Blog - PartsEdge

Turning Parts Chaos into Clarity: How One Manager Reclaimed Time, Space, and Control

Written by PartsEdge | Jan 27, 2026 12:00:01 PM

At Titus-Will Toyota, Parts Manager Steve Fishel wasn’t new to the dealership or the industry. After decades with the organization, he had seen firsthand how much Toyota’s product line—and the complexity of parts management—had grown. What once felt manageable had slowly turned into a system overflowing with manual work, limited flexibility, and hours of unnecessary effort every month.

Stock orders alone could run 750+ lines, each one requiring Steve’s time, attention, and review. And with only 14–15 inventory sources available in the DMS, he didn’t have the segmentation he needed to keep pace with demand. The system technically worked—but at the cost of his time and too much capital tied up in slow-moving parts.

As Steve put it, “PartsEdge freed me to focus on building a stronger partnership with service, reducing special orders, and ultimately improving customer satisfaction.”

 

The Challenge: Too Much Burden, Not Enough Flexibility

Steve’s situation is common among overloaded managers:

  • Manual stock order cleanup eating hours each month

  • A growing parts catalog with no structural flexibility

  • Shelf space consumed by slow movers

  • Limited visibility into where inventory should shrink or grow

He didn’t need to overhaul everything—he needed a smarter, more responsive inventory structure behind him.

 

The Solution: A Partner Working Behind the Scenes

PartsEdge rebuilt his internal structure from the ground up, expanding the inventory source setup from fewer than 15 categories to more than 30. This gave Steve true control over stocking parameters and allowed his system to respond to demand rather than react to it.

Instead of combing through hundreds of lines each month, Steve could trust the process—knowing that PartsEdge’s daily analysis and recommendations were protecting his capital, shaping a healthier mix, and preventing unnecessary accumulation.

Most importantly, Steve gained time to focus on what had the biggest impact: strengthening the partnership with service, lowering special orders, and improving the customer experience.

As Steve said, “Being able to trust you guys… has truly been a game changer.”

 

The Results: A Clearer, Leaner, More Profitable Inventory

From January to August 2025, Steve’s department saw meaningful improvements across every major metric:

✔ Productive Inventory Increased by 6%

More capital invested in parts that turn, improving throughput and performance.

✔ Excess Inventory Reduced by 4%

A stronger structure prevented buildup before it happened.

✔ Forced Inventory Dropped by 2%

Decision-making became proactive instead of reactive.

✔ Working Capital Decreased by $75,587

A true reduction, not a reclassification—lowering carrying costs without spiking obsolescence.

✔ Obsolescence Remained Stable

Even with capital drawdown, the department maintained disciplined returns and inventory hygiene.

These results gave Steve what overloaded operators value most: breathing room. With the heavy lifting handled, he could lead more strategically and spend his energy where it mattered.

 

Why This Matters

Some parts managers don’t need a rescue—they need relief.
Steve’s department wasn’t broken. It was burdened.

PartsEdge provided the structure, the automation, and the daily support to take that burden off his plate. When the system works with the manager instead of against them, everything changes: decisions get sharper, shelves stay cleaner, and time gets redirected to high-impact work.

That’s what turning chaos into clarity looks like.

 

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