Diagnosed on Tuesday, still broken three weeks later
The engineer found a failed PCB on a cassette unit and a compressor fault on a small condenser. He rang the office to order both. The office phoned the supplier, who gave an estimate. The PCB arrived at the branch the following week, where it sat because nobody was told. The compressor is on back order from the manufacturer, but nobody asked for a date. The client rings twice a week, and each time someone has to phone round to find out.
Orders disconnected from jobs
Air conditioning parts are often specific to model and serial. Some are on the shelf at the wholesaler, some come from the manufacturer with long lead times. The order is placed by one person, the delivery arrives somewhere else, and the job waits in a status like 'awaiting parts' with no detail. Nothing prompts anyone when the part arrives or when it is late.
- Parts are ordered by phone, with no reference on the job.
- Expected delivery dates are not recorded.
- Deliveries arrive at a branch, office or van with no link to the job.
- Late orders are not chased until the client complains.
- Clients get no updates unless they ring.
What stalled repairs cost
Clients without cooling, sometimes in rooms that need it, who judge you on communication as much as speed. Office time lost to phone calls finding out where parts are. Parts lost or used on the wrong job. Return visits booked late because nobody knew the part was in. And invoices delayed, because the job cannot close.
Unknown lead times also make it harder to offer temporary cooling or alternatives, because nobody knows whether the wait is a few days or several weeks.
The parts tracking we build
- The engineer requests parts from the job in the app, with model, serial, part number where known and photos of the data plate and failed part.
- The office raises the order to the supplier from the job, by email template or supplier portal, and the order reference and promised date are recorded against it.
- Supplier confirmations and dispatch emails are read and matched to the order, updating the expected date.
- Orders past their date raise a chase task. Long lead times are flagged so someone can discuss alternatives or temporary measures with the client.
- When the part arrives, whoever receives it scans or ticks it in, and the job moves to ready to rebook, with the scheduler prompted.
- Clients get updates by email or text when the part is ordered, when a date is known, and when the return visit is booked.
| Question | Answered today | Answered with parts tracking |
|---|---|---|
| Was it ordered? | Ask the office | Order on the job |
| When is it due? | Phone the supplier | Expected date recorded and updated |
| Has it arrived? | Someone might know | Received scan moves the job |
| Is it late? | When the client rings | Chase task raised automatically |
| Does the client know? | Only if they ring | Updates at each stage |
Repairs that move again when the part lands
Anyone can see where a repair stands. Parts are chased before clients have to ask. Return visits are booked the day the part arrives, not the week after. Clients get updates without calling. And the history of lead times per supplier and part becomes useful information for future repairs and for stocking decisions.
Suppliers also see a more organised customer. Chasers quote the right reference, orders carry model and serial details, and fewer parts are returned because the wrong one was ordered from a vague description over the phone.
Is this your awaiting-parts list?
- Jobs sit in 'awaiting parts' with no detail.
- Parts have arrived and waited because nobody was told.
- You rarely know a supplier's promised date.
- Clients ring repeatedly for updates.
- Parts have been used on the wrong job.