifts from the system because parts leave the truck on a job and nobody records it at that moment, and restocks go onto the truck without being recorded either. Record every movement where it happens, count a small part of each truck often, and give one person the job of fixing each gap.
What it usually looks like
The system says truck twelve carries four pressure switches. The technician pulls up to a no heat call, opens the bin, and finds one, and it is the wrong model. He used two last week on jobs where the ticket said replaced switch but never said which one. Another went to a coworker who ran short on a Saturday. The restock from the shop added three more, but the slip is still in the stock room. On paper the truck is full. In the bin it is empty. He drives to a supply house, and the next count shows a gap nobody can explain.
Signs you have this problem
- A technician opens a bin the system says holds five parts and finds none
- Physical counts of a truck turn up parts the system has never heard of
- Technicians keep a private stash because they do not trust the restock
- The office adjusts truck counts in bulk after every count and nobody can explain the difference
- Two trucks swap parts in a parking lot and neither record changes
What usually causes it
- Parts used on a job are written on a ticket later, or not at all, so the system never removes themThe field-to-office split
- Restocks and truck to truck transfers happen by hand and get typed in afterward, if anyone remembersThe re-entry trap
- Nobody sees a truck's variance until the next full count, so small gaps pile up for monthsThe invisible queue
What to try this week
- Count the same ten parts on one truck every weekPick the ten parts that move most on one truck. Count them every week and compare to the system. The size and direction of the gap tells you whether parts are leaving unrecorded or arriving unrecorded.
- Trace every gap to a movementFor each part that is off, ask the technician and the stock room where it went or came from. Sort the answers into used on a job, restocked, transferred, or unknown.
- Stop parking lot transfers without a noteSet a temporary rule that any part moving between trucks gets a text to one named person with the part, the quantity and both truck numbers.
- Cut the truck list to what really movesRemove parts from the truck's stock list that have not moved in months. A shorter list is easier to count and easier to trust.
- Name one owner for truck varianceGive one person the weekly count results and the job of explaining each gap. Shared ownership means the adjustment gets made and the cause does not.
Where do-it-yourself stops
These steps show you where truck stock drifts and slow the drift down. They do not make the record happen at the moment a part leaves the truck, which is the only way the count stays right between counts. That needs a tool built around your own trucks, your job tickets and your inventory system, so using a part on a job and removing it from stock are one action. That is what a Workflow Spec designs.
Questions people ask
Why does truck stock never match the system?
Because parts move on and off the truck at times when nobody is recording, at the job, at the supply house, and in the parking lot. The system only learns about it later, if at all.
How often should we count trucks?
A full count is slow and happens rarely. Counting a small set of fast moving parts every week catches drift sooner and costs less time.
Is the problem theft?
Sometimes, but most gaps trace back to unrecorded use on jobs and unrecorded restocks. Trace your own gaps before assuming either.
Should technicians be charged for missing parts?
It usually makes technicians hide parts and stop reporting problems. Fix the recording first, then look at the gaps that remain.
Does this affect billing?
Yes. A part that leaves the truck unrecorded often never reaches the invoice either. Check a sample of jobs against the parts that went missing.
Next step
Want this fixed for good?
This guide is how to find it and work around it. If it keeps coming back, the fix is usually a tool built around how your crew already works. Start with a free twenty-minute fit call.
Fox & Santiago, Genesee, Idaho. Home territory: the Inland Northwest, where we respond fastest. We fly anywhere in the United States for paid engagements.