What Is ABS BarCode and How Does It Help Dealership Parts Inventory?

ABS BarCode is a barcode-based parts inventory system from Automotive Business Solutions LLC (ABS), aimed at dealership parts departments. Its core job is to let staff scan incoming stock orders, compare the scanned results against the dealership's inventory system, and quickly surface shortages and overages. It fits dealerships that receive parts in volume and currently rely on manual check-in, where miscounts and missed discrepancies are hard to catch before parts are shelved.

The problem it addresses

When a stock order arrives, the parts department has to confirm that what was shipped matches what was ordered and what the inventory system expects. Done by hand, that process is slow and error-prone: a shortage may go unnoticed until a technician needs the part, and an overage may sit on the shelf tying up capital. ABS describes its products as letting the parts department "quickly and accurately check in stock orders and compare the results to their inventory system and quickly spot shortages and overage."

How the barcode workflow works

The mechanism is straightforward scanning against a reference record:

1. Input — Parts arrive with barcodes, and staff scan each item with a barcode gun rather than keying numbers.
2. Action — The system checks in the stock order and compares the scanned quantities and part numbers to the dealership's inventory system.
3. Expected result — Discrepancies appear as shortages (received less than expected) or overages (received more than expected), so they can be resolved while the shipment is still being processed.

The value comes from the comparison step: scanning alone only records what arrived; matching that record against the inventory system is what turns a pile of parts into an exception list a manager can act on.

Hardware and usability considerations

ABS notes two practical points that matter in a real parts department:

• Rugged barcode guns — the scanners are described as "rugged and able to stand up in a parts department environment," which matters because parts areas involve drops, dust, and constant handling.
• Ease of use — the system is described as easy to use, which affects how quickly counter and warehouse staff can adopt it without heavy training.

Who ABS serves

ABS was founded in 1999 by Kevin Berkhimer and Frank Burrows, who between them have over 68 years of combined experience managing large automobile dealerships. Beyond selling to dealerships directly, ABS also works with third-party companies that want to reach dealerships: it helps those companies "work with dealerships to leverage their product and improve the dealers efficiencies."

ABS also cites a manufacturer's first national survey of bar code systems, in which ABS BarCode was selected #1 in both the number of installed systems and the satisfaction level of the parts managers using it. That claim comes from ABS's own site, so treat it as the vendor's stated positioning rather than an independent benchmark.

Is it a fit for your parts department?

ABS BarCode is worth evaluating if you run a dealership parts operation that receives stock orders in volume, want check-in tied directly to your inventory system, and need shortage/overage detection at receiving time rather than after the fact. If your volume is low or your inventory system already handles receiving with comparable scanning tools, the marginal benefit is smaller.

For specifics on compatibility with your inventory system, current products, and how third-party partnerships work, contact ABS directly — the site lists 7681 Green Mountain Way, Winter Garden, FL 34787, and 703-467-0685.