Inventory is the biggest single asset in most repair shops — and the biggest source of trapped cash when managed poorly. Here's the discipline that keeps parts on hand without over-ordering.
The 80/20 rule for parts
A small share of the parts you stock covers most of your repairs. For phone shops that's usually iPhone screens (last 5 generations), Samsung Galaxy screens, batteries, charging ports, and camera assemblies. Everything else can be on-demand.
Set reorder points, not reorder schedules
A reorder point is 'when I have N left, order M more.' For a fast-moving part (iPhone 15 screen), N might be 3 and M might be 5. For a slow part, N=1, M=2. Don't order on a schedule; that's how you end up with dead stock.
Track dead stock quarterly
Any part that hasn't sold in 90 days is dead stock. Options: return to supplier (many accept 60-day returns), discount and offer as 'economy tier', or eBay/OfferUp for salvage. Don't let it sit.
Two-supplier rule
Always have two suppliers you can order from same-day, even for your top parts. Suppliers run out; when yours does and you have no backup, you lose the ticket. Slight price premium on Supplier B is worth the resilience.
Software tracking
Repair Hub Pro tracks parts cost per ticket and includes parts logging: stocked items and serialized units with cost, price, quantity on hand and bin location, plus movement history showing which job consumed a part. Purchase orders and supplier management are not part of the product.