# Tool management for car workshops or general inventory software?

> Inventory software records everything a business owns. Tool management for car repair workshops knows OEM numbers, tool sets and inspection deadlines.

## In short

General inventory software is made for everything a business owns: laptops, furniture, machines, vehicles. Tool management for car repair workshops is narrower but goes deeper: it knows the numbers from the repair manual, tool sets with individual parts and the deadlines of test equipment. If you mainly manage workshop tools, the specialised solution gets you there faster.

## What general inventory software does well

- **Everything in one place:** IT, office equipment, machines, fleet and tools in one list.
- **Assignment to people and rooms:** who has which device, what is in which room.
- **Stocktaking by barcode:** count the stock and compare it with the list.
- **Asset values:** purchase, depreciation, residual value for accounting.

For a business that mainly manages office and IT equipment, that is exactly right.

## What car repair workshops need in addition

A special tool is not a laptop. The workshop adds requirements that general solutions usually only cover in a roundabout way:

- **Several numbers per tool:** the repair manual names the OEM number, the invoice the supplier's article number, the tool carries its manufacturer's number. People search with every one of them.
- **Vehicles and engine codes:** which locking tool fits which engine?
- **Tool sets with individual parts:** a set has a content list and is checked for completeness on return.
- **Test equipment:** torque wrenches and measuring devices need an interval, a record and a calibration certificate.
- **Issue in seconds:** booked at the vehicle, with job number and a pick list for several tools.
- **Storage locations down to the drawer:** so that every tool goes back to its place.
- **Sites and partners:** in dealer groups one search shows all branches, partner businesses lend each other special tools.

## The comparison at a glance

| Requirement | General inventory software | Tool management for car workshops |
|---|---|---|
| Laptops, furniture, fleet | yes | no, or only marginally |
| Several numbers per tool | usually one field, the rest as a note | OEM, manufacturer, supplier, EAN |
| Vehicle and engine code | rarely | yes |
| Sets with individual parts | rarely | content list and completeness |
| Inspection deadlines | partly as a maintenance date | interval, record, calibration certificate |
| Issue at the vehicle | assignment to a person | scan, return date, pick list |
| Asset values | yes | depending on the solution |

## When inventory software is the better choice

- Most of the stock is office and IT equipment, tools are a side issue.
- Fixed-asset accounting comes first, not everyday work in the workshop.
- There are hardly any special tools and no test equipment that needs proof of inspection.

The two can also be combined: tool management for the workshop, inventory software for the rest. An export as a CSV or Excel file is usually enough to pass asset values to accounting.

## Frequently asked questions

### Is tool management a kind of inventory software?

In the broader sense yes, but a specialised one. It manages reusable tools with everything that belongs to them in the workshop: issue, return, storage location, numbers, sets and inspection deadlines.

### Can tool management software also handle consumables?

Consumables such as screws, oil or cleaning agents usually belong in the merchandise management system. Tool management looks after tools that come back. Some solutions issue bulk items such as sockets piece by piece.

### Can both programs be used side by side?

Yes. Many businesses keep workshop tools in the tool management software and the rest of the equipment in the inventory software. What matters is that every tool is maintained in exactly one place.

## How it works with Tulz

Tulz is tailored to car repair workshops: any number of numbers per tool, vehicles with engine code, tool sets with a content list, test equipment with a record, issue by scanning and storage locations down to the drawer. Purchase price and residual value are on the tool, and the export goes to accounting as CSV or Excel. Dealer groups see all sites, and in the workshop network partner businesses lend each other special tools.

Guides in the help centre: [Special tool with several numbers](https://tulz.work/en/help/article/special-tool-with-several-numbers) · [Tool sets](https://tulz.work/en/help/article/tool-sets) · [Purchase, residual value and tool costs](https://tulz.work/en/help/article/purchase-residual-value-and-tool-costs) · [Sites](https://tulz.work/en/help/article/sites)

[See all features](https://tulz.work/en/features)

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Source: https://tulz.work/en/guides/tool-management-or-inventory-software · As of 2026-10-06 · Tulz