How to manage van stock without the second tripHow to manage van stock without the second trip

Knowing how to manage van stock is the difference between finishing a job on the first visit and driving back to the merchant. Most trade businesses do not lose stock to theft or waste. They lose it to a van that nobody counts, parts that are used without being written down, and a restock list that lives in someone’s head. Here is a simple routine that works for one van or ten.

Why van stock goes missing

The same four things come up in almost every trade business:

• Parts leave the van for a job and nobody records it.
• Stock is moved between vans or from the warehouse in a quick favour, and neither side notes it.
• The restock list is whatever someone remembers on the way to the merchant.
• The cost of parts used never reaches the job, so the job looks more profitable than it was.

Each is small. Together they mean a repeat trip, a delayed job and a margin you cannot trust.

A van stock routine that holds up

1. Decide what each van should carry

Write a standard list for each van, by trade. Include the part, the usual quantity and the minimum you want left before you restock. Keep it short: the fast-moving parts that cause a second visit when they run out, not everything you might ever need.

2. Give every part one name

If the same fitting is called three things across your team, no count will ever agree. Keep one record per item, with the part numbers and the price you pay, so a part is the same thing in the van, on the order and on the quote.

3. Record parts against the job, when you use them

This is the habit that matters. Add the item to the job as it is fitted. The van count drops, the job picks up the cost, and the invoice can include it. Left until the end of the week, it becomes guesswork.

4. Move stock through the system, never around it

When parts go from the warehouse to a van, or from one van to another, record the transfer. The stock then shows where it is, and you can trace how a quantity changed.

5. Count on a schedule

A quick check of each van once a month, or after any big job, finds drift early. Count a few key items each time rather than everything once a year.

6. Reorder from the minimums, not from memory

When an item falls to its minimum, raise a purchase order with the supplier. A restock decision made from a list is quicker and cheaper than one made on the way to the merchant.

Setting minimums: a simple way to start

You do not need clever formulas. For each item, look at how many you use in a typical fortnight and how long it takes to get more. If a fitting is used five times a fortnight and the merchant is a half-hour drive, a minimum of five or six means you reorder before you are stuck. Rarely used items can have a minimum of one. Review the list every quarter and remove parts that have not moved.

Do not forget the van itself as a store. Tidy racking and labelled bins make a count take minutes, and they make it obvious when something has gone.

Get the cost onto the job

The point of stock control is not tidiness. It is knowing what each job cost. GOV.UK lists stock and raw materials among the business costs a self-employed person can claim, and the cleanest way to support that is a record of which parts went on which job. If you are working out prices, read our guide to how to price a job, which uses the same numbers.

How jobmate handles van stock

On the Pro and Enterprise plans, jobmate’s stock and purchasing module covers this routine:

• Stock locations for vans and warehouses, with the quantity held at each.
• Items with multiple part numbers and pricing, and supplier profiles.
• Update stock, transfer stock and view movements on each item.
• Minimum quantities with low-stock notifications, and stock checks.
• Purchase orders, and items added to jobs and quotes that update inventory.

jobmate Lite includes suppliers but not stock locations, so van stock needs Pro or Enterprise. Our pricing page shows what is in each plan.

Managing van stock: common questions

How often should I count van stock?

There is no rule. A short count of the fast-moving items every month, plus a check after a large job, catches most drift. Do the full count less often.

What is a minimum quantity?

The lowest amount of an item you want left in a van or warehouse. When stock reaches it, you reorder.

Do I need stock software for one van?

Not always. A list and a habit can work for one van. It starts to fail with two or more vans, or when you want parts costed to jobs without retyping them.

Can I put van stock on a spreadsheet?

You can, and many firms start there. The weak point is that a spreadsheet does not know when a part is used on a job, so it relies on someone updating it by hand every time.

Next step

If you have more than one van and want stock tied to jobs and purchase orders, Book a demo.