Out of dip slides at the fourth site of the day
Your engineers carry a lot: biocides and disinfection chemicals, dosing chemicals for client systems, test reagents, sample bottles, dip slides, thermometers and probes, TMV cartridges and spares, shower heads, labels, PPE. Each van is a small warehouse.
Stock control is usually informal. Engineers restock when they notice they are low, from the unit or by asking the office to order. Some items are bought on a company card from a merchant on the way. Reagents and dip slides go past their dates in the back of a van. An engineer arrives at a site to do a job that needs a specific cartridge, only to find the last one was used last week.
Why van stock stays a mystery
- Usage is not recorded at the point it happens, on the visit.
- There is no agreed minimum level for each item on each van.
- Expiry dates are only checked when someone happens to look.
- Parts needed for booked remedial jobs are not reserved in advance.
- Purchases on company cards are not linked to any stock record.
You cannot restock intelligently without knowing what was used, and nobody records it because nothing asks them to.
The cost of guesswork
A wasted return trip because a part was missing costs a slot in an already full diary. Out-of-date test reagents are a quality problem you do not want in a report. Overstocking ties up money in chemicals that may expire. And the office spends time on ad hoc orders that could be batched.
Chemicals billed to clients, such as dosing chemical supplies, may also go unbilled if usage is not recorded.
Stock that is recorded as it is used
- Each van has a stock list with a minimum level per item, set by you.
- The engineer's visit form includes a short 'used on this visit' section with the common items for that job type pre-listed.
- Usage reduces the van's stock count. Chargeable usage, such as dosing chemicals supplied to a client, also creates a billable line.
- Items with expiry dates are recorded by batch when loaded, and the system lists anything expiring soon on each van.
- Remedial jobs reserve the parts they need, and the engineer's pre-job checklist shows whether the van holds them.
- Each week, a restock list per van is produced for the stores or combined into a supplier order.
| Item type | What is tracked | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Chemicals | Quantity, batch, expiry | Restock and chargeable usage |
| Test reagents and dip slides | Quantity, expiry | Avoid out-of-date stock |
| Sample bottles | Quantity per analysis type | Sampling visits not delayed |
| Parts and spares | Quantity, reserved for jobs | Remedial jobs done first time |
A periodic van check, a quick count in the form, corrects any drift between recorded and actual stock.
A Friday restock that takes minutes
Each engineer's restock list is ready at the end of the week. Stores pick it, or the office places one combined order. Engineers leave on Monday with what their week's jobs need, including the parts for remedial work already booked. Expiring items are swapped before they become a problem.
Over time, usage data shows which jobs use what, which improves quoting too. When a new engineer joins, their van is loaded from a standard list for the work they will do, rather than from whatever the last person left in it.
Quick test
- Engineers regularly return to site because a part was missing.
- Test reagents or dip slides have been found out of date on vans.
- Nobody can say what stock is on each van right now.
- Chemical supplies to clients are not always billed.
- Most stock orders are made ad hoc by phone or card.