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Motor Vehicle Supplies and New Parts Merchant Wholesalers

NAICS 423120 · Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods · SBA size standard: 200 employees

Wholesalers buy in bulk from manufacturers, stock warehouse racks of OEM and aftermarket parts, filters, fluids, accessories and tools, then sell and ship to repair shops, fleets and retailers. For a distributor that receives daily purchase orders from independent garages and ships next-day, the specialists turn incoming orders into picked and packed shipments, track supplier lead times and reorder points, schedule inbound freight and outbound delivery, maintain lot and serial traceability for warranty and recall paperwork, and keep warehouse bin locations accurate. Pricing, credit terms and core returns stay with the owner.

Start with these bots

What makes this business different

  • Hundreds of SKUs with supersession rules where one part number replaces another over time
  • Core returns and warranty claims that require tracking returned items back to the supplier
  • Daily purchase orders from repair shops that must be fulfilled from available stock or drop-shipped
  • Warehouse bin locations, cycle counts and physical inventory that must stay accurate to prevent picking errors
  • Supplier lead times and minimum order quantities that drive weekly replenishment orders
  • Freight scheduling for palletized inbound shipments and next-day van or parcel outbound delivery
  • Lot and serial number traceability for safety recalls and warranty claims
  • Customer-specific pricing, credit limits and backorder notifications
  • Hazardous material documentation for fluids, batteries and certain chemicals

Specialist bots

  • a warehouse office desk with printed customer purchase orders next to a computer screen showing part availability and bin locations

    Order Intake Specialist

    Convert every incoming customer purchase order into a priced, reserved, and confirmed sales order.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Customer order intake and fulfillment

    Automates

    • Reads emails, portals and EDI files
    • Looks up part numbers and applies supersessions
    • Checks stock and credit limits against owner-set thresholds
    • Reserves inventory and drafts confirmations
    • Flags orders needing special pricing or credit review

    Stops for a person

    • Owner approves any order that exceeds credit limits
    • Special pricing requests are reviewed by sales staff
    • A person releases the final pick ticket
  • a worker in a warehouse aisle scanning a barcode on an automotive box pulled from a high metal shelf bin

    Picker Packer

    Turn pick tickets into accurately scanned, packed and staged shipments ready for carrier pickup.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Process Optimizer · Workflows: Warehouse picking and packing

    Automates

    • Generates optimized pick routes by bin location
    • Creates scannable pick lists with lot and serial prompts
    • Verifies each item scanned against the order
    • Prints packing slips, hazardous material labels and carrier labels

    Stops for a person

    • Warehouse staff perform the physical pick and pack
    • A person performs spot checks on high value orders
    • Owner approves any substitutions
  • a warehouse manager standing at a pallet rack reviewing a tablet inventory list while a forklift brings in new boxes

    Replenishment Planner

    Maintain optimal stock levels by generating supplier purchase orders and tracking inbound arrivals.

    Works in: Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Tasks, Process Optimizer · Workflows: Supplier replenishment and inventory management

    Automates

    • Calculates reorder points using historical demand and lead times
    • Groups purchase orders by supplier while respecting minimum quantities
    • Tracks expected arrivals and updates inventory on receipt
    • Schedules cycle counts for high-velocity and high-value SKUs

    Stops for a person

    • The owner reviews and places all purchase orders
    • A person confirms physical receipt and condition of goods
  • a loading dock with a worker guiding a pallet jack loaded with shrink-wrapped boxes of auto parts onto a truck liftgate

    Logistics Coordinator

    Schedule inbound and outbound freight, create manifests and track all shipments.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Inbound freight scheduling and receiving, Outbound shipping and carrier management

    Automates

    • Books dock appointments and carrier pickups
    • Generates shipping labels, manifests and hazardous material documentation
    • Sends tracking updates to customers after approval
    • Calculates and logs freight costs against each order

    Stops for a person

    • The owner approves any expedited freight charges
    • Warehouse staff handle physical loading and unloading
    • A person files freight claims for damaged shipments
  • a worker at a workbench inspecting returned brake rotors and entering details on a clipboard beside labeled return bins

    Warranty and Core Clerk

    Process all customer returns, inspect cores, prepare supplier credits and maintain traceability records.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Docs, Contract Analyzer · Workflows: Warranty and core return processing

    Automates

    • Generates return authorizations and labels
    • Tracks serial and lot numbers for traceability
    • Prepares supplier return paperwork and credit requests
    • Updates customer accounts with credits after inspection

    Stops for a person

    • A person performs physical inspection of returned parts
    • The owner approves all credit memos
    • Supplier return policies are confirmed by staff
  • a parts counter with stacks of supplier catalogs and a laptop open to a spreadsheet of part numbers and vehicle applications

    Catalog and Pricing Maintainer

    Keep the master parts catalog, supersessions, fitment data and pricing current across all systems.

    Works in: Ambitious Sheets, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Tasks · Workflows: Parts catalog and pricing maintenance

    Automates

    • Imports supplier update files
    • Applies supersession chains and updates fitment data
    • Updates discount matrices by customer type
    • Flags obsolete inventory and suggests substitutes for review

    Stops for a person

    • The owner approves all price changes and discontinuations
    • Sales staff verify fitment data on key lines
  • a sales desk with multiple monitors displaying automotive parts catalogs while a telephone and order forms sit nearby

    Sales Support Specialist

    Assist customers with part lookups, availability, pricing and backorder status while drafting quotes for approval.

    Works in: Ambitious Tasks, Ambitious Docs, Ambitious Sheets · Workflows: Customer order intake and fulfillment, Parts catalog and pricing maintenance

    Automates

    • Searches catalog by vehicle or part number
    • Pulls real-time stock and pricing
    • Drafts quotes and backorder notices
    • Tracks open orders for follow-up

    Stops for a person

    • Sales staff review and send all customer-facing quotes and communications
    • Any deviation from standard pricing requires owner approval

Workflows

Customer order intake and fulfillment

Starts when: A customer submits a purchase order by email, portal, EDI or phone

  1. Capture each part number, quantity, vehicle fitment and any special instructions
  2. Check stock availability and apply supersession rules
  3. Apply customer-specific pricing and verify credit limit against owner-set terms
  4. Reserve inventory and create a pick ticket with bin locations
  5. Draft the order confirmation and expected ship date for owner review

Watch for: Supersession rules must be applied before quoting availability; Core charges must be added where applicable; Any order exceeding credit limit requires owner approval before reservation

Warehouse picking and packing

Starts when: Each morning after order cutoff and throughout the day for hot orders

  1. Generate pick lists sorted by bin location to minimize travel
  2. Scan each picked part to confirm correct item, quantity and lot where required
  3. Pack parts with appropriate dunnage, hazardous-material labeling and documentation
  4. Print packing slips and shipping labels
  5. Stage completed orders for carrier pickup and record any substitutions

Watch for: Heavy or bulky items require specific packing materials; Hazardous fluids must be packed according to transport regulations; All physical picks and packs performed by warehouse staff

Supplier replenishment and inventory management

Starts when: Daily review of low stock and weekly full review

  1. Run reorder point report using lead time, demand and safety stock
  2. Draft purchase orders for each supplier respecting minimum order quantities
  3. Track inbound shipments and expected arrival dates
  4. Receive and put away new stock while updating bin locations
  5. Perform cycle counts on high-velocity and high-value items

Watch for: Supplier minimum order quantities and freight breaks must be respected; Core and warranty returns must be prepared for return shipments; Owner places every purchase order

Inbound freight scheduling and receiving

Starts when: Weekly or when supplier shipments are confirmed

  1. Schedule dock appointments for incoming truckloads and LTL shipments
  2. Prepare receiving worksheets with expected SKUs, quantities and lot data
  3. Inspect and receive pallets against purchase orders
  4. Record lot numbers and serials where required for traceability
  5. Update inventory and notify sales of newly available stock

Watch for: Some suppliers require appointments booked weeks in advance; Damaged shipments must be documented for claims with owner approval; All physical receiving and inspection performed by warehouse staff

Outbound shipping and carrier management

Starts when: End of each business day and as orders complete

  1. Group orders by carrier and service level
  2. Create manifests and shipping labels for parcel, LTL and truckload
  3. Include required hazardous material documentation where applicable
  4. Track shipments and send tracking information to customers after approval
  5. Record freight costs against each order

Watch for: Next-day delivery cutoffs vary by carrier and region; Hazardous material documentation must accompany certain fluids and batteries; Owner approves any expedited freight charges

Warranty and core return processing

Starts when: When a customer initiates a return or on a monthly cadence

  1. Capture return authorization details and part serials
  2. Generate return labels and instructions for customer
  3. Inspect returned cores and warranty parts upon receipt
  4. Prepare supplier return shipments and credit requests
  5. Update customer accounts and inventory records after owner approval

Watch for: Many parts have limited warranty windows and core return deadlines; Supplier-specific return policies and paperwork must be followed; Physical inspection of returned parts performed by staff

Parts catalog and pricing maintenance

Starts when: When supplier updates arrive and quarterly

  1. Import new part numbers, supersessions and fitment data
  2. Update list prices and customer-specific discount tiers
  3. Flag discontinued items and suggest substitutes
  4. Maintain vehicle application data for search accuracy
  5. Review and adjust competitive pricing on key SKUs for owner approval

Watch for: Fitment data changes frequently with new vehicle models; Pricing updates from suppliers must be applied promptly; Owner approves all price changes and discontinuations

Bot templates for this industry

Source: U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Size Standards, Table of Small Business Size Standards Matched to North American Industry Classification System Codes, version March 2023 (effective 2023-03-17, NAICS 2022). Size standards are shown for reference only.