Today, Kaylee Felio sits down with DMS and inventory management expert Chuck Hartle to bust the top myths surrounding DMS setups, parts sources, pricing strategies, and obsolescence in today’s dealership environment. Chuck Hartle draws on real-world dealership experience and PartsEdge’s hands-on work with dealers, uncovering smarter ways to use technology to turn inventory faster, optimize pricing, and crush those old habits holding managers back. Whether you’re wrestling with DMS migrations, struggling to trust your stock orders, or tired of ever-growing obsolete inventory, this episode is packed with gritty wisdom, practical examples, and actionable advice for parts pros.

You’ll learn why “more sources” isn’t just an option—it’s essential; how a smarter source setup gives you control over pricing and replenishment; and how to avoid the costly traps that drain department profits. No sugarcoating, just hard-earned lessons and real solutions, delivered with Kaylee Felio’s energy and Chuck Hartle’s battle-tested know-how.

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This show is powered by PartsEdge: Your go-to solution for transforming dealership parts inventory into a powerhouse of profitability. Our strategies are proven to amp up parts sales by a whopping 20%, all while cutting down on idle inventory. If you're looking to optimize your parts management, visit 🔗 www.partsedge.com

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Takeaways

1. Break Out Your Sources

2. Proactively Manage Obsolescence

3. Leverage Your DMS—Don’t Let It Limit You

Chapters

00:00 – Why dealerships need more than a couple sources

01:20 – Common myths: “Manufacturer controls my inventory”

02:34 – How multiple sources enable better pricing and inventory management

03:51 – How many sources can a parts manager realistically manage?

05:12 – Breaking out sources for accessories, menu items, and captive maintenance

07:32 – The “milk and canned asparagus” inventory analogy

08:18 – When DMS setups fail—and how granular sources help

10:11 – Tuning phasing criteria and days supply for profit

13:03 – How to set day supply based on part movement

15:05 – Isolating accessories and tires for smarter stock and returns

16:33 – Trends and realities in manufacturer pricing

18:53 – Gross profit margins and the impact of diminishing discounts

21:04 – The truth about obsolescence and how to really control it

25:45 – Why writing obsolete parts down to a penny is a bad idea

27:10 – What’s an acceptable level of write-offs and obsolescence?

29:02 – The power of tracking and controlling special order parts

30:02 – Market realities: Today’s “normal” for dealership obsolescence rates

Kaylee Felio

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayleefelio

Website: https://www.partsedge.com