How to set up van stock control with barcodes: printers, labels and a 60 minute setup featured image
How-to Guides

How to set up van stock control with barcodes: printers, labels and a 60 minute setup

TrainAR Team 1 month ago 6 min read

How to set up van stock control with barcodes: printers, labels and a 60 minute setup

Category: How-to Guides • Niche: Operations, automations

Organised service van with labelled bins and an engineer scanning a barcode

Why van stock control matters

If your engineers are nipping to the merchants mid job or you are double buying the same parts, you are burning time and margin. A simple barcode system gives you:

  • Higher first time fix
  • Fewer wasted trips
  • Clear costs per job
  • Faster onboarding for new engineers

Who this is for

  • Small to mid service businesses running 1 to 20 vans
  • Electrical, plumbing, heating, HVAC, property maintenance and joinery
  • Teams who want an easy barcode setup without becoming IT experts

Related reads in the Academy:

What you need

Software options. Pick one of these routes:

Hardware:

  • Label printer for items and bins, plus labels that will survive in a van
  • Optional mobile printer if you want to print in the van
  • Your team’s phones with the app installed. Bluetooth scanners are nice to have but not required

Pick your software

Plan your structure

Keep it simple and consistent.

  • Locations: one per van, plus warehouse or stores
  • Bins and shelves: optional but helpful for fast picking
  • SKUs: a short code you control. Example HEAT-VALVE-15, FUSE-3A
  • Barcodes: Code 128 works well for compact alphanumeric SKUs. If you already have EANs, keep them

Example location and bin naming:

VAN01
VAN01-B01  Left shelf, top bin
VAN01-B02  Left shelf, middle bin
VAN02
WH01       Warehouse

60 minute setup

  1. Create stock locations
  • In your chosen platform, create a location per van and one for warehouse or merchant deliveries
  1. Import your item list
  • Use or adapt this CSV template:
Name,SKU,Barcode,Cost,SellPrice,Unit,ReorderLevel
15 mm isolation valve,HEAT-VALVE-15,HEAT-VALVE-15,1.10,3.50,ea,10
3 A fuse,FUSE-3A,FUSE-3A,0.05,0.50,ea,20
TRV head white,TRV-H-W,TRV-H-W,6.50,18.00,ea,4
PTFE tape 12 mm,PTFE-12,PTFE-12,0.40,2.00,ea,6
Wago 221 3 way,WAGO-221-3,WAGO-221-3,0.18,0.65,ea,30
Boiler pressure gauge 0 to 4 bar,GUAGE-4B,GUAGE-4B,7.20,21.00,ea,2
  • Put your chosen barcode value in the Barcode column. Using your SKU as the barcode is fine
  1. Print labels for items and bins
  1. Set default van per engineer
  • In your app settings set the default stock location to the engineer’s van. This prevents stock being deducted from the wrong place
  1. Start using the scanner in the field
  • Add parts to a job by scanning the label in the app
  • Transfer stock Warehouse to Van when loading, then the engineer Receives it on their phone
  • Do a quick cycle count per van every Friday using the app’s stocktake. Scan every bin and item

Tip: For durable labels in hot or oily vans use laminated or thermal transfer materials. See this quick primer https://labelmetrics.co.uk/blogs/news/how-barcode-printing-helps-businesses-streamline-inventory-management

Weekly replenishment routine

Use a simple min and max approach. For each item set:

  • Min = roughly one week’s typical use
  • Max = two to three week’s use

Reorder point formula you can use later:

Reorder Point = Average daily use × Supplier lead time in days + Safety stock

Example. You use 10 fuses per week and lead time is 3 days. Safety stock 10. Reorder point is about 14 units. When Van01 falls to 14 or below, raise a PO or a Warehouse to Van transfer.

If you run your purchasing through Xero or QuickBooks, you can push items from tools like Tradify or Sortly and use the accounting app’s reorder views. Guidance here for QuickBooks Online reorder alerts https://quickbooks.intuit.com/learn-support/en-us/help-article/backorder-inventory/reorder-inventory-supplies-vendors/L81iJczdn_US_en_US

  • Brother PT E550WSP. Industrial handheld that prints laminated and heat shrink, connects by Wi Fi for template printing on site.
  • Zebra ZQ521. Rugged mobile printer if you want to print labels from a van or depot apps. MIL rated and built for field work.

Automations

Start simple, then add light automations.

  • Low stock email alerts in your chosen app. Most inventory apps can email when a van hits Min
  • Spreadsheet workflow. Keep a Google Sheet per van. When a count is updated and On hand is less than Min, auto email a restock list to purchasing with Zapier
  • Job linkage. In Commusoft and simPRO, scanning items into a job deducts stock and pushes real costs onto the job for accurate margin

Bonus. If you struggle for site signal, pair this with a connectivity setup. See our Starlink for building sites guide https://academy.trainar.ai/starlink-for-building-sites-setup-power-from-a-van-best-plans-and-cctv-tips

Troubleshooting

  • Scans are not recognised. Check the item’s Barcode field matches what you printed and that the symbology is supported by your app. Code 128 is a safe bet
  • Stock not showing in the van. After a Warehouse to Van transfer, the engineer must tap Receive in their app
  • Labels fall off. Clean and degrease first, use laminated or appropriate adhesive, and avoid tiny labels on curved surfaces
  • BST and time issues. If you are also syncing calendars between systems, see our Outlook calendar guide for UK settings https://academy.trainar.ai/outlook-servicem8jobbertradify-uk-stop-duplicate-calendar-entries-and-fix-bstgmt-shifts

What are people saying on Reddit

Recent threads show what engineers actually keep on the truck and the importance of a clear standard van list:

Common themes. Keep fast movers up front in labelled bins. Use a written or printed van checklist per trade and season. Review quarterly as supplier ranges change.

Watch a quick case clip

CS Heating on trialling Commusoft for parts and stock management https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYiLjtPmuYg

FAQ

What barcode type should I use?

Code 128 if you are making your own SKUs. If your materials already have EAN or UPC, scan and use those. QR is handy for very small labels or when you want to encode more than just the SKU

Do I need a Bluetooth scanner?

No. Your phone camera works well enough for most teams. Add a scanner only if you are scanning hundreds of labels per day

Can we do this without changing our job software?

Yes. Use a lightweight inventory app like Sortly or inFlow for van stock and keep your existing job ap…