If it feels like backordered parts have become a permanent fixture of dealership life, that is because they have. Supply chain disruption — driven by semiconductor shortages, geopolitical instability, tariff uncertainty, and raw material constraints — has been the number one challenge facing automotive parts departments year after year since 2022. The situation has improved from its pandemic-era peak, but any parts manager waiting for a full return to the way things used to be is going to be waiting a long time. The managers who thrive in this environment are the ones who stop reacting and start building a system for dealing with it.

The first priority is communication — early, honest, and proactive. When a part goes on backorder, the worst thing you can do is say nothing and hope it resolves itself before anyone notices. It won’t. Contact the customer or the service advisor the moment you know there is a problem, give them whatever estimated timeframe you have, and set a follow-up date so they hear from you again before they have to chase you down. Customers and technicians can accept bad news far more gracefully when it comes with transparency and a plan. What they cannot accept — and will not forget — is feeling like they were left in the dark.

For your service technicians, a backorder on a job that is already in the bay is a productivity killer. Build a habit of checking part availability before the vehicle is ever pulled in for the repair. Most DMS systems allow you to verify stock and backorder status at the time of scheduling. A five-second check during the write-up process can save hours of frustration for your technicians and prevent a customer’s vehicle from sitting disassembled in a bay while everyone waits on a part that is weeks away.

When it comes to sourcing alternatives without running afoul of your OEM purchasing agreements, you have more options than many managers realize. Dealer trading — contacting same-brand dealers in your region to locate a part they have in stock — is widely accepted and often overlooked. Your OEM parts rep can also flag emergency or expedited order options for critical repairs that may not be visible through your standard ordering interface. For non-warranty repairs, a quality remanufactured or OEM-equivalent part may be an acceptable interim solution, but always confirm with the customer before substituting. Never source grey-market or counterfeit parts to close a gap — the liability risk and the damage to your reputation are never worth the shortcut.

Supply chain disruption is not going away. Build the communication habits, the sourcing playbook, and the scheduling discipline to manage it — and it becomes a challenge your department handles with confidence rather than one that handles you.