Custom van stock app for technicians
Appfront builds apps for engineers' van stock: per van, what is on board, what the engineer uses per job with a scan or a tap, what drops below the minimum, and what the warehouse should set out in the evening. So an engineer doesn't have to drive back for a part that should have been in the van, and the warehouse knows where the stock has gone.
What is a van stock app for the engineer?
The service van is a warehouse on wheels, and usually the only warehouse nobody counts. The engineer knows what's inside; what has gone out only comes to light at the next job; and what the warehouse has issued to vans is booked as consumed. A van stock app turns each van into a stock location: quantity per item, usage per job, a minimum per van, and a replenishment order ready when the engineer returns the van in the evening.
Without an app, the engineer drives back to the warehouse or wholesaler for a part that wasn't there, which is the most expensive hour of the day. Or the van is so full that thousands of euros' worth of parts ride around unused. The warehouse books issues to vans as consumption, and the per-job costing doesn't add up because the material isn't linked to the job.
We build custom because the van needs to fit your work order, your ERP and the way you restock: which items go in which type of van, how the technician reports usage, whether the warehouse restocks or the wholesaler delivers straight to the van, and how usage is linked to the job and the invoice. An ERP stock module knows one warehouse; a van stock app knows dozens that are out on the road.
Stock per van
Each van is a stock location with items, quantities and a minimum per item, matched to the type of work that engineer does. Visible to both the engineer and the warehouse.
Usage per job
The engineer scans or taps what they use on the job, and it comes off the van stock and onto the work order. No note on a slip, nothing after the fact.
Restocking before the round
Anything that drops below the minimum becomes a replenishment order for the warehouse or wholesaler, ready in the van or on the shelf before the engineer sets off.
How we build your engineers' van stock app
We start with the vans: what's on board, what goes out in a month, and how often an engineer has to drive back. The app follows from there.
A count of a few vans, usage per type of work from the work orders, the return trips of recent months, and how the warehouse currently issues stock to vans.
Per van, the items with quantities and a minimum per item, a standard layout per type of engineer, and the first count in the app.
Scanning or tapping per job, stock use logged against the job sheet, and integration with your job sheet app or ERP.
Restock orders to the warehouse or wholesaler, transfers between vans, periodic stock counts, then ongoing management and integration with purchasing.
What an app for the engineer's van stock actually does
The components below come up at almost every company with service vans. Which ones you need depends on your job sheet app and on how you restock.
Van stock
Per van, the items with quantity, location in the van and minimum level, with a standard layout per type of engineer and a count per period.
Usage per job
Scan the barcode or enter the item on the job; the quantity is deducted from the van and recorded on the job sheet with the job as the destination.
Restock orders
Anything that falls below the minimum becomes an order for the warehouse or wholesaler, grouped per van and ready before the next run.
Handover
Items moved from warehouse to van, from van to van or back, with a scan at both ends, so the stock is always accounted for somewhere.
Searching the fleet
An engineer missing a part can see which colleague nearby has it in their van. That saves the trip to the warehouse.
Reporting
Usage per van, per engineer and per item, the value of stock on the road, and the items that are never used.
Who we build an app for engineers' van stock for
The app is designed for companies where engineers work from their vans, and where return trips and missing stock are eating into maintenance margins.
Installation companies
Engineers with a fixed van layout for heating, electrics or plumbing. The standard layout and the usage recorded on the job sheet are the core.
Breakdown and service operations
Unpredictable work needing parts to be in stock. Searching the fleet and overnight restocking matter most.
Maintenance companies with contracts
Regular customers with known installations. Van stock tailored to the contracts of that engineer is what's needed.
Companies with wholesaler delivery
The wholesaler fills the van directly. The restock order to the wholesaler and the check on receipt are the core.
Test your idea first: a working prototype in 1 day
With OneDayBuild, we turn your idea into something tangible in one day for €1,150, so you can see whether further development is worth the investment. Decide to go ahead with the full build? Then we credit the full cost.
Explore OneDayBuild →Technology and integrations
This page is about stock in the van. For the job sheet where usage is recorded, see our page on a job sheet app, and for field service as a whole, our page on a field service app. You can read about how we work under building custom software.
Why choose Appfront for your engineer's van stock app?
A van stock app only works if engineers use it on the job. That's what we build around: one scan, and the rest follows naturally.
One scan on the job
Scanning the item the moment it leaves the van. We ask for nothing more; the job sheet, the stock and the restock follow from that.
The van is a location
Not usage on issue, but stock that travels. The warehouse knows where it is, and the post-job costing knows which job it went to.
Restocking is done by evening
The restock order is ready when the van returns. The engineer sets off the next morning with a fully stocked van, without having to count anything.
Security and privacy for an engineer's van stock app
The app handles stock and purchasing data and the location of vans. Access is set by role: the engineer sees their own van and can search the fleet, the warehouse sees all vans, and management sees the reporting. Locations are only used to find a part with a colleague, not to track journeys.
The app runs in a European data centre, with encrypted storage and daily backups. Integrations with job sheet apps, ERP and wholesalers use their own keys, which can be revoked per integration.
Frequently asked questions about a van stock app for engineers
Questions that installation and service companies ask before they get started.
It turns every van into a stock location with items, quantities and a minimum level. For each job, the engineer scans what was used so it leaves the van and goes onto the job card. It creates replenishment orders for the warehouse or wholesaler when something drops below the minimum, and shows where a part is held across the fleet.
Usage on a job, yes, with a scan or a tap; that is the one action the app asks for. Restocking is scanned by the warehouse when it's prepared, and the engineer confirms on receipt. A periodic count catches anything that was missed.
Through the integration with your job sheet app or ERP: the scan on site adds the item to that job's sheet, with the quantity and price. Without an interface, the app produces a list per job that your administration can take over; the integration is then the logical next step.
Anything that falls below the minimum becomes a replenishment order, bundled per van. The warehouse prepares it before the van returns, or the wholesaler delivers straight to the van if that's how you work. The engineer confirms receipt with a scan, and the stock figures are correct again.
Yes. When someone is missing a part, they search the fleet and see which van holds it and roughly where that van is. A transfer between vans is a scan at both ends. That saves the trip to the warehouse, and the stock stays accurate.
Yes. Items and prices come from your ERP, usage goes to the job sheet and post-job costing, and restock orders can go directly to the wholesaler via its interface. We connect to what you already use; the app does not become a second item file.
Check that first. An ERP knows stock locations, and some allow a van to be one. Custom development makes sense when the engineer needs to scan on a job without signal, when restocking per van has to work against a minimum, when engineers need to find each other's vans, or when usage isn't currently tied to the job.
Every van stocked, every part on the job card?
Tell us how many vans you run, which job-card app and ERP you use, and how often an engineer drove back to fetch a part last month. We'll show you what van stock, scanning and restocking look like for your business.