Parts tracking for independent collision shops
Body shop parts tracking: know which repair orders are waiting on parts, and for what
WaitingOnParts is a parts tracking tool for independent body shops that records every part on every repair order, from ordered to checked, installed or sent back for credit. It replaces the whiteboard and the parts spreadsheet without making you buy a full shop management system.
Waiting on parts · Tuesday, 7 a.m.
- RO 4412 · 2021 Honda CR-VFront bumper cover, left headlampDealer, ETA Thu
- RO 4408 · 2019 F-150ETA passedRear quarter panelRecycler, ETA Mon
- RO 4419 · 2022 CamryHood latch, radiator supportAftermarket, backordered
- RO 4401 · 2018 SilveradoGrille (reorder, came damaged)Dealer, ETA Wed
What the whiteboard can't tell you
A part that sits on a shelf is money that sits with it
| On the whiteboard today | On WaitingOnParts |
|---|---|
| The owner walks the lot and phones three vendors to learn what a car is waiting for. | Every stuck repair order, the parts it needs, the vendor and the ETA on one screen. |
| A damaged part sits on a shelf; the return never ships and the credit never comes. | The part lands on a returns list with its RMA number and stays open until the credit is recorded. |
| The missing bracket shows up mid-reassembly, because nobody checked the box at the door. | Receive and check at the counter: checked OK, damaged or wrong, stamped with who and when. |
| Late and damaged shipments all look like one-offs, because nobody counts them. | A vendor scorecard counts late, damaged and wrong parts, so you know who to stop ordering from. |
The jobs waiting on parts board is the first thing you see when you sign in: every stuck repair order, the parts it needs, who has them and when they land, with passed ETAs in red.
Auto body parts return tracking
Returns and vendor credits that don't get lost
A damaged or wrong part goes straight onto a returns list with its reason, RMA number, ship date and the credit you are owed. A return is not finished until the credit is recorded, and the dashboard totals what vendors still owe you.
- RMA number and shipped date on every return
- A reorder line starts the moment a part is flagged
- Credits received, by vendor, exportable to CSV
Parts receiving log for body shops
Receive and check in one step
When the delivery shows up, mark each part received and then checked OK, damaged or wrong part. The check carries the name of the person who did it and the time, so a bad part is caught at the counter, not mid-reassembly.
- Bulk receive a whole delivery on the parts board
- Checked by and checked at stamped on every part
- Full history of every status change on each part
On the Shop plan and up
Technicians flag problems from the bay
A technician sees only the repair orders assigned to them and the parts on each. They flag a part damaged or wrong the moment they open the box, or mark it installed, so the reorder starts that same hour.
- Works on a phone, nothing to install
- They can't order, receive, return or edit orders
- Estimators on Pro read live status without asking
How the parts of a repair order move
The life of one part, from the estimate to the credit
- Needed
Listed from the estimate
- Ordered
Vendor and ETA recorded
- Received
Counted in at the door
- Checked
OK, damaged or wrong part
- Installed or returned
Returns stay open until credited
- Open the repair order. Enter the RO number, the vehicle, the customer's last name and the promised date, then list the parts the estimate calls for.
- Mark parts ordered. Pick the vendor and the ETA for each part. The repair order shows up as waiting on parts by itself.
- Receive and check at the door. When the box arrives, mark the part received, then checked OK, damaged or wrong. The check is stamped with who did it and when.
- Watch the credits land. A damaged or wrong part becomes a return with an RMA number and starts a reorder line. The return stays open until the vendor credit is recorded.
Instead of a collision repair parts tracking spreadsheet
Compared with what shops use today
| Whiteboard or sheet | Full shop system | WaitingOnParts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Which jobs are waiting, and for what | Walk the lot and ask | Yes | Yes, one board |
| Damage check when the box arrives | Handwritten checkmark | Varies | Stamped with who and when |
| Returns and credits still owed | Forgotten | Some plans only | Open until the credit lands |
| Parts from any vendor, phone orders too | Yes | Often limited | Yes |
| Price per month | Free | $180 to $500 | $29 to $99 |
It works alongside CollisionLink and PartsTrader. Those only see the orders placed through them; WaitingOnParts follows parts from any vendor, including recyclers and phone orders.
Plans
Start free for 14 days, then pick the crew you have
Solo
$29 a month
or $290 a year
- Up to 40 open repair orders
- Owner logins only
- Unlimited vendors, CSV export and the vendor scorecard
Shop
$59 a month
or $590 a year
- Unlimited open repair orders
- Owner, parts coordinator and technician logins
- Unlimited vendors, CSV export and the vendor scorecard
Pro
$99 a month
or $990 a year
- Unlimited open repair orders
- Every role, including estimators
- Unlimited vendors, CSV export and the vendor scorecard
The trial runs on the Solo plan for 14 days with no card. Billed through Stripe; change plans or cancel from the Billing page.
Asked by shop owners and office managers
Parts tracking questions, answered
Replacing what you use now
- Is there body shop parts tracking software that doesn't come bundled with a full shop management system?
- Yes, this is one. WaitingOnParts only does the parts job: what is needed, ordered, received, checked, installed or sent back for every repair order. It has no estimating, accounting or customer messaging, so it costs $29 to $99 a month instead of the $180 to $500 a month the full systems charge.
- Does it replace CollisionLink, PartsTrader or the parts module in CCC ONE?
- No. Those networks and modules only see the orders placed through them. WaitingOnParts tracks parts from any vendor, including recyclers, aftermarket suppliers and phone orders, and it covers the part of the job they don't: the damage check at receiving and the return credit you are still owed. It works alongside them.
- Can I use it instead of a collision repair parts tracking spreadsheet?
- That is what it is built to replace. Each repair order keeps its own parts list with status, vendor, ETA and a history of every change, so nobody has to scroll a shared sheet or guess which row is current. Everything exports to CSV if you ever want it back in a spreadsheet.
Returns and credits
- How does auto body parts return tracking work?
- When a part is flagged damaged or wrong, it goes straight to the Returns list with its reason. You enter the RMA number, mark the return shipped, and record the credit amount when the vendor pays. A part stays on the list until the credit is recorded, so refunds don't get forgotten.
Your crew and the trial
- Can my technicians use it from the bay?
- On the Shop plan and up, a technician logs in on a phone and sees only the repair orders assigned to them. They can flag a part damaged or wrong with a note, or mark it installed. They can't order, receive, return or edit anything else.
- What does the 14-day free trial include?
- A new shop can add repair orders, parts and vendors for 14 days with no card. The trial runs on the Solo plan (owner logins only). When it ends, everything stays readable, and you choose a plan to keep adding and changing records.
Your next repair order is the first row on the board
Open your first repair orderUpdated October 9, 2026