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Fenix Auto Parts

Old School Thinking on Auto Cores – The 7 Deadly Sins of Cores

Paul D’Adamo (‘Core Hunter’), at Rebuilders Automotive Supply (RAS), based in the US, discusses how you could maximize profit through your auto parts inventory by considering seven basic rules or ‘the 7 deadly sins of cores’.

 

Old School Thinking on Auto Cores - The 7 Deadly Sins of Cores p one

My obsession with inventory started when I walked into Bill’s Auto Parts in 1990 to help my In-Laws with their recently purchased business. Not having been in the business before, it was easy to recognize a mess when we saw it. It became a combination of cleaning out the old and organizing for the new. We also realized how valuable our inventory was. That has turned into a lifetime endeavor to maximize inventory for profit.

Old School Thinking on Auto Cores - The 7 Deadly Sins of Cores com
Paul D’Adamo

Most of the issues with the cores boiled down to 7 basic rules, hence the 7 Deadly Sins of Cores. I call them deadly because no one wants to waste good labor to remove auto cores. However, a lot of old-school thinking exists in the industry. Some Recyclers want to pull specific cores from each vehicle because they see it as “the easiest way.” I would ask, “do we strip every vehicle’s parts to put them on the shelf.” The answer is NO because we have sophisticated YMS and inventory tools to track what we need and how many we need. We need to use our brain power combined with our system information to identify the core’s “worth” pulling. Based on our lists, many Recyclers are surprised to find $175 EPS racks, $140 Infotainment Systems, and $50 ECMs.

Don’t get caught up in the old-school thinking of auto cores as simply alternators, starters, and A/C compressors. Think Big and Think Profitably. Do you send your guys out to pull $25 alternators for customers anymore? But if you have 6 of the same part on the shelf and you are pulling a drive train from a vehicle, it would be much more profitable to match an ID #, mark the stock #, and put it into a core box.

Old School Thinking on Auto Cores - The 7 Deadly Sins of Cores p two

The 7 Deadly Sins of Cores

  1. Only OEM parts can be rebuilt. Aftermarket or previously rebuilt parts cannot be remanufactured.
  2. For parts that turn, the pulleys must turn. Locked-up alternators cannot be remanufactured.
  3. When requested, please try to match a part ID # to the requested part number.
  4. Identifying a part by stock number (tag or marking) is important when using a Core Program.
  5. Broken housing, ports, and plugs cannot be remanufactured.
  6. Cores with excessive rust are unacceptable (think calipers).
  7. Pack Cores Like A Pro! Throwing cores haphazardly into a core box only damages parts.

Truth be told, I am NOT a core expert, but a Recycler working at a Core Company. This has advantages in that I have become the recycler “Inside Guy,” and I see some OLD-SCHOOL thinking. I have made it my mission to change Recycler’s mindsets from the old school to the new school.

How Can You Improve Your Core Program?

Would you like a PDF version of the slide show “7 Deadly Sins of Cores”? Contact me at pdadamo@coresupply.com.

It is a quick read and is a good training tool for your team. Let’s make a change together!

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