You sell parts, you sell builds, and you repair — at three different costs
A computer shop is three businesses in one: selling parts from stock, assembling builds whose cost is composed, and repairs that combine parts with labour. Run all three in one ledger and you cannot tell which actually makes money.
A build as a product with components
Cost computed, not estimated
A build is defined by its components: parts leave stock on assembly and the machine's cost comes from what its parts actually cost.
Serials where they matter
Cards, monitors and drives are tracked by serial for warranty; cables and screws are not — so stock-taking does not become a punishment.
Prices that move weekly
A part's cost comes from its own batch rather than a stale average, so a build's margin reflects the market you actually bought in.
Repairs as a job with a margin
A job card per machine
A job opens against the customer, the machine and the fault, so every repair has a file instead of a note on the bench.
Parts and labour on one job
Parts fitted come out of stock and time spent is priced, so the full cost of the repair appears rather than half of it.
Handover creates the invoice
Closing the job issues the invoice and posts the entry, so a machine handed back but never billed cannot happen.
Common questions
Can the same part sell alone and inside a build?
Yes, and it is the same part on the same balance. A direct sale deducts it; assembly deducts it as a component — there are never two balances for one thing.
How do I see which activity earns most?
Through cost centres: parts, builds and repairs are each a centre, and the report shows revenue, cost and margin for each separately.
Also worth reading
- ERP platformHesbba's ERP brings sales, inventory, purchasing, payroll and accounting into one ledger, posting every document the moment you save it.
- AccountingAccounting software that creates entries from your invoices and expenses automatically, with a ready chart of accounts, a live trial balance and a full audit trail.
- Inventory & purchasingWarehouse software for multiple locations, receipt, issue and transfer notes, barcode stock counts, and inventory cost posted to the ledger on every movement.
- Mobile phone shopsSoftware for mobile shops tracking each handset by serial and IMEI, tying warranty to the invoice, and handling trade-ins and accessories.
- Auto partsSoftware for auto parts stores with part-number and cross-reference search, vehicle compatibility, and thousands of slow-moving lines.
- RetailRetail software linking the till to stock and accounting, working through internet outages, and comparing branch performance.
Separate the three and see the difference
Enter your parts, assemble a machine, open a repair job — then read the profit on each.