What should a plumbing company’s truck stock and parts ordering routine look like?
A healthy routine means each truck carries a standard set of common parts, restocking happens on a schedule, and usage is recorded against jobs. Technicians should rarely leave a job to fetch a common item. Look for consistency between trucks and a clear method for ordering what runs low.
Begin by looking inside a few trucks. Are the loadouts similar, labelled and tidy, or does each plumber stock their own way? A standard list lets a new technician step into any truck, and makes it easy to see what is missing at the end of the day. Next, follow the ordering routine. Who checks stock, how often, and where do orders go? Look for a simple trigger, such as a shelf check on a set day or a log of parts used. Companies without a routine often fix the problem by emergency runs, which cost time and annoy customers.
Ask how parts are charged to jobs. If used parts are not recorded, margins on repairs can look better than they are. Compare a few invoices with the parts log to see whether they agree. Finally, check the supplier side: more than one source for key items, and an understanding of what happens when a supplier is out. Ask how much old or unusual stock sits unused, and agree with the seller how it will be treated at closing.
A walk through the supplier’s counter orders for a month can also show whether trucks are run short regularly, which is easy to miss in tidy inventory sheets.
Key takeaways
- Inspect several trucks for matching, labelled loadouts.
- Look for a regular restocking trigger and a record of parts used.
- Compare invoices with the parts log to see whether usage is billed.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat is inventory
- 03Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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