Track the purchase order, physical receipt, vendor invoice, and any return or credit separately. Connect them to the same repair order so a partial shipment, price difference, or outstanding core deposit stays visible even after the vehicle leaves.
Keep four records
“The part is handled” can mean four different things: it was ordered, it arrived, it was billed, or its return was credited. A single status cannot answer all four questions. Body shop parts management works better when the office and floor can tell which step is actually complete.
| Record | What it establishes |
|---|---|
| Purchase order | The supplier, part, quantity, quoted cost, and ordering reference. |
| Receipt | What physically reached the shop, its condition, and when it arrived. |
| Vendor invoice | What the supplier charged and which parts those charges cover. |
| Return and credit | What went back and whether the expected credit was recorded. |
Keep the repair order and supplier reference with each record. If a vendor bills several repairs together, retain enough line-level detail to explain which charge belongs to which job. The goal is a traceable history, not four disconnected spreadsheets.
Order with context
Start from the repair’s parts list. Confirm the item, quantity, vendor, cost, and expected arrival before ordering. Resolve any uncertainty about fitment or the required part with the appropriate supplier and repair information. A software match is not a substitute for that check.
Record backorders and changed ETAs where the production team can see them. An expected date is not a physical receipt: if a job depends on a particular part, the board should show the unresolved dependency rather than imply the repair is ready.
Check return conditions, deadlines, restocking charges, and core requirements with the supplier before relying on a credit. Those terms can differ between vendors and items.
Count what arrived
A delivery can be short, damaged, incorrect, or split over several days. Verify the actual items and quantities, then record the receipt. Do not receive an entire order simply because the truck arrived or the supplier sent an invoice.
| Event | Record | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Order | Two items at $480 each: $960 total. | Confirm the supplier’s expected delivery. |
| Delivery | One item physically received. | Keep the second item outstanding. |
| Invoice | Two items billed at $495 each: $990 total. | Review the billed quantity and the $15 unit-price difference. |
The invoice is $30 above the quoted total, and one billed item has not arrived. These are separate questions. The supplier may explain that the second item is shipping separately, but that explanation does not turn it into a receipt. Likewise, agreeing a price adjustment does not resolve the missing item.
Keep any photos, delivery notes, and supplier confirmation with the follow-up. Assign an owner and a next-check date so the discrepancy does not depend on whoever remembers the conversation.
Match before closeout
Compare three things: what was ordered, what was received, and what was invoiced. Check quantities and unit prices separately, then review additional charges or credits against the supporting documents. Resolve uncertain matches instead of forcing an invoice line onto the nearest-looking repair.
Scanning the vendor’s PDF or a receipt photo can reduce re-entry. It cannot establish what physically arrived. Keep invoice capture and receiving as distinct steps, with a person checking the proposed matches and shipment details.
Close the credit loop
A wrong part leaving the building is not the same as receiving a credit. Record the returned item, quantity, reason, date, supplier authorization or pickup record, expected amount, and follow-up owner. Apply the same discipline to a core deposit.
For example, a $120 core deposit remains unresolved after the core is collected. When the supplier issues a $100 credit, the remaining $20 still needs an explanation. Reconcile it to the supplier’s terms and records instead of treating any credit as a complete recovery.
Keep returns and cores on the review list after delivery. Repair completion and supplier-credit recovery are different events. Also distinguish money the supplier owes back from received goods the shop has not yet been invoiced for.
Keep it connected
AutoHound connects estimate parts, purchase orders, partial receiving, returns, cores, and vendor invoices to the repair order. A phone photo or PDF can supply invoice details and proposed matches, with uncertain lines left visible for review.
Three-way matching calls out price differences, quantity differences, and unreceived lines. Parts Aging, Parts by Vendor, and Vendor Credits and Cores help focus the next follow-up; the records remain more useful than a single “done” checkmark.
Explore parts and purchase orders and parts and vendor reporting. For the next handoff, use the team and vendor communication guide.
Shop checklist
- Record the RO, vendor, part number, ordered quantity, and quoted cost.
- Keep the current ETA and unresolved part dependencies visible.
- Check the supplier’s return and core-credit terms.
- Verify physical quantities and condition before recording receipt.
- Record partial, wrong, damaged, or missing deliveries accurately.
- Compare invoice quantities and prices with the order and receipt.
- Retain return authorization, date, quantity, and expected credit.
- Track core deposits and outstanding credits after vehicle delivery.
- Assign follow-up until each difference or credit is reconciled.
All worked examples are illustrative, not customer results or industry benchmarks.