Repair Shop Parts and Inventory: A Simple Tracking System That Works

You're mid-repair on an iPhone 14 screen replacement. You reach for the part — and it's not there. You were sure you had one. Now the customer's device sits on your bench for 3 days while you rush-order a screen.

This happens in every repair shop that runs inventory by memory. Here's a simple system that fixes it — no expensive POS software required.

Why repair shop inventory is uniquely hard

Repair shops aren't retail stores. Your inventory challenges are specific:

• Hundreds of SKUs — one phone model alone has screen, battery, charging port, back glass, camera lens. Multiply by 20+ models you service.
• Low quantity per SKU — you don't need 50 iPhone 13 screens. You need 2–3.
• Fast-changing models — new phones every year means new parts constantly.
• Quality tiers — OEM, premium aftermarket, budget aftermarket — for the same part.

Enterprise inventory software is overkill. You need a system that takes 5 minutes a day, not 5 hours to set up.

The spreadsheet system that actually works

Start with a Google Sheet or Excel file with these columns:

• Part name — “iPhone 15 Pro Screen – OEM”
• Current stock — how many you have right now
• Par level — the minimum you want on hand (more on this below)
• Supplier — who you order from
• Cost per unit — what you pay
• Last ordered — date of most recent order
• Lead time — how many days from order to delivery

Color-code rows: red when stock is at or below par level. That's your reorder signal. Every Monday morning, sort by color and place orders for anything in red. Ten minutes, once a week.

Setting par levels so you never run out

Par levels are your minimum stock targets. Set them too high and you're tying up cash in parts. Set them too low and you run out mid-week.

Here's the formula:

Par level = (average weekly usage × lead time in weeks) + 1 buffer unit

Example: You do 3 iPhone 15 screen repairs per week. Your supplier delivers in 4 business days (roughly 1 week). Par level = (3 × 1) + 1 = 4 screens.

For parts you use rarely (1–2 per month), don't stock them. Order on demand and set customer expectations upfront.

Organizing parts by device model

Physical organization matters as much as your spreadsheet. The best system for most shops:

• Small parts bins or drawers — labeled by brand and model. “iPhone 15 Pro” gets one drawer with sub-dividers for screen, battery, charging port.
• Group by brand — Apple section, Samsung section, Google section.
• Separate by quality tier — don't mix OEM and aftermarket in the same bin. Label clearly.
• Incoming vs. active — new shipments go in an “incoming” area until you log them in the spreadsheet and sort them into bins.

Label everything. A label maker is a $30 investment that saves you 10 minutes of searching per day.

Managing suppliers without getting burned

Don't put all your parts eggs in one basket:

• Primary supplier — your go-to for 80% of orders. Best prices, reliable quality.
• Backup supplier — for rush orders or when your primary is out of stock. You'll pay more, but you won't lose the customer.
• Track defect rates — if a supplier's screens are coming in dead-on-arrival more than 5% of the time, switch.
• Negotiate volume pricing — once you're consistently ordering $500+/month from a supplier, ask for a discount. Most will offer 5–15% off.

Keep a simple log of returns and defects per supplier. This data gives you leverage when negotiating — or evidence when it's time to switch. For broader tips on streamlining your shop, see our post on phone repair shop efficiency.

Connecting parts tracking to customer communication

The biggest customer-facing problem with inventory isn't the parts themselves — it's communication when parts are delayed. A customer drops off their device expecting a same-day repair, but you need to order a part. If you don't tell them, they're calling you tomorrow asking why it's not done.

The fix is simple: update the job status to “Waiting for Parts” the moment you realize you need to order. With FixyFlow, that status change triggers an automatic SMS to the customer: “Your device is waiting for a part to arrive. Expected delivery: [date]. We'll update you as soon as it's in.”

No call needed. The customer knows what's happening. Your phone doesn't ring. And when the part arrives and you update to “In Progress,” they get another text automatically.

Good inventory management isn't just about having the right parts. It's about keeping customers in the loop when things don't go as planned. A spreadsheet handles the parts. Clear workflow stages and automated updates handle the communication.