Key takeaways
- Part waits are the biggest single cause of slow turnaround and repeat visits.
- Mark waiting jobs ‘part required’ and review them daily.
- Price every part onto the job card so nothing fitted goes unbilled.
- Track serial numbers for warranty-bearing parts, and record parts from outside technicians too.
The spare parts problem
Counterpoint’s 2025 survey found that 4 in 10 Indian smartphone users needed repeat visits to get a repair done. Its 2024 study found only 31% had their problem fixed within an hour. Spare parts are often the reason. The part isn’t in stock, the wrong part was ordered, or nobody noticed the job was stuck. India’s proposed Repairability Index puts spare-part availability at the centre of how devices will be scored, and customers will notice which shops actually have the parts.
How parts should flow through a repair
| Step | What happens | What software records |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis | Technician identifies the part needed | Observation on the job card |
| Check stock | Is the part on the shelf? | Live stock for the item and model |
| In stock | Part picked onto the job | Stock −1, serial recorded, price on the job |
| Not in stock | Job waits; part ordered | Status ‘part required’; purchase entry when it arrives |
| Fitted | Repair completed | Action taken; part on the invoice |
| Faulty part | Returned to supplier | Purchase return / debit note |
Features to look for in spare parts management software
- Parts catalogue with part numbers, compatible models, HSN code and GST.
- Serial tracking for warranty-bearing parts.
- Parts picked onto job cards, deducted on save, with a price per part.
- ‘Part required’ status and a filtered list of waiting jobs.
- Low-stock warnings from minimum levels.
- Purchases and supplier ledger for ordering and paying suppliers.
- Purchase returns for faulty parts.
- Outside parts recorded on the job even when not from your stock.
How Rasko does it
In Rasko, parts are picked from inventory on the job card, by serial number where you track them, with a price per part that can be adjusted before saving and flows into the invoice. Parts recorded on a job become a permanent record and can’t be quietly edited later.
Jobs waiting for parts sit under the ‘Part Required’ repair status. Low-stock warnings, purchases, supplier payments and purchase returns are built in. Outside service partners can add the parts they fitted, with part number and price.
Parts metrics worth tracking
- Jobs waiting for parts, and their average age.
- Stock-outs of your top 20 parts per month.
- Parts billed vs parts issued: any gap is money lost.
- Supplier lead time by supplier.
- Return rate of parts by supplier, a quality signal.
For stock across repairs and sales, see service inventory software.