“Another lost sale due to incorrect stock records.” That’s what you would have thought if you were in Martín’s (a parts manager) shoes hanging up the phone in frustration after losing a sale.
A customer urgently needed a critical part. The system showed it was in stock… but it wasn’t.
Martín knew this wasn’t a new problem. Every year, the general inventory count brought unpleasant surprises: missing parts, miscounts, and long hours of extra work—not to mention days of shutdown.
But that day, after missing a valuable opportunity, he decided to try something different: move away from the outdated annual inventory count and switch to cycle counting.
What is Cycle Counting?
Cycle counting is a method where small portions of inventory are counted regularly, instead of performing one massive count once a year. Rather than halting operations for days to review the entire warehouse, counts are spread out over the year—by location, brand, or category.
| Annual Inventory | Cycle Counting |
| Once a year | Can be done weekly |
| Requires closing the dealership several days | No need to close the dealership |
| Issues are detected late and must be resolved quickly | Issues are detected quickly |
| Less accurate due to large volumes counted at once | More accurate due to smaller, more frequent counts |
Why Switch to Cycle Counting?
Implementing this method brings tangible benefits:
- Inventory accuracy: With more frequent counts, stock levels become more reliable, reducing lost sales.
- Lower operational load: Teams no longer need to spend entire days counting the entire warehouse.
- Better business decisions: Reliable data allows for better parts purchasing, more confident selling, and smoother order preparation.
- Improved asset management: Damaged, outdated, or misplaced parts are identified faster.
- Operational continuity: Counting doesn’t interrupt the department’s daily logistics.
Martín saw the results within a few months: fewer complaints, greater confidence in inventory data, and better customer service.
How Can You Implement This in Your Dealership?
The key is having the right tools to support this change.
The Physical Inventory App from Autologica Sky DMS makes implementing cycle counting simple:
- Choose parameters for your count (warehouse, locations, part activity, brand, category, etc.).
- Define a frequency: daily, weekly, monthly, etc.
- Perform counts using any mobile device—even in areas without connectivity thanks to the offline mode.
- If any issues arise, you can mark the part as missing, damaged, or flagged for another problem, so you can act quickly.
- Sync data automatically with the DMS.
With this solution, dealers can take a more professional approach to parts management .
Ready to leave endless inventory counts behind?
Learn how Autologica’s Physical Inventory App works and discover the benefits of cycle counting.
