tems that are regularly maintained in inventory for future use are known as:

👉 Stocking Parts.

Effective control of stocking inventory is crucial to:

•profitability

•cash flow

•purchasing efficiency

•technician productivity

•customer service

Poor inventory control can create:

•excessive tied-up cash

•obsolete inventory

•slow-moving stock

•emergency purchases

•reduced profitability

MLS 2026 provides extensive tracking tools to help management make informed stocking decisions based on:

•actual sales activity

•inventory movement

•purchasing history

•usage trends

rather than guesswork.

Understanding Stocking Inventory

Stocking inventory should consist primarily of:

👉 items that are used regularly.

These are parts that:

•move consistently

•are commonly required

•improve workflow efficiency

•reduce special-order delays

Properly managed stocking inventory helps:

•reduce downtime

•improve turnaround time

•lower purchasing costs

•improve customer satisfaction

Identifying Frequently Used Parts

One of the best methods for identifying stocking inventory is:

👉 reviewing sales history.

Print a:

👉 Sales History Report

for the previous month and review:

👉 non-stocking items

that were used repeatedly during that period.

These are often:

•special-order parts

•emergency purchases

•repetitive repair items

that may actually deserve stocking status.

If an item is being repeatedly special ordered:

👉 the business is often:

•paying higher prices

•incurring shipping costs

•delaying repairs unnecessarily

Purchasing small stocking quantities may:

•reduce costs

•improve availability

•speed service operations

significantly.

Monitoring Slow-Moving Inventory

It is equally important to identify:

👉 slow-moving inventory.

Print reports showing:

👉 items not sold recently

such as:

•no sales in 30 days

•no sales in 60 days

•no sales in 90 days

depending on the business model.

Slow-moving inventory:

•ties up cash

•consumes storage space

•often becomes obsolete

Inventory that no longer moves regularly should be reviewed carefully.

Beware Of “Special Purchase” Offers

⚠️ Inventory purchasing decisions should be based on:

👉 your actual sales history

—not vendor sales pressure.

Sales representatives often promote:

•overstock items

•liquidation inventory

•“special purchase” opportunities

that may not match your actual operational needs.

Even discounted inventory can become:

👉 dead stock

if it is not regularly used.

MLS 2026 sales history and movement reports provide much more accurate guidance regarding:

•what parts should be stocked

•what quantities are appropriate

•what items actually move

within your business.

Inventory Location Control

Stocking inventory should always be:

👉 organized and easy to locate.

Proper location coding helps:

•reduce technician delays

•speed counter operations

•improve inventory accuracy

•reduce duplicate orders

Use:

👉 Location Codes

to identify:

•shelves

•bins

•rooms

•warehouse areas

•storage sections

clearly and consistently.

Before placing special orders:

👉 always check existing inventory first.

Often:

•misplaced parts

•incorrect locations

•duplicate records

lead to unnecessary purchases.

Using The Computer For Stock Decisions

⚠️ Never rely entirely on outside sales personnel to determine stocking requirements.

Vendor representatives are compensated based on:

👉 sales volume.

MLS 2026 uses:

•actual workorders

•actual inventory movement

•actual purchasing history

•actual sales trends

to help determine:

👉 what inventory your business truly needs.

The system’s reports and sales analysis tools provide much more reliable guidance for:

•stocking decisions

•reorder quantities

•inventory planning

than sales presentations or promotional offers.

Entering Stocking Parts

Stocking inventory may be entered using:

•Inventory Editor

•Stock Input

When creating stocking records:

👉 pay close attention to:

•descriptions

•location codes

•stocking quantities

•reorder levels

•pricing

•vendor information

•category assignments

Proper setup greatly improves:

•inventory control

•reporting accuracy

•purchasing efficiency

•long-term inventory analysis

within MLS 2026.

Why Stocking Control Matters

Inventory is:

👉 money sitting on the shelf.

The goal is to stock:

•the right parts

•in the right quantities

•at the right time

while avoiding:

•overstock

•obsolete inventory

•duplicate purchases

•slow-moving items

Successful inventory management balances:

•availability

with

•financial control.

Recommended Best Practices

•Review sales history regularly

•Monitor non-stock parts used repeatedly

•Eliminate slow-moving inventory

•Use consistent location codes

•Review reorder levels periodically

•Avoid duplicate inventory records

•Verify inventory before special ordering

•Use sales data rather than vendor pressure for stocking decisions

•Review obsolete inventory regularly

•Maintain accurate pricing and vendor information

Recommended Companion Sections

This section works closely with:

•Inventory Editor

•Stock Input

•Purchase Orders

•Inventory Reports

•Parts Utilized Reports

•Vendor Management

•Workorders

•Pricing Tables

•Accounting Integration

Together, these sections provide a complete inventory control and purchasing workflow system within MLS 2026.