Parts logged on each closed job in the field service app are deducted from that van's stock sheet. Items that fall below the van's minimum go on the next morning's restock pick list, printed in the warehouse at 6 AM.
Typical results
≈6 hrs/wk
Technician time saved on parts runs
6 AM
Restock pick list ready in the warehouse
Figures reflect typical results for this kind of automation.
The challenge
Service vans carry hundreds of fittings, valves and spare parts, but nobody knows exactly what is left in each one. Technicians find out a part is missing at the customer's door, drive to a supplier mid-day and lose an hour or more. Weekly van counts get skipped whenever the schedule is busy.
Before and after
Mid-day parts runs per week across 8 vans
−30%Minutes to prepare the morning restock
−67%The automation
When a technician closes a job in the field service app, the parts logged on it are deducted from that van's stock sheet. Any item that drops below the van's set minimum is added to the next morning's restock pick list. The warehouse prints the list at 6 AM, sorted by van and shelf location, and loads the parts before the vans leave for the first jobs.
How it works
- 01
Job closed with parts
The technician logs the parts used and closes the job in the field service app.
- 02
Van stock reduced
Those parts are deducted from that van's row in the stock sheet, part by part.
- 03
Below minimum flagged
Any item below the van's set minimum is added to the next morning's restock pick list.
- 04
Pick list printed at 6 AM
The warehouse prints the list, sorted by van and shelf location, and loads the parts before the vans leave.
Starts from
- Job closed in field app
- Parts logged on the job
Delivers
- 6 AM restock pick list
- Vans loaded before leaving
The impact
Mid-day parts runs drop by about 30%, saving roughly six technician hours a week, because each van leaves with its usual stock refilled. The warehouse knows what to load without phone calls, and the sheet shows which parts each van uses most for setting better minimums.
Questions about this automation
What if technicians forget to log parts on a job?
The van stock will drift, so the sheet keeps a monthly count column. A quick count of each van once a month resets the figures, and the gap between counted and expected stock shows which parts or vans need attention. Most teams log parts reliably once restocking depends on it.
Does it connect to purchasing?
This version tracks van stock and builds the restock list from the warehouse shelves. A reorder column can show when the warehouse itself runs low, and supplier ordering can be added as a later step. Simple automations like this are usually live within days.
How are the van minimums set?
You start from the parts list each van should carry, with a minimum for each and its warehouse shelf location. After a few weeks, the sheet shows how fast each van uses every part, so minimums can be raised for fast movers and lowered for parts that sit unused.