Extending Salesforce: Improving Automotive Parts Inventory Processes

Using Apps & Automation to Overcome Data Challenges in 2025 

As the new year unfolds, challenges like ongoing disruptions, shifting market trends, and changes to consumer behavior will impact the automotive industry. Supply chain issues, including the continued semiconductor shortage and problems with overstocking/stockouts will also add to challenges the automotive sector is facing.

“Analysts caution that ‘the industry has yet to fully recover,’ with 2025 expected to bring only modest relief. These persistent challenges highlight the vulnerability of global supply chains and the pressing need for manufacturers to invest in more robust systems,” explains Supply Chain Digital Magazine in their article Supply Chain Issues and Market Shifts Challenge Automakers.

"This shortage, which began in 2020, has yet to fully abate. While 2024 saw marginal improvements, production delays and limited output persisted,” adds Supply Chain Digital Magazine's article.

In the report Trends in Automotive, Salesforce^® found that less than 1 in 5 OEMs and retailers think their digital storefronts are engaging and mobile-friendly. In addition, the same number of OEMs and retailers also experienced issues with their inventory accuracy online.

As a result of these challenges, automotive manufacturers are shifting their approach. Supply Chain Digital Magazine found that automakers are looking into options such as supplier diversification, local production, and stocking critical components in order to reduce the impact of future disruptions.

Using Salesforce can help manufacturers and suppliers achieve their goals, but there are limitations. For example, when automotive suppliers with multiple locations need the ability for each location to easily identify when product inventory is low, this can be difficult to achieve in Salesforce.

But our apps allow you to extend Salesforce and streamline inventory processes. With our Lookup Helper app, automotive suppliers can monitor inventory in Salesforce. Lookup Helper allows you to see all parts that are running low on inventory in one related list with the click of a button. 

The result is an automated solution that allows you to monitor inventory levels in Salesforce in real-time, saving valuable time and adding efficiency. To get the details and step-by-step instructions, read our use case, Easily Monitor Inventory in Salesforce With an Inventory Level Object.

Next, you can use our Rollup Helper app to Populate a Date Field on Case with the Most Recent Task for Order Sent, and Lookup Helper can Track Open Cases on Accounts and Contacts.

Learn more about how Lookup Helper and Rollup Helper can take your Salesforce org to the next level. Do you have questions or a unique use case? Please contact us, we’d love to hear from you!