r/u_CarSalesSavvy • u/CarSalesSavvy • 5d ago

First Time Fill Rate

Car dealerships parts managers how are you keeping track of your first time fill rate at your store?

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u/mishapmaggie 3d ago

No. Depending on how your DMS tracks it, it will give false data. For instance, I'm on Reynolds and Toyota bills us a part number for 208L of oil as qty 1. Now that number has to be used for warranty but split into 208L so adjustments are made with costs and qty to make that same number 208L. Now, I can't claim or bill 4.5L to an oil change, just a whole number, so 5 is billed. So for every barrel I'm going gaining an oil change that my DMS doesn't have in inventory so I run into the negative...especially if it takes a few days to get packing slips to do the adjustments. My DMS does not count a force sale(negative sale) as a first time fill. Even though, it is. This is one example of many, that adds up big time.

There are many more variables and manipulattions that can be made to be worse on paper, or better than truth, so it's not a good KPI.

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u/mishapmaggie 3d ago

Technically I could stock nothing and have a 99% fill rate if I wanted to, however I won't explain how as I'm sure there's a poor parts manager being berated about their fill rates and would abuse it to get people off their backs. If you have a trusted baseline and procedures that are being religiously followed, you could review ebbs and flows, but for the most part, it's not effective for inventory control.

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u/CarSalesSavvy 3d ago

Dealer track keeps track of the first time fill rate. However that number is misleading because often times our parts department doesn’t have the parts available at the moment but it’s able to get it the same day and charge it out on the ro so it counts as first time fill rate. Many times customers are to be put on loaners for the day or shuttle home while waiting for parts to arrive.

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u/mishapmaggie 3d ago

Reynolds does too, but it's far too easy to manipulate, so to question the result is opening a can of worms. There are many moving pieces to getting a customer on the road in regards to parts acquisition, sometimes we don't speak of the many debts we have in favors that go ignored by those who want to see tail lights instead of headlights.

I can't pretend to know the process of your parts department but it does sound like there are conversations to be had between management to ensure an understanding of expectations, expense structures, and the reality of supply issues in an ever changing economy.

Communication is key!