Job Card Automation & Mechanic Workshop Billing: Link Parts and Invoicing
Job card automation links parts and labor to the invoice: parts issued to a job and labor on the job flow onto the customer invoice. One job card becomes one accurate invoice—no missed line items or manual re-entry. That's how mechanic workshop billing captures every part and hour.
In this article
- How job cards and parts inventory work together
- Mechanic workshop billing: labor and parts on the invoice from the job card
- Parts leakage prevention: the biggest mistake with job cards and invoicing
- Step-by-step flow from job card to invoice
How do job cards and parts inventory work together?
Parts are issued from inventory "to" a job card. That does two things: it reduces stock and it attaches those parts to the job. The job card then holds the full picture: labor and parts. When you're ready to bill, you convert the job to an invoice and the system pulls in both labor and parts. No second list, no guessing what was used.
| On the job card | On the invoice |
|---|---|
| Labor (type, hours, rate) | Labor line items |
| Parts issued to job | Parts line items |
| Subcontractor / outwork | Pass-through line items |
| Job notes / description | Invoice narrative (optional) |
Mechanic workshop billing: track labor and parts on the invoice from the job card
Labor is entered on the job card (type, hours, rate). When you create the invoice from the job, those labor lines are added as invoice lines. The same applies to parts: parts on the job card become line items on the invoice. So one source (the job card) drives the invoice. This is how construction and industrial equipment shops keep labor and parts in sync with what's billed.
Parts leakage prevention: the biggest mistake with job cards and invoicing
The biggest mistake is keeping job cards and invoicing separate: writing labor and parts on the job but then typing the invoice from memory or from scribbled notes. That's where parts get dropped and revenue leaks. The fix is to never re-enter: the invoice is generated from the job card.
| Separate systems | Job-card-driven invoice |
|---|---|
| Invoice built from memory or notes | Invoice built from job card data |
| Parts often missed → revenue leakage | Every part on the job is on the invoice |
| Stock and billing don't match | Stock issued = parts billed |
| Double data entry, more errors | Single source of truth, no re-entry |
For more on closing that gap, see how to stop parts leakage in your repair shop.
Linking job cards, parts, and invoicing isn't just convenience—it's how you make sure every hour and every part turns into revenue. One job card, one accurate invoice.