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c/bicycle-mechanicsjackson.jennyjackson.jenny1mo agoProlific Poster

Hot take: Letting parts inventory slip is wrecking shop efficiency

Our shop got lazy about counting parts after busy seasons. Now we constantly guess what's left in the bins. Last month, we missed three repair deadlines because we thought we had shifters in stock. Customers get mad when their bikes sit waiting for simple parts. I've seen other shops use cheap clipboards to track items weekly. It takes ten minutes and stops these headaches. Trust me, keep a tight list or you'll fall behind fast.
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3 Comments
luna_young1
Seriously though! @taylor317's right about clipboards being a lifesaver, but if you skip counts even once you're basically gambling with your whole repair schedule. Why let a ten minute job create a whole day of chaos later?
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kevin_schmidt97
Our old manager swore by a red binder for inventory. He'd do counts every Friday without fail. The new guy ditched it and we lost a whole Saturday looking for a single derailleur hanger.
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taylor317
taylor3171mo ago
Ugh, yes, a hundred times yes. My shop did the exact same thing with brake pads last spring. We just winged it for weeks and then suddenly we're tearing apart the storage room looking for a set that wasn't there. It wasted like two hours of my day and the customer was just standing there annoyed. It's so easy to let it slide when you're busy, but that's when it hurts you the most. I mean, a cheap clipboard and a quick count fixes everything, it's not rocket science. Your post is so true.
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