From Van Stock to Warehouse, Here’s How to Keep Track Without Losing Track

Inventory isn’t just what you keep in the warehouse; it’s everything your team touches, installs, or uses across the day. From spare parts stored in vans to components consumed on-site, keeping accurate, real-time control over your materials is critical. Whether you manage maintenance for properties, install solar panels, service catering equipment, or support healthcare facilities, poor stock visibility leads to delays, missed charges, and frustrated teams. That’s where proper inventory management software makes all the difference.

When your inventory system fails, everything else slows down.

Lost parts. Delayed jobs. Re-ordered stock you already had. And engineers waste hours looking for equipment, or worse, driving across town because something wasn’t where it was supposed to be.

Sound familiar? Then you need more than a spreadsheet. You need real inventory management software built for field service companies.

Why Inventory Chaos Is More Common Than You Think

In our work with maintenance and service businesses, we’ve seen the same pattern again and again:

• Inventory managed on Excel (or worse, not at all)
• Engineers keep their own “mental stock list”
• No real-time view of what’s in each van or store
• Purchasing decisions based on guesswork
• Job delays due to unavailable parts
• Revenue lost due to missed charges for used items

And this chaos isn’t just inefficient, it’s expensive.

What Is Inventory Management Software for Field Service Teams?

It’s more than just knowing how many widgets you have in a box. Proper field service inventory software like EZ Management gives you:

• Real-time visibility across all stock locations (warehouse, vans, job sites)
• Integration with job forms and invoicing
• Alerts when parts are low or about to expire
• Purchase order generation and supplier tracking
• Stock usage reporting across engineers and jobs

Whether you’re fitting CCTV cameras, replacing door actuators, or servicing medical pumps, you need to know what’s in stock and where it is—without second-guessing.

The Hidden Cost of Poor Inventory Management

Here’s what poor stock control can cost your business:

Lost Engineer Time

Engineers wasting 20–30 minutes per job looking for parts or calling the office = lost billable hours.

Overordering or Duplicate Stock

Buying more because you couldn’t find it = money tied up in unused inventory.

Emergency Orders

Last-minute couriered parts cost more—and so do job reschedules due to part shortages.

Missed Billing

If your engineer forgets to record used parts manually, your business will not invoice for them, and it all affects your cash flow.

Client Frustration

Job delays due to poor prep damage your reputation and affect contract renewals.

How EZ Management’s Inventory Software Solves This

Whether you’re managing a national maintenance team or a local business, EZ Management helps you bring order to your stock chaos.

1. Real-Time Mobile Inventory

Your engineers access live stock data from their phone or tablet using the ServiceJobsApp. They can:

• Check if a part is in their van or warehouse
• Record part usage against a job instantly
• Automatically deduct stock used from the system
• Flag missing or damaged items for restocking

No more paper part logs. No more guesswork.

2. Connect Stock to Invoices

Used a fire detector and 3 metres of cable? The system adds those parts to the invoice automatically.

No forgetting. No chasing. No missed revenue.

Perfect for:

• Fire & security engineers
• HVAC and refrigeration techs
• Oil and gas maintenance crews
• Pest control with consumables
• Solar panel installation teams

3. Track Stock in Multiple Locations

Know what’s in each vehicle, warehouse, or site container. You can even track returns and defective parts.

Manage:

• Van stock per engineer
• Central storerooms
• On-site temporary storage
• Tools, spares, consumables

4. Set Minimum Stock Alerts

Never run out of core parts again. Set a minimum level for each item and get automatic reminders when it’s time to reorder.

5. Inventory Usage Reporting

See what parts are used most, by which team, and on what job types. Great for planning, procurement and auditing.

6. Manage Purchase Orders & Suppliers

Create and send purchase orders directly from the platform. Track supplier delivery and cost. Match deliveries against the original order.

This helps you avoid:

• Overbuying
• Misplaced deliveries
• Supplier delays
• Invoicing errors

Real Example: From Spreadsheets to Stock Control

Meet Ravi, who runs a property maintenance business covering electrical and HVAC systems across 5 counties.

Before EZ Management:

• Engineers stored whatever they liked in their vans
• He reordered stock based on memory and guesswork
• Sometimes had 15 of the same valve sitting unused
• Invoicing for used parts was hit or miss
• He had £20k tied up in unnecessary inventory

After implementing EZ Management’s stock module:

• Each van has a defined parts list
• Reordering happens automatically
• Parts used are tracked per job and invoiced
• Inventory turnover increased by 30%
• Engineers complete more jobs with fewer delays

He now saves time, money, and delivers faster service with fewer mistakes.

Inventory + Job Management = Full Visibility

The best thing? EZ Management’s inventory tools are fully integrated with our job management platform. That means:

• Job sheets and parts lists are linked
• Stock usage feeds straight into invoicing
• Engineers don’t need to learn multiple systems
• Office teams can report, review, and plan easily

You’ll always know:

• What’s been used
• What needs restocking
• What’s sitting idle
• What’s driving revenue

Which Industries Benefit from Inventory Software?

While every field service company can benefit, here are a few standouts:

Fire & Security – Devices, call points, panels, detectors, extinguishers
HVAC – Filters, sensors, refrigerant, fans, belts
Facilities & Property Management – Common spares and consumables across sites
Electrical – Breakers, cable, fuses, sockets
Medical Devices – Spare parts, hoses, control modules
Roller Doors & Gates – Motors, rails, sensors, brackets

No matter your trade, if you carry parts, you need a system to manage them.

Stop Guessing, Start Tracking

Managing inventory manually might seem “good enough”—until it costs you a client, a contract, or a costly last-minute parts run.

With EZ Management’s inventory and billing software, you’ll:

• Spend less time chasing parts
• Avoid overordering – just-in-time management
• Stop missing out on billable items
• Keep engineers stocked and productive
• Improve planning and purchasing

Ready to Take Control of Your Inventory?

Book a free demo today and let’s build a system that works for your field service business, no matter the size, trade, or team.