Inventory and parts without tying up cash
Most shops either run out of the part they need or have $40k of dead stock on a shelf. Both are inventory problems.
Track the top 20 parts, not all of them
A simple count on the 20 SKUs you use most weeks catches 80% of stockouts. Tracking everything fails because nobody keeps up. Tracking 20 things works.
Set a min and a max for each
Reorder at min, never exceed max. Posted on the shelf. Now anyone on the team can keep parts stocked without checking with you.
Audit dead stock twice a year
Anything that hasn't moved in 12 months is cash sitting on a shelf. Return it, sell it, or scrap it. Stop carrying it on the books.
Take your version of this question further
This is one operator-tested angle on the question. Your shop, your size, your trade, and your team change the answer. Ask your specific version inside Ask a Shop Owner to get a response grounded in how owners like you actually handled it.