Auto parts
ERP software for auto parts dealers and workshops
Thousands of part numbers you can find in a keystroke, counter invoices that mix parts with labour, stock by store with a reorder list, and credit to garages and fleet owners you can actually collect.
In short
SimpleERP is ERP software for auto parts dealers and workshops. Part numbers become SKUs, one invoice carries parts and labour at their own tax rates, stock is kept by store, and garage credit shows in an ageing report.
Illustration of the keyboard-first invoice editor with a focused line, live tax totals and shortcut hints.
A day in an auto parts business
A spares counter lives on two things: finding the right part fast, and getting paid for the parts that went out on credit.
A mechanic from Westlands Auto Garage in Nairobi walks in with a worn brake pad and a part number scribbled on his palm. The counter assistant searches three racks, finds the pad, and writes it in the credit book under the garage's name. In the workshop behind, a car owner wants one bill for the oil, filter and labour.
By evening nobody is sure how many pads are left, whether the second store has the filter the workshop needs tomorrow, or how much Westlands Auto Garage owes since March.
SimpleERP puts the part number on the product and the garage on the ledger. The invoice issues stock from the store it was sold in and adds to what the customer owes, and the receivables ageing report shows every garage's dues by how old they are, so the credit book is no longer the only record.
Billing
One bill for the parts and the labour
A single SimpleERP invoice can carry parts and workshop labour, each line taxed at its own rate. Type a part number on a line and the price, unit and tax fill in.
- Goods and services on one invoice: labour is a service product, so it never touches stock.
- Line discounts in percent or as an amount for regular garages.
- A tax summary prints on the invoice, with your bank details for the walk-in customer.
- Returns become a credit note that puts the part back on the shelf.
| Line | Kind | Taxable | Tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brake pad set, front | Part | $45 | 16% |
| Engine oil 3.5 l | Part | $30 | 16% |
| Oil filter | Part | $8 | 16% |
| Labour: brake and oil service | Service | $40 | 16% |
| Tax 16% | $123 | $19.68 | |
| Invoice total | $142.68 |
Illustration of tax invoice INV-2026-0213 to Northside Retail with tax 10% and the amount in words.
Inventory
Thousands of part numbers, found in a keystroke
Each part is a product whose SKU is the part number, with a separate barcode field for the code printed on the box or an alternate number. Load the catalogue from a CSV file and search by name, SKU or barcode.
- SKU and barcode are unique per business, so the same part number cannot be entered twice.
- Categories group parts by make, model or type, and filter the stock list.
- CSV import has a dry run that lists every bad row before anything is saved.
Illustration of stock on hand by warehouse at average cost, with a low-stock row highlighted and a movement ledger.
Purchase and inventory
Stock by store, and a reorder list before the rack is empty
Each store or workshop is a warehouse in SimpleERP, so stock on hand is known per location and valued at weighted average cost. Parts at or below their reorder level appear on the low-stock list, ready to become purchase orders.
- Purchase orders grouped by supplier, received into the right store at the bill cost.
- Supplier bills keep payables per distributor, with the tax you can reclaim on each.
- Transfers move a part from the main warehouse to the workshop with a document for each move.
- Physical counts fix the numbers with a reason, and the difference posts to the books.
Payments and receivables
Know which garage owes what, and since when
Every credit invoice adds to the customer's balance and every receipt settles the invoices it pays, so a garage's or fleet owner's dues are always derived from posted documents. The ageing report sorts every customer's dues into 30-day buckets, oldest last.
- Credit limit per customer, with a warning when a new invoice would cross it.
- Customer statement for any period, with the ageing summary, ready to print.
- One receipt can settle several invoices, or sit as an advance until the next bill.
Illustration of receivables ageing: 2,441 to collect across 5 buckets, with customer totals.
Payroll
Pay mechanics and counter staff from their attendance
SimpleERP builds each month's payslips from attendance, leave and each person's salary structure. Paid days and loss of pay come from the attendance sheet. Advances given to a mechanic during the month are recovered from salary in instalments you set, and the run posts to the books once approved.
- Mark all present in one screen, or let staff check in from their phone.
- Advances with a monthly recovery that appears on the payslip.
- One-off earnings such as an incentive are added before the run is approved.
- Payslips that staff can download themselves.
Illustration of a payslip with Basic salary, Allowances, Bonus and net pay of 4,440.
Ready on day one
What you don't have to set up
A new spares shop can start billing minutes after sign-up, because the groundwork is seeded.
- A chart of accounts with cash, bank, sales, purchase and stock accounts already linked.
- Your country's tax rates, ready to pick on a product or service.
- Units such as piece, set, litre, box and hour.
- Numbering for invoices, bills and receipts on your financial year.
- Seven system roles, so counter staff, the store keeper and the accountant each see their own work.
By job
Auto parts and workshops by job
Inventory for spares shops
Part numbers as SKUs, stock by counter, warehouse and workshop store, and a reorder level on every fast-moving spare.
Read moreAccounting for workshops
Books that write themselves from service bills and distributor bills, with garage and fleet credit in an ageing report.
Read morePayroll for mechanics
Monthly salaries for mechanics, helpers and counter staff from attendance, with incentives and recovered advances on the payslip.
Read more
One system
The modules that do this work
A counter invoice issues the part from its store, posts the sale and the tax, and adds to the garage's balance until the receipt settles it.
Invoicing & tax
Tax invoices with VAT, GST or sales tax on every line, numbered by fiscal year and posted in one step.
See howInventory
Stock on hand by warehouse at weighted average cost, with a movement ledger and a low-stock list.
See howPurchase
Purchase orders, supplier bills that receive stock, debit notes and payables.
See howPayments & receivables
Receipts and payments allocated oldest first, receivables and payables ageing, and statements.
See howPayroll
Salary structures, monthly runs and payslips with your earnings and deductions, posted to the books.
See how
Honest limits
What SimpleERP does not do for auto parts and workshops yet
A workshop that runs on job cards should weigh these first.
- Prices including tax. Enter the price before tax; the invoice adds the tax on top.
- Job cards or service history per vehicle. Write the vehicle number in the invoice notes.
- Serial number or warranty tracking for batteries and other parts.
- Barcode scanner hardware support. Type or paste the part number into the line, and it is matched to the SKU or barcode.
- Price lists per customer type. Use line discounts for garages and fleet owners.
- E-invoicing or transport documents filed through a government system.
Getting started
Start with your first invoice
Sign up with your email
Name, email and a password. No card for the seven-day trial.
Tell us about the business
Pick your country and, if you are registered, type your tax number. Accounts, tax rates, units, roles and numbering are seeded for that country.
Add what you sell
Import your parts from a CSV file with part number as SKU, tax rate, reorder level and opening stock, then add labour as a service product with its tax rate.
Post your first invoice
Pick the customer, add lines and save. Your first invoice can be out within 10 minutes of signing up.
FAQ
Questions, answered
What tax rate applies to auto parts and workshop labour?
In most countries both carry the standard VAT, GST or sales tax rate, though some US states tax parts but not repair labour. In SimpleERP labour is a service product with its own rate, so parts and labour can sit on one invoice at different rates, applied line by line. Rates differ by country and change, so confirm the rate for your goods with your accountant or tax authority before you rely on it.
Does SimpleERP have job cards for vehicles?
No. There are no job cards and no per-vehicle service history yet. Bill parts and labour on one invoice, note the vehicle number, and find past work in the customer's transactions tab.
Can I search parts by part number?
Yes. Put the part number in the SKU field and any second code in the barcode field. Every product picker searches name, SKU and barcode, so typing or pasting the number on an invoice line finds the part.
Can I move from spreadsheets or an old app with thousands of parts?
Yes. Export your item list to CSV and import it with part number, tax rate, prices, reorder level and opening stock per store. Import customers with their opening balances from a spreadsheet too.
Does it suit a spares shop with a workshop and a second store?
Yes. Make each store and the workshop a warehouse, and add a branch if a location has its own tax registration. Every location shares one set of books.
Related
Keep reading
Repair and service centres
Spares and labour on one invoice, spares stock by centre, maintenance contract follow-ups and technician claims.
Read moreWholesale & distribution
Keyboard-first billing, stock across warehouses at average cost, party ledgers and receivables ageing.
Read moreRetail
Counter invoices paid on the spot, stock by store with a low-stock list, and the day's cash and bank.
Read moreStore & purchase teams
Low stock to purchase order, supplier bills, counts, transfers and work orders.
Read moreInventory
Stock on hand by warehouse at weighted average cost, with a movement ledger and a low-stock list.
Read more
Run your whole business from one simple place.
Seven days free. No card. Your first invoice in minutes.