Items that are used during repairs or services, but are not normally maintained on the shelf, are known as:

👉 Non-Stocking Parts.

These items are commonly:

•special-order parts

•low-volume items

•customer-specific components

•unusual repair items

that are purchased only when needed.

Although these parts are not physically stocked in inventory:

👉 MLS 2026 still tracks them automatically.

This provides valuable historical and operational information without requiring the business to carry unnecessary shelf inventory.

Why Non-Stocking Parts Are Important

Many repair businesses use large numbers of:

•infrequently used parts

•specialty items

•vehicle-specific components

•one-time repair items

Maintaining all of these items in physical inventory would:

•tie up cash

•consume storage space

•create obsolete inventory problems

Instead:

👉 MLS 2026 allows the business to:

•special-order the part

•use it on the workorder

•still retain the inventory history

for future reference.

This creates a very flexible inventory management system that supports:

•both stocked inventory

and

•special-order workflow.

Automatic Non-Stocking Part Tracking

Whenever a non-stocking part is added to a workorder:

👉 MLS 2026 automatically creates:

•a non-stock inventory record

•updates an existing record

if the part has previously been purchased.

This process is:

👉 completely automatic.

No additional operator work is required.

The system retains:

•descriptions

•pricing

•costs

•vendors

•sales history

•purchase history

for future use.

Why Automatic Tracking Is Valuable

Automatic tracking provides major operational advantages.

When the same special-order item is needed again:

👉 MLS 2026 already remembers:

•the part number

•description

•prior pricing

•prior vendor information

This:

•reduces typing

•speeds workorder creation

•improves consistency

•reduces pricing mistakes

during future repairs.

In many businesses:

👉 yesterday’s special-order part

becomes:

👉 tomorrow’s commonly used inventory item.

Purchasing & Cost Analysis

MLS 2026 tracks:

•sales volume

•costs

•vendors

•usage history

for non-stocking parts exactly as it does for stocked inventory.

This allows management to analyze:

•repetitive special orders

•frequently used non-stock items

•purchasing trends

•vendor relationships

over time.

Reviewing non-stocking part history often helps identify:

👉 items that should possibly become stocked inventory.

Reducing Repetitive Typing

Because MLS 2026 stores the historical record:

👉 operators do NOT need to repeatedly re-enter:

•descriptions

•pricing

•manufacturers

•vendor information

for recurring special-order parts.

This greatly improves:

•estimate speed

•workorder efficiency

•consistency

especially in busy service environments.

Integration With Purchasing

Non-stocking parts remain fully integrated with:

•Workorders

•Purchase Orders

•Stock Input

•Inventory Reports

•Vendor Tracking

Even though the item is not normally stocked:

👉 the system still maintains:

•purchasing history

•sales tracking

•vendor references

•pricing history

throughout MLS 2026.

Special Order Identification

Parts that are:

👉 non-stocking

normally have:

👉 the Stock box unchecked

within the Inventory Editor.

This distinguishes them from:

👉 physically stocked inventory items.

Reviewing Non-Stocking Parts

Management should periodically review:

👉 Non-Stocking Parts Reports

to identify:

•repetitive special orders

•emerging inventory trends

•purchasing opportunities

•items that should possibly be stocked

This helps improve:

•inventory efficiency

•purchasing strategy

•profitability

over time.

Converting To Stocking Inventory

If a non-stocking item becomes:

👉 regularly used

it can easily be converted into:

👉 a stocked inventory item.

Simply:

👉 check the:

•Stocking Part

option in the Inventory Editor.

The part will then function as:

👉 regular stocked inventory

while retaining all prior:

•sales history

•pricing history

•vendor history

already accumulated within the system.

Why This System Is Valuable

MLS 2026 recognizes an important reality of service businesses:

👉 not every part belongs on the shelf.

However:

👉 every part still contains valuable operational history.

By automatically tracking both:

•stocked inventory

and

•special-order inventory

MLS 2026 provides:

•stronger inventory analysis

•better purchasing intelligence

•reduced repetitive typing

•improved service workflow

without forcing the business to overstock inventory.

Recommended Best Practices

•Review non-stocking reports regularly

•Watch for repeatedly special-ordered items

•Convert frequently used items into stocked inventory when appropriate

•Maintain accurate vendor information

•Verify descriptions and pricing during first entry

•Avoid duplicate special-order records

•Review purchasing trends periodically

•Use historical pricing when preparing estimates

•Monitor delivery costs associated with special-order items

Recommended Companion Sections

This section works closely with:

•Inventory Editor