How to Move Parts Between Repair Shop Locations
How to move parts and stock between your repair shop locations without losing track: one request, one approval, a record on both sides and a weekly check.
To move parts between your repair shop locations without losing track, never move anything without a written request, have the sending shop approve it, count the items out and count them in, and keep a record that shows the move on both sides. When every transfer leaves the same trail, a missing screen or battery is a five minute question instead of a mystery. Below is a simple process you can run with two shops or ten, the mistakes that cause most of the losses, and a checklist to copy.
Why parts go missing between shops
A second location usually starts with good intentions. One store runs out of a screen, the other has three, and someone drives one over. Nobody writes it down because it is "just one part." A month later, both stores' counts are wrong, and nobody knows which move caused it.
The cost is real. In the National Retail Federation's 2023 survey, shrink averaged 1.6% of sales in 2022, about $112.1 billion across US retail. Theft was about 65% of it, and the rest comes from things like process mistakes and paperwork that never matched the shelf. A transfer with no record is exactly that kind of gap. For a repair shop, where one OLED screen can cost more than a day's sales of accessories, a few untracked moves add up fast.
Step 1: Decide the rules before the first transfer
Write down three things and share them with every store manager:
- Who can ask for stock. Usually the manager or lead tech at the shop that needs it.
- Who approves. Always someone at the shop that is giving it up, so a store is never emptied of a part it needs without knowing.
- What moves by transfer. Parts, accessories and devices for sale. A customer's device that needs to be fixed at another shop is a different move: it should travel with its repair ticket, not as stock.
Step 2: Every move starts with a request
The shop that needs the part asks for it, in writing, with the exact item and quantity. That one habit fixes most problems:
- The request names the item, so there is no "I thought you meant the other model."
- The sending shop sees it before anything leaves.
- If plans change, the request is cancelled instead of half done.
Phone calls and group chats are fine for a heads up. The request is the record.
Step 3: The sending shop approves and counts it out
The shop giving up the stock checks the request against what is actually on the shelf. If it can spare the items, it approves. If it cannot, it rejects the request so the other shop knows to order from a supplier instead.
Before the box leaves, count the items against the request. For parts with serial numbers, and for phones and tablets with an IMEI, write the number down. A device tracked by IMEI cannot quietly turn into a different one on the way.
Step 4: The receiving shop counts it in
When the box arrives, open it and count it against the request the same day. If something is missing or damaged, say so right away, while the driver and the sending shop still remember the trip. A discrepancy found the same day is easy to fix. One found at the end of the month is a guess.
Step 5: Keep one record that both shops can see
The record should show the move on both sides: what left one store, what arrived at the other, when, and who approved it. Paper and spreadsheets can work for a while, but they fail the same way every time: someone forgets to update one side.
This is where your software does the work. When the transfer lives in your point of sale, the stock count updates in both stores at once, and you can look up any past move later.
Step 6: Check transfers every week
Once a week, look at the transfers from the last seven days:
- Were any requests left open? Approve, reject or cancel them.
- Did any arrive short or damaged? Settle them now.
- Is the same part moving back and forth? That usually means one store's reorder level is too low. Fix the reorder point instead of driving the part around.
Two numbers are worth watching over time: how many transfers arrive exactly as requested, and how long a request takes from asking to arriving.
Common mistakes
- Grabbing a part "for now." If it is not requested and approved, it did not happen, and both counts are now wrong.
- One person on both sides. The shop that gives stock up should approve it, not the shop that wants it.
- Moving customer devices as stock. A customer's phone that needs a part only one store has should move with its repair ticket, so its history and the customer's updates stay in one place.
- Fixing counts by hand. Adjusting the count to match the shelf hides the problem. Find the transfer that went wrong first.
Checklist: moving parts between your shops
- Write down who can request, who approves and what moves by transfer.
- Request every move in writing, with item and quantity.
- The sending shop approves or rejects.
- Count it out, with serial numbers or IMEIs where they exist.
- Count it in the same day and report anything missing.
- Keep one record that shows both sides.
- Review open and short transfers every week.
How SpotsPOS handles transfers between your shops
SpotsPOS puts every location in one account, and each shop keeps its own inventory, employees and reports. To move stock, open Inventory, then Other Shop Inventory, and pick the store that has what you need. Its items appear on the left: tap the ones to transfer into your shop, check the selected items on the right and tap Complete. That sends a transfer request.
The shop that has the stock sees the request, opens its Transfer Overview and taps Approve Request or Reject Request, and you can cancel a request you no longer need. When a transfer is approved, the items move from one store to the other, and each item's status log shows "Transferred out" on one side and "Received via transfer" on the other.
The History tab keeps every transfer with its status: pending, completed, rejected or cancelled. Running repairs too? You can transfer a repair ticket to another shop when the job belongs there, so the device travels with its history. Devices you sell or buy back are tracked by IMEI with device management.
Inventory transfers between shops are included from the Pro plan, and two or three shops run from one account with multi-shop. See multi-store for the full workflow and pricing for plans.
Sharing stock with partner shops
Transfers are for your own stores. Many shops also work with other businesses: a repair shop across town that stocks the screens you run out of, or a partner that buys parts from you. If that shop also runs SpotsPOS, you do not need a phone call and a cash envelope for every part.
With Share Inventory, you invite the other shop by its store ID. They accept the invite on their Requests tab, and from then on they can pick your shop as the vendor on a purchase order. Their order arrives in your Incoming tab, and nothing leaves your shelf until you approve it. Lower a quantity to approve part of an order, or decline it. You can revoke a shop's access at any time, and invite it again later.
The difference matters for your counts. A transfer moves stock between stores you own. A shared inventory order is a purchase order between two businesses, with the same record on both sides. See shared inventory for how it works step by step.
Frequently asked questions
How do I transfer inventory between two stores?
Have the store that needs the stock send a request with the item and quantity, have the sending store approve it, count the items out and in, and keep a record that shows the move at both stores. A point of sale with transfers between locations does the record for you and updates both counts.
Who should approve a stock transfer?
Someone at the store that is giving the stock up. That way no store loses a part it was counting on without knowing.
What should I do when a transfer arrives short?
Report it the same day, while everyone remembers the trip. Check the request, the count at the sending store and the box before you adjust any numbers.
How do I stop parts from moving back and forth?
Look at which parts move most often. If the same part keeps moving to one store, raise that store's reorder level or order it for that store directly.
Can another repair shop order parts from my inventory?
Yes, if both shops use SpotsPOS. Share your inventory with their store ID, and once they accept, they can send you purchase orders. You approve, partially approve or decline each one, and you can revoke access at any time.
Should customer devices be moved as inventory?
No. A customer's device belongs to its repair ticket. Move the ticket to the other shop so the device keeps its history and the customer keeps getting updates.
Running more than one shop? See how multi-store keeps every location in one account.