Efficient Parts & Shop Management for Landscaping Equipment

Good inventory management is about more than ensuring parts are available to keep landscaping equipment up and running. Shop managers are now looking to streamline the parts process to improve efficiency, standardize fleets, build trust with crews, better maintain stock levels and track costs. While advancements in technology have played a role in these changes, so are the relationships mechanics have formed with their part suppliers and vendors.

Keep rotating inventory

With a background in the automotive industry, Nate Ehasz, fleet manager and head mechanic of Green Impressions in Sheffield, Ohio, began integrating his processes when he joined the team a little over two years ago.

Along with a junior mechanic, Ehasz has worked to streamline the process by having one point of contact to get parts more quickly — instead of the previous five- or six-step process. They’ve also partnered with a power equipment company that provides them with $4,000 worth of parts in a rotating inventory. Ehasz texts the owner of the equipment company when they use the parts, and the owner restocks them later that day.

“That’s been a huge time-savings,” Ehasz says. “Those parts get 100% consumed every four to six weeks.”

They’ve also transitioned from creating basic spreadsheets to sending weekly emails to each department head to keep them updated on what equipment will be receiving maintenance. He also encourages the entire team to provide feedback about the equipment and if there are any issues. Keeping an open line of communication with everyone from the executive team to the equipment operators is key, Ehasz says.

Portrait and photo courtesy of Green Impressions

“If I don’t know what they need, I don’t know how to do my job,” Ehasz says. “If you wait until things break, you’re playing defense.”

He tries to forecast parts 12 months in advance by looking at the past three years of expenses and how much they spent on parts and repairs each month. The supplies are categorized by parts number, so he can look them up on the manufacturer’s online catalog when it’s time to restock.

“I try to keep it as common sense as possible so anyone walking in can see what I was doing and either finish it or leave it alone,” Ehasz says. “That helps build trust with the team because they know when I say it will be done, it’s done. It all comes back to communication.”

Streamline inventory checks

At Hidden Creek Landscaping in Hilliard, Ohio, they try to purchase the same brands of mowers, heavy landscaping equipment and vehicles to limit their stock inventory, says Ken Kuntze, director of operations.

Kuntze is on their leadership team and also meets with the mechanics daily for a morning huddle and a sit-down meeting at least weekly with the lead mechanic. Their parts are organized in the shop by brand and type of equipment.

“If you stock commonly used parts, you can get the piece of equipment up and running in minutes instead of hours,” Kuntze says.

Before expanding to multiple locations, Kuntze says they first had paper order tickets and then moved to Google Docs to track their inventory. But last year, they began using software to keep records of preventative maintenance, parts, work orders and also indirectly standardize their fleet.

After adding their parts inventory into the software, their mechanic can pull up the inventory to see if it’s in stock or if they need to order it. When they replenish the stock, it’s uploaded into the software, as well.

Photos courtesy of Hidden Creek Landscaping

“It’s simplified our process because all mechanics, management and drivers have access to (the software) via the app or on a computer. The software has eliminated a lot of the inventory checks because it is in real time,” Kuntze says. “We do check monthly just to make sure that something didn’t get missed in the entry process.”

They’ve previously used consignment cabinets from vendors, but Kuntze says they didn’t like that process because the companies were inconsistent with checking and restocking the inventory. But no matter how the mechanics manage the shop, it’s important to have a system in place.

“Whether you are big or small, start somewhere with stocking and inventorying parts,” Kuntze says.

Track real-time service data

Staying as brand-specific as possible with their trucks and equipment limits the number of dealerships they have to work with and the type of parts they keep in stock, says Adam Bellas, co-owner of Bellas Landscaping in Bloomington, Ill. Implementing a solid parts and shop management process not only reduces equipment repair times and improves profitability, but it also helps keep their employees safe, he adds.

They use GPS fleet tracking on all of their trucks and some of their landscaping equipment for real-time data on how everything is being operated. The software also emails the mechanic fault or engine codes when there’s an issue, so he can be ready to inspect and service the truck when it arrives back at the yard.

“He can manage service intervals, see tire pressures and pretty much anything a typical ‘scan tool’ can tell you,” Bellas says. “There is even an AI feature that you can ask any question like, ‘What truck is the most prone to have a service issue?’”

Photo courtesy of Bellas Landscaping

They stock parts for every truck and piece of equipment in their fleet, and they also use online portals from auto part vendors like NAPA Auto Parts for consumables like oil, filters and grease to verify their inventory and pricing.

Their mechanic has cabinets dedicated to oils, filters, trailer parts, lights, wiring, spray paints, cleaners and other items they need to access easily. They also use longer, rolling toolboxes and dedicated drawers for new, typical wear parts.

Their mechanic has been with them for 14 years and meets with the executive team almost daily to review equipment that’s coming up for service and verify any parts or tools that are needed. Looking back at the past few years, Bellas says the biggest changes for them have been the pricing and availability of parts.

Photo courtesy of Bellas Landscaping

“We are now much more cautious on pricing since everything has gone up. We don’t over stock parts, but we still keep everything on-hand,” Bellas says. “We look for sale specials and work with vendors on pricing. Our mechanic is frugal and knows the best places to source supplies and parts.”

Bellas says they also actively update and purchase equipment, checking with their mechanic to see if there’s anything he thinks they should sell or upgrade.

“Each fall, we talk about what our winter-serving plans should look like,” Bellas says. “Every last asset is brought into the shop and completely gone through.”

Photo courtesy of Bellas Landscaping

Lean on vendor support

With four full-time mechanics, shop manager of R.M. Landscape Cory Moore categorizes the parts by manufacturer, daily consumables, type of landscaping equipment and season.

They also work with parts suppliers who visit their shop once or twice a month and give them data on their spending, frequently used parts, what needs to be ordered, deliver new parts as needed and suggest parts they should keep more of in stock, says Brett Lemcke, CEO of R.M. Landscape.

“They help us organize parts and be our eyes and ears, and we’ve been relying on them more over the years to work with us,” Lemcke says. “Don’t be afraid to delegate that work to the vendors and ask them how you can be smarter with your inventory, parts and costs.”

Photos courtesy of R.M. Landscape

Vendors’ online catalogs and programs have made it easier for them to restock and track what parts they’re using throughout the year, Moore says. They also use spreadsheets and software and have recently begun incorporating their shop management and repairs into the software.

Photos courtesy of R.M. Landscape

Don’t be afraid to delegate that work to the vendors and ask them how you can be smarter with your inventory, parts and costs.” — Brett Lemcke, CEO of R.M. Landscape

“What used to be a lot of paper is now data getting logged, and we’re finding more advanced uses for the software,” Lemcke says. “While we keep a strong sense of cost, what’s important is getting the equipment back up and running. We have what we need in place to make smart, fast decisions and then can turn to the data later to see what we spent on parts and labor.”

Photos courtesy of R.M. Landscape

Moore shares the shop financials with leadership monthly from spring through fall but then every one to two weeks during the snow season. With their headquarters being in Hilton, N.Y., Moore’s especially proactive with forecasting what parts they will need in the winter, as vendors are closed during the nightly hours they are plowing.

Photos courtesy of R.M. Landscape

To improve efficiency, Moore encourages shop managers to become more standardized with landscaping equipment brands and parts and keep a solid grasp on what’s being consumed. “The more you can track, the better you’re going to be,” he says.

It’s also vital for shop managers and mechanics to see the bigger picture, not only the task at hand, Lemcke adds.

“It’s important to be organized — not just about the engine you’re staring at but a full shop of people,” Lemcke says. “You want to be safe, efficient and manage the shop well.”

The author is a freelance writer based in Alabama.