To manage van stock for field engineers, set each van up as its own stock location with minimum and reorder levels, have engineers log every part against the job from their mobile app, refill from that usage, and check each van against a physical count. This prevents a familiar failure. The van record shows three of a fitting, the engineer finds one, the job stops on site and the office books a return visit. Joblogic sets up each van as a location in its stock control software, with reorder levels, transfers and job usage recorded against it.

Why does missing van stock lead to return visits?

Missing van stock leads to return visits because a job that needs an absent part cannot finish on the first visit. Aquant's 2024 Field Service Benchmark Report found that a failed first visit averages 2.7 visits in total and adds about 13 days to resolution. The same report found that parts, labour and travel costs rise significantly with each escalation. Its data covers 145 service organisations across manufacturing, medical devices, printing and food equipment, so read the figures as a guide for building maintenance rather than a UK benchmark. Aquant defines first-time fix rate (FTFR) as how often a technician fixes an issue on the first try.

Part availability topped the list of causes in a 2013 Aberdeen Group study. Of 156 respondents, 51% named part unavailability (incorrect or no parts) as a reason for secondary visits, and the research found that more than half of all field service visits end up needing a service part. Andy Huber of Xerox Technical Services, quoted in the same report, named two routes to a better first-time fix: diagnose the problem before going on site, and carry enough parts to cover the most common faults in one visit.

Why do van stock records drift from what's on the van?

Van stock records drift when engineers use or move parts without logging them. Each unlogged part leaves the record higher than the shelf, which leads to over and under ordering at the next refill. On a busy callout, an engineer fits a valve and closes the job without recording the part. Later that week, a colleague borrows two fittings from the same van without logging a transfer. Two vans now hold different stock from what Joblogic shows.

Unrecorded parts also drop out of job costing. Items used from an engineer's van do not always get recorded as a cost, so the job's margin looks better on paper than it was. Your next purchase order then starts from a count that is already wrong.

How does an audit trail show where missing stock went?

Joblogic audits stock movements at each location, so a van count that comes up short gives you a trail to follow. The stock adjustment screen has an audit history showing who made each adjustment and when, and you can filter it by audit type, action, time and user. A shortfall with no matching job or transfer points to a part that left the van unrecorded. That narrows the search to one van and one period, whether the cause is a missed log or a loss.

How do you set up van stock management across your vans?

You set up van stock management by giving each van a standard stock list, tracking it as its own location and refilling from logged usage. Stock management is part of the Joblogic Enterprise plan, and purchase orders start on Premium (see the pricing page for the full plan comparison). Work through these steps for each van:

1. Build a standard stock list for each van type. Base it on the parts engineers used on recent jobs in that trade.
2. Set each van up as a stock location. In Joblogic, each fleet vehicle can be created as a location with its own items and quantities, the same way you would set up a depot.
3. Set levels for each item. Give every item a minimum holding quantity, plus min, max and reorder levels.
4. Log parts against the job. In the Joblogic Mobile App, engineers mark a part as used against the job and issue it from their van's stock location, so the item comes off that van's stock.
5. Refill from the depot or suppliers. Transfer stock between locations, or raise purchase orders to suppliers for items you need.
6. Count each van and reconcile it with the record. Run a stock take for the van's location. Completing it updates the stock records to match your confirmed counts.

The minimum holding quantity is the lowest number of an item you want on the van at any time. The reorder level is the count at which you refill, so the van never drops below that minimum.

What should each van carry?

Each van should carry a standard stock list built from the parts its engineers used on recent jobs. Pull job records for each trade, such as plumbing and heating or electrical maintenance, and list the parts that appear most often. Group vans by the work they cover, so every heating van starts from the same list. Add the parts behind recent return visits, even if they appear less often. Review the list when the job mix changes, such as when you take on a new contract.

A bigger list is not always better. Aberdeen's research found that, for visits needing a part, the top-performing organisations in the study had it on the truck 58% of the time against 45% for the rest. It also warned that chasing a perfect first-time fix with larger vans and truck stock can push service costs up and cut profitability. Aim to cover the common faults and order the rest in.

How do you keep van stock counts accurate?

Van stock counts stay accurate when you count each van on a regular cycle and reconcile it against the Joblogic record. Choose a cycle that suits your job volume, and count high-use items more often than the rest. Stock take works location by location, so you count one van at a time against its record. Check the audit trail for any gap first, because completing the stock take overwrites the record with your count.

Counts also support your year-end figures. GOV.UK guidance on company records says UK limited companies must keep accounting records that include the stock they own at the end of the financial year, the stocktakings used to work it out, and all goods bought and sold. You can be fined £3,000 by HMRC or be disqualified as a company director if you do not keep accounting records.

How does van stock data improve dispatch?

Van stock data improves dispatch by showing which engineer already carries the parts a job needs. In its 2013 study, Aberdeen Group found that visibility of a job's parts, ideally before arrival, is essential to fixing it first time. The report also called for part availability to be an input when choosing the next best engineer.

Joblogic's job scheduling lets you assign a job to the most suitable engineer, and live location tracking helps you find the closest one. With each van set up as a stock location, you can check that engineer's stock before you assign the visit. For a view across every warehouse and van before you raise a request, the Joblogic Marketplace has a Stock Requests app. It is an optional add-on, with pricing on request.

When no van holds the part, Joblogic's purchase order feature marks a job with an undelivered order as 'awaiting parts', then changes it to 'parts to fit' on delivery so the scheduler knows to arrange the visit. Connect your purchase orders to the job schedule to see which parts each job needs, order them in advance and book the visit for when they arrive.

Dispatch by location and skillset is how William Austin Services runs hundreds of contracts nationwide from one planner. Adding each van's stock to that decision is the next step.

Which key performance indicators show van stock is working?

Two key performance indicators (KPIs) show whether van stock is working: FTFR and return visits caused by missing parts. Measure FTFR over 30 days. Aquant's benchmark found that tracking it over shorter periods makes it easy to overestimate, and that leaving separate jobs for the same issue ungrouped creates inaccuracies, so link each return visit to the original job. In Aquant's data the median FTFR is 76%, with the bottom 20% of organisations at 55% and the top 20% at 87%, all measured over 30 days.

For return visits, count how many came down to a missing part. Joblogic flags a job as 'requires revisit' when an engineer marks a part as required, so those cases are already on the job record. List the parts involved, and add any that repeat to that van type's stock list. For a wider look at what moves the rate, see our guide to improving first-time fix rate with technology.

Start with the parts behind your return visits

Start with the vans and parts behind your most frequent return visits, and set those up as tracked stock locations first. Pull the jobs that needed a second visit for a missing part, and set minimum and reorder levels for those parts on each van. Ask engineers to log every part against the job, and count each van against its record before you widen the list. Once the counts hold, bring van stock into dispatch decisions and track FTFR over 30 days. Each part you add after that has a count you can trust and a job history behind it.

How much each van carries depends on your trades, how far your engineers are from the depot and how much cash you want tied up in stock, so the right list is one you build from your own job data.

Book a demo to see how van stock and dispatch work together in Joblogic across your vans and depots.

Frequently asked questions about van stock management

What is van stock management?

Van stock management is the process of tracking the parts and materials carried in each engineer's vehicle. Each van is treated as its own stock location with set quantities and reorder levels, parts used on a job are logged against it, and the van is refilled from that usage and checked against a physical count.

How does van stock management improve first-time fix rates?

Van stock management improves first-time fix rates by getting the right part onto the van before the visit. Reorder levels keep common parts on board, and logged usage keeps each van record accurate. That record lets the office send the engineer who already carries the part.

How do you link van stock to job scheduling to reduce parts delays?

You link van stock to job scheduling by checking a job's parts against each van before dispatch. In Joblogic, connect your purchase orders to the job schedule to see which parts each job needs. Order any shortfall in advance, and assign the visit to an engineer whose van holds the part.

What software gives multi-depot parts and van stock visibility?

Joblogic gives multi-depot visibility by tracking every van and depot as a stock location in one place. You can create as many locations as you need, transfer stock between a depot and an engineer's van, and each location is audited to track stock movements. Stock management sits in the Enterprise plan.

Can engineers update van stock from the mobile app?

Yes, engineers update van stock from the Joblogic Mobile App by marking parts as used against a job and issuing them from their van's stock location. The app deducts those parts from that van's stock record. Engineers can also complete visits, forms and signatures offline, and the app syncs once a connection returns.

How do you do a van stock count?

You do a van stock count by counting what is physically on the van and comparing it with the stock record for that van's location. In Joblogic, a stock take is carried out one location at a time, and completing it updates the stock records to match your confirmed counts. Check the audit trail for any gap before you complete it.