Special order parts, commonly referred to as SOPs in the dealership world, are an unavoidable part of managing a parts department. Not every part a customer or technician needs will be sitting on your shelf, and that’s okay. What’s not okay is letting those orders pile up unmanaged, quietly draining your cash flow and eventually turning into obsolescence you can’t return. As a parts manager, getting control of your SOP process early is one of the best habits you can build.

The first rule of special orders is simple: always collect a deposit or get it prepaid in full. Surveys of dealership parts operations consistently show that the vast majority of dealers do not require prepayment on special orders — and they pay for it. When a customer has no financial skin in the game, they have little motivation to return. Requiring full prepayment, or at minimum a substantial deposit, on all non-warranty special orders dramatically reduces the number of unclaimed parts aging on your shelves. Think of it this way: every other industry does it. There is no reason your parts department should be the exception.

The second priority is building a reliable bin and tracking system. Organize your SOP bins by week and by service advisor. This gives you an instant visual snapshot of how old each order is and who is responsible for following up. When a part arrives, your counter staff should notify the customer that same day — not when they get around to it, but that day. Many DMS systems can automate this notification via text or email, so take advantage of that technology if it’s available to you.

Equally important is establishing a hard return deadline. If a special order part has not been installed or picked up within XX days, it should be returned to the factory — no exceptions without explicit manager approval. Left unchecked, aging SOPs become obsolete inventory that eats into your net profit and clutters your bin space.

Finally, make SOPs a standing agenda item in your weekly meetings with the service manager. The parts and service departments must work together on this. Service advisors who generate the orders need to be held accountable for scheduling their customers for installation. Accountability, combined with a consistent process reviewed daily and weekly, is what separates a well-run parts department from one that is constantly playing catch-up.

Get the process right from the start, and special orders will never become the headache they are at so many dealerships.