Parts Department Groups

Configuration menu > Parts > Parts Department Groups

Parts department groups provide an additional reporting level above the Parts Departments. In general, the process works like this:

1. Create a parts department.
2. Put individual parts in it.
3. Run Inventory reports based on parts departments.
4. Create a parts department group.
5. Add parts departments to the group.
6. Run Inventory reports based on parts department groups.

Editing Parts Department Groups

Complete these steps:

1. Select the group from the dropdown list at the top.
2. The options associated with the selected department group appear on the window and the dropdown list is deactivated.
3. Make your changes.
4. Click Save to save your changes.
5. Close the window by clicking Cancel twice.

Creating a Parts Department Group

You can create as many groups as you need. One group can contain multiple parts departments. However, you cannot put one parts department in multiple groups; you must chose one and only one group for each parts department.

Parts department groups provides a quick way to globally attach one or two fees and/or exclude the Shop Supply Fee to all parts in the group.

Complete these steps:

1. Open the Configuration module, select Configuration > Parts > Parts Department Groups.
2. Click the Add button. The cursor activates in the Group Code field.
3. Enter a Group Code of up to three characters. The code is used to determine the sort order of the groups in the dropdown list at the top.
4. Type in the name of the group in the Description field. (The code is usually an abbreviation of this name.)
5. Breakout Parts on Sales Summary Reports - You can break out parts sales in the group on the Summary Report by checking the appropriate checkbox in this section. For more information, see Summary Report > Breakout Sales.

6. Fees - Select the appropriate fee options.

   Different fees apply to different types of parts. Whatever fees you select apply to the Inventory record of the parts assigned to the departments included in this Parts Department Group.

   • Select No Supply Fee to exempt the parts included from the supply fee calculations on estimates and repair orders.
   • A fee, such as a disposal fee, environmental fee, or core charge, may be established for a part. The Fee1 and Fee2 fields are populated with Core Charges for part items that have an assigned core value.
   • For part items that do not have an assigned core value, select the type of fee from the dropdown listing and enter the appropriate amount to be charged. This fee description and amount is included on the repair order whenever this part is added.
   • A second fee, such as a disposal fee or environmental fee, may also be established for a part. Select the type of fee from the dropdown listing and enter the appropriate amount to be charged. This fee and amount is included on the repair order whenever this part is added. If this fee was set up to be a percentage of the part price, the field is grayed out and not allow an amount to be entered. The system does not allow Fee2 to be defined as Core Charge.
   • If you have not added the fees to the system yet, save the department group first and exit out of the Department Groups window. Select Configuration > Parts > Other Taxes and Fees to set up parts fees. When these fees are set up, they appear in the dropdown lists.
   • You may want to define one or more departments in your department group to not apply the selected fees. When again, save your department group and exit. Select Configuration > Parts > Parts Departments.

7. Choose the parts departments to include in the group at the bottom of the window:
   • Parts departments on the left side have not been added to any group yet. You can add a parts department to only one group.
   • Select the parts department on the left side and click the Add>> button. The parts department moves to the right side.
   • After a department has been selected for one group, it cannot be selected for any other group and will no longer appear in the Departments Excluded box.
   • Use the <<Remove button to remove departments from the group.
8. Click the Save button to save the department group.
9. Close the window by clicking Cancel twice.

To See Which Parts are Included in a Group

Inventory reports can be run for each group to help you track which specific parts are in department groups.

Updating Fees in Part Records Globally

If certain fees are included in the group, you can apply those fees globally to all parts in the group at once by clicking the Update Fees In Inv button. A message appears repeating your selections and asking you to confirm.

You can do this at any time. To edit a fee, open the group on this window, change the fee, click Save, and then click the Update Fees in Inv button.

Deleting Parts Department Groups

You cannot delete a parts department group, but you are able to make it inactive selecting the Inactive option and saving.

Inactive parts department groups:

• No longer appear in R.O. Writer dropdown lists.
• Are NOT included in the Department Group dropdown list in Inventory Reports.
• Do appear in the dropdown list on this window so they can be edited or reactivated.

Removing the Parts Departments

When you inactivate a parts department group, it does NOT remove the parts departments in it. This means that the parts departments in the inactive group cannot be added to another parts department group.

You need to manually open the inactive parts department group, remove the parts departments, and click Save.

Parts in Inactive Department Groups

Parts in department groups are not impacted when the parts department is made inactive. For instance, if you create a tire group, use it to apply fees to all the parts in it, and then inactivate the tire group, the parts in the tire group still have the fee structure applied by the tire group.

You need to change the parts individually in Inventory or create a new tire group and change the fee structure there.

Oil and Tire Groups

R.O. Writer enables you to create one oil group and one tire group. These parts are often the most commonly used parts in your shop. Creating a group for each gives you an easy way to apply fees, charge taxes, and enable specific information for all parts in the group and update all parts in the group at the same time.

Oil Group

The oil group contains additional options that apply only to oil such as oil label information.

Only one group may be defined as the oil group. The Oil Group option appears only if there is no oil group in the system already. If you don’t see the Oil Group option on the window, that is because one of the parts department groups is already designated as the oil group.

One of the advantages of putting oil parts in an oil group is that you can change the fees and click Update Fees in Inv to update all the parts in Inventory at one time. This is the best way to manage fees for oil parts globally.

Tire Group

The tire group contains additional options that apply only to tires such as DOT and FET.

Only one group may be defined as the tire group. The Tire Group option appears only if there is no tire group in the system already. If you don’t see the Tire Group option on the window, that is because one of the parts department groups is already designated as the tire group.

One of the advantages of putting tire parts in a tire group is that you can change the fees and click Update Fees in Inv to update all the parts in Inventory at one time. This is the best way to manage fees for tire parts globally.