ERP for Auto Parts Dealers & Distributors in India
Manage large part catalogues, serial and batch tracking, garage and retailer credit, returns and GST from one connected system.
What should an ERP do for an auto-parts distributor?
Auto-parts distributors carry very large catalogues across brands, need to trace some parts by serial number or batch, and sell every day to garages and retailers on credit. TradeFlow is a business ERP for Indian traders and distributors that holds SKU, barcode, brand and category on every part, tracks serial numbers and batches where needed, and links orders, deliveries, invoices, payments and returns.
Who it is for
- Auto-parts distributors, wholesalers and dealers
- Suppliers to garages, workshops and spare-parts retailers
- Businesses handling serialised or batch-tracked parts
Common problems in auto-parts distribution
- 01
Very large part catalogues
Thousands of part codes across brands and vehicle categories are hard to set up and keep current.
- 02
Some parts must be traced individually
Batteries and other higher-value parts need a serial number, and lubricants and consumables need a batch.
- 03
Daily credit to garages
Garages and workshops buy on account every day, and the total owed is only known when someone adds it up.
- 04
Wrong parts come back
Parts that do not fit are returned, and the adjustment is made informally.
- 05
Fast movers out of stock, slow movers ageing
Service parts run out while parts for older models sit on the shelf.
- 06
Picking many small lines
Orders contain many small lines, and picking them from memory causes errors.
How TradeFlow addresses them
01Very large part catalogues
Each part carries an SKU, barcode, brand, category and sub-category, and parts can be imported in bulk from an Excel template and exported to Excel.
- Product master
- SKU, barcode & MRP
- Excel import & export
02Some parts must be traced individually
Products can be marked for serial or batch tracking; serial numbers are recorded per unit, and batches carry batch dates.
- Serial numbers
- Batch tracking
03Daily credit to garages
Each customer has a credit limit and credit days, payments are recorded against invoices, and receivables show outstanding and overdue amounts.
- Credit limit & credit days
- Receivables
- Customer payments
04Wrong parts come back
Credit notes handle returns and price corrections against the original invoice.
- Credit notes
05Fast movers out of stock, slow movers ageing
Minimum, maximum and reorder levels with a reorder quantity per part, reorder alerts, and inventory aging for slow movers.
- Minimum, maximum & reorder levels
- Reorder alerts
- Inventory aging
06Picking many small lines
Pick lists guide the warehouse, and dispatch goes on a delivery challan linked to the sales order.
- Pick lists
- Delivery challans
- Linked sales documents
The auto-parts order workflow in TradeFlow
- 1
Purchase order
Order parts from the brand or supplier.
- 2
Goods receipt
Receive against the order into a warehouse. Stock goes up.
- 3
Stock
Stock is held per part and warehouse, by serial number or batch where the part is tracked that way.
- 4
Sales order
Confirm the garage’s or retailer’s order.
- 5
Pick
A pick list guides the warehouse through the order lines.
- 6
Delivery
Dispatch on a delivery challan. Stock goes down.
- 7
Invoice
Raise the GST invoice against the order and challan.
- 8
Payment & returns
Record payment against the invoice, and handle returns with a credit note.
A catalogue that scales to thousands of parts
SKU, barcode, brand, category and sub-category, unit, MRP and prices on every part, with Excel import and export.
- Product masterProducts with categories, brands, units, sizes and finishes.
- SKU, barcode & MRPRecord an SKU, a barcode (displayed as a CODE128 barcode), MRP and purchase and selling prices for each product.
- Excel import & exportImport products in bulk from an Excel template, and export the product list to Excel.
- HSN codesMap products to HSN codes so GST rates apply correctly.
Trace the parts that need it
Serial numbers for individual units, batches with batch dates, and an expiry register.
- Serial numbersTrack individual serialised units.
- Batch trackingTrack stock by batch, including expiry where relevant.
Keep service parts on the shelf
Stock per warehouse, minimum, maximum and reorder levels, reorder alerts, inventory aging, transfers and cycle counts.
- Stock levels by warehouseSee current stock per product and per warehouse.
- Minimum, maximum & reorder levelsSet minimum and maximum stock, a reorder level and a reorder quantity for each product.
- Reorder alertsFlag products that have fallen below their reorder level.
- Inventory agingSee how long stock has been sitting, to spot slow movers.
- Multiple warehousesRun several warehouses, each with its own stock.
- Stock transfersMove stock between warehouses with a record of each transfer.
- Cycle countsCount stock in parts and reconcile differences.
Many small lines, picked and dispatched accurately
Sales orders, pick lists, delivery challans and GST invoices, each linked, with discount rules and credit notes for returns.
- Sales ordersConfirm customer orders and track them to delivery.
- Pick listsGenerate pick lists for outgoing orders.
- Delivery challansRecord goods dispatched against an order.
- GST invoicesRaise tax invoices with HSN codes and GST applied.
- Discount rulesSet discounts by product, category or customer, with minimum quantities and priorities.
- Credit notesHandle returns and price corrections against invoices.
Know what every garage owes
Credit limit and credit days per customer, outstanding and overdue invoices, payments against invoices, and credit-limit usage on the AI CEO Dashboard.
- Credit limit & credit daysSet a credit limit and credit days for each customer; the AI CEO Dashboard shows how much of each limit is used.
- ReceivablesOutstanding invoices by customer, including overdue amounts.
- Customer paymentsRecord customer payments against the invoices they settle.
- AI CEO DashboardAI CEO Dashboard with rule-based business insights on overdue dues, aging stock and the sales pipeline.
GST across a large parts catalogue
HSN codes and GST rates on each product apply GST on every invoice and bill. GSTR-1 data (exported as Excel or JSON) and the GSTR-3B summary are prepared from those same records, and GSTR-2B data is used to review input tax credit. TradeFlow prepares the return data; the returns themselves are filed outside TradeFlow, by you or your CA.
- HSN codesMap products to HSN codes so GST rates apply correctly.
- GSTR-1Prepare GSTR-1 from sales data and export it as Excel or JSON.
- GSTR-2BWork with GSTR-2B data for input tax credit.
- GSTR-3BPrepare the GSTR-3B summary return.
Counter, warehouse and accounts, each with the right access
Role-based permissions and an audit log; sales, purchase and inventory reports.
- Role-based permissionsControl who can view or change each module.
- Audit logSee who changed what, and when.
- Business reportsSales, purchase, inventory, profitability and vendor performance reports.
- DashboardsDashboards for sales, purchases, inventory, CRM and finance.
Is TradeFlow suitable for your auto-parts business?
- Auto-parts distributors and dealers with large catalogues
- Businesses selling daily to garages and workshops on credit
- Dealers handling serialised parts such as batteries
- Distributors with batch-tracked lubricants or consumables
- Businesses with frequent part returns
- Distributors with more than one warehouse
Frequently asked questions
What ERP is suitable for auto-parts distributors?
An ERP for auto-parts distributors should handle very large catalogues, serial and batch tracking, daily garage credit, returns and GST. TradeFlow is a business ERP for Indian traders and distributors, including auto-parts businesses, and covers each of these.
Can TradeFlow handle thousands of part numbers?
Yes. Each part carries an SKU, barcode, brand, category and sub-category, and parts can be imported in bulk from an Excel template and exported to Excel.
Can TradeFlow track batteries by serial number?
Yes. Products can be marked for serial tracking, and serial numbers are recorded for individual units with their warehouse and status.
Can TradeFlow track lubricants by batch and expiry?
Yes. Products can be marked for batch tracking, batches carry batch dates, and an expiry register lists batches nearing or past expiry.
How are returned parts handled?
Credit notes handle returns and price corrections against the original invoice.
Does TradeFlow support GST compliance?
Yes, for preparing returns. HSN codes apply GST on invoices and bills. From those transactions TradeFlow prepares GSTR-1 data, which you export as Excel or JSON, and the GSTR-3B summary, and it uses GSTR-2B data to review input tax credit. TradeFlow prepares the return data; the returns themselves are filed outside TradeFlow, by you or your CA.
See TradeFlow on an auto-parts catalogue
Book a demo and we will walk through part setup, a garage order, dispatch and a return on sample data.