From Gut Feel to Smart Controls

In this episode of the PartsEdge Podcast, Kaylee sits down with Zach Don, a parts manager at Tricities Toyota who turned uncertainty into structure. With a background in service and zero formal training in parts, Zach shares how shifting his phase-in criteria and teaming up with PartsEdge helped him make better inventory decisions with less stress.

Zach first changed his phase-in criteria from “3 in 12” to “2 in 9” after a quick call with PartsEdge. That simple adjustment added hundreds of SKUs that are actually selling and revealed just how much he was missing. It also made one thing clear—he needed more control to keep up.

Managing Growth Without Guessing

When Zach fully partnered with PartsEdge, the process got sharper. Instead of applying the same criteria to every part, he could manage accessories, small parts, and body parts with separate settings. That gave him flexibility without creating clutter.

As inventory grew (in a good way), he used PartsEdge reports to show where the growth was going. He wasn't hoarding stock. He was replacing old, slow-moving items with faster, high-demand parts. That made it easy to justify decisions to his GM and show progress backed by real numbers.

The Win: Time Back and Clarity Forward

Zach was handling multiple jobs in the store and couldn’t afford to waste hours chasing reports. With PartsEdge, data came straight from the DMS with no extra systems to log into. That freed up time to focus on strategy instead of spreadsheets.

He leaned on the PartsEdge team for quick insights and custom views whenever he needed them. That kind of support made him feel more equipped and more confident in the role.

Takeaways

• Phase-in criterias are a powerful first lever
• Tailored controls create precision without overwhelm
• Growth works when it’s productive and provable
• The right data turns daily chaos into clear decisions

Quote

“Growth is not the problem. It’s not knowing how to explain it that gets parts managers stuck.” — Zach Don

Listen to the full episode 🎧 https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/920fKGhWwUb

Watch the full episode 👀 https://youtu.be/McP-v4LrTKc

Connect
🌐 www.tricitiestoyota.com

Kaylee Felio
🔗 LinkedIn
🌐 www.partsedge.com