BUSI 370 Week 7 Written Report 5 Example

Course	BUSI 370 Dynamics of the American Automotive Dealership Industry (BUSI370)
Module/Week	7
Assignment	Written Report 5: Parts Department
Paper type	Department written report
Length	about 472 words, 2 double-spaced pages plus title page and references. Course guide: a report of at least 450 words answering the provided questions on the department, demonstrating course-related knowledge, with at least 2 reliable industry sources in current APA format
Format	APA 7 student paper
Points	100
School	Liberty University Online
Program	BS in Business Administration
Where it sits	Module/Week 7 in Liberty's published BUSI 370 course guide; current sections can differ
Updated	October 2026

Free sample paper for BUSI 370 Week 7

The Parts Department: Fill Rates, Inventory Turns and the Aftermarket Business

[Student Name]

School of Business, Liberty University

BUSI 370: Dynamics of the American Automotive Dealership Industry

Written Report 5: Parts Department

[Instructor Name]

[Date]

The guide's report questions are not public, so the headings follow the questions a report on this department would address; the textbook, industry data source and research cited are real.

Why this part earns its pointsThe report starts with the department's three customers, which explains how it is organized.

The Parts Department: Fill Rates, Inventory Turns and the Aftermarket Business

The Department's Customers

Brunson and Barnes (2020) describe the parts department as serving three groups. The largest is internal: the dealership's technicians, who need parts for customer-pay, warranty and internal repairs. Retail customers buy parts over the counter or online for their own repairs and accessories. Wholesale customers, such as independent repair shops and collision centers, buy factory parts in volume. A parts manager leads counter staff who serve each group, along with staff who receive shipments and manage stock. Wholesale customers often need delivery, so many departments run their own trucks and drivers, and the speed of that delivery competes directly with aftermarket parts distributors who sell cheaper, non-factory parts.

Managing Inventory

The central task is balancing availability against cost. If a part is in stock when a technician needs it, the repair proceeds and the technician keeps earning flat-rate hours; if not, the vehicle waits, the bay sits idle and the customer is disappointed. Managers measure this with the fill rate, the share of requests filled immediately from stock. But every part on the shelf ties up money and risks becoming obsolete as models change. Managers therefore watch inventory turns, how many times the stock is sold and replaced each year, and the share of parts with no sales in many months. Manufacturer stock-ordering systems recommend quantities from sales history, and return allowances let dealers send back some slow-moving parts for credit.

Why this part earns its pointsPricing differs by customer group, which follows from the three customers named at the start.

Pricing

Parts are priced differently for each customer group. Retail customers usually pay list price, wholesale accounts receive discounts that reflect their volume, and warranty parts are reimbursed under the manufacturer's terms. Many departments use a pricing matrix that applies higher margins to low-cost parts and lower margins to expensive ones. Internal sales to the service department are priced by the same rules as customer repairs, since the customer ultimately pays for those parts on the repair order, while internal sales for reconditioning are often priced at cost or a small markup.

Why this part earns its pointsThe closing analysis explains why dealers protect this department even when sales slow.

Why the After-Sales Business Matters

Parts and service are attractive because they keep earning long after a vehicle is sold. Cohen and Whang (1997) modeled how firms compete on both a product and its after-sales service over the product's life cycle and showed that after-sales service can be a major source of profit and a reason customers choose a brand. A vehicle sold once can generate parts sales for a decade. NADA's annual data show that fixed operations, service and parts together, contribute a large share of dealership gross profit (National Automobile Dealers Association, 2024).

Conclusion

The parts department succeeds when the right part is ready at the right time without excess stock, which keeps technicians productive, customers satisfied and the dealership's capital working. Because the department's errors show up as idle technicians and delayed repairs, its manager and the service manager must plan together, sharing appointment schedules so that common parts are stocked before the vehicles arrive.

References

Brunson, K., & Barnes, S. (2020). Automotive dealership management fundamentals. Liberty University. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/busi_fac_pubs/52

Cohen, M. A., & Whang, S. (1997). Competing in product and service: A product life-cycle model. Management Science, 43(4), 535-545. https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.43.4.535

National Automobile Dealers Association. (2024). NADA Data 2024: Annual financial profile of America's franchised new-car dealerships. https://www.nada.org/nadadata

What the BUSI 370 Week 7 instructions ask

Module/Week 7 brings the fifth and final department report, read with chapter 7 of Brunson and Barnes and two presentations. Questions supplied with the assignment cover what the parts department does and how it earns money, and the 100-point report answers them from the chapter and two solid industry sources in 450 words or more. Parts is the least visible department to most customers, yet it supplies every repair the service department performs and sells to outside shops as well, so a strong report explains both its internal role and its own business. The integration of faith essay and final exam follow in Module/Week 8.

How this BUSI 370 Week 7 example is built

Customers come first in the report, because the parts department's three customer groups explain its structure. The inventory section explains the tradeoff between having the part when a technician needs it and the cost of holding parts that do not sell, using the textbook's terms fill rate, turns and obsolescence. The pricing section describes how parts are priced to different customers. Research on product and after-sales competition explains why manufacturers and dealers value this business, and NADA's profile shows its weight in dealership profit. A brief conclusion links the parts department to the service department's productivity. The report uses one example of a missing part to show how the department affects technicians and customers.

BUSI 370 Week 7 grading rubric: where the points go

To earn full marks, the parts report answers each provided question fully and correctly, applies chapter 7's ideas about inventory, obsolescence and wholesale parts, passes 450 words and leans on two trustworthy industry sources cited in APA style. What earns credit is an understanding of the inventory tradeoff that defines parts management and correct use of terms such as fill rate, turnover, obsolescence and return allowance. Reports that connect parts availability to technician productivity and customer satisfaction show the integrated understanding of fixed operations the course builds. Use studies and association data; a parts supplier's catalog or advertisement is not a dependable source. A report that explains obsolescence with a specific cost example shows command of the topic. Clear headings help the reader.

BUSI 370 Week 7 help: mistakes that cost points

Identify the department's customers first, since each is served differently and priced differently. Explain the inventory tradeoff in plain terms, with an example of a missing part that leaves a technician idle. Define fill rate and turns and say what a manager does when they slip. Describe how manufacturer return programs help control obsolete stock. Use industry data and a study on after-sales service as your two sources. Connect the parts department to the service department's productivity and the customer's experience. Keep to at least 450 words and answer the questions in order. Explain the difference between factory and aftermarket parts in a sentence, since customers often ask about it. Use one part as a running example.

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BUSI 370 Week 7 questions, answered

What is BUSI 370 Written Report 5?

The fifth and last written report, 100 points in Module/Week 7, answering the course's questions about the parts department in at least 450 words with two industry sources.

Where can I find a free BUSI 370 Week 7 sample paper?

Below you can read a complete BUSI 370 Week 7 report on the dealership parts department, covering its customers, inventory management, pricing and the aftermarket.

What is fill rate in a parts department?

The share of parts requests filled immediately from stock; a high fill rate keeps technicians working and customers waiting less, but requires carrying more inventory.

Who are a dealership parts department's customers?

The dealership's own service technicians, retail customers buying over the counter or online, and wholesale accounts such as independent repair shops and body shops.

What else is due in BUSI 370 Module/Week 7?

The parts report is the single graded item of the week, with Brunson and Barnes's seventh chapter and two presentations to cover before the closing essay and exam.

Use it as a model, or ask for your own

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BUSI 370 Week 7 Written Report 5: Parts Department Example