Inventory Sub-Statuses

When you first add a vehicle to DeskManager Online, you must select a status. An inventory status is an organizational tool that details the vehicle’s condition at a glance. 

To further specify the current state of a vehicle, you can create customizable sub-statuses. An inventory sub-status can also control how DeskManager Online allows users to sell or advertise a vehicle. 

For dealerships that often move inventory between body shops, auctions, and elsewhere, sub-statuses are an indispensable way to organize and automate your workflow. 

This article will be broken into two sections:

• How to Add an Inventory Sub-status
• How to Assign an Inventory Sub-status

How to Add an Inventory Sub-status 

A sub-status exists under the umbrella of a status and is more specific. For example, the Recon status doesn’t designate much on its own. But you could create a Recon sub-status that specifies if the reconditioning is being done in-house or by a third party. 

First, click the Settings cogwheel located at the bottom of the leftmost sidebar. Under the Inventory category, select Sub-status.

This list displays a collapsible menu for every DeskManager Online inventory status. These include In Inventory, Appraisal, Recon, Auction, Holding, Trade-In, and Returned to Inventory. 

To edit or add a custom sub-status, first, click its associated status dropdown. 

Then click Edit Sub-statuses. 

From here, you can change the name and properties of an existing sub-status, delete a sub-status, or add a new one. 

Next, let’s decide how DeskManager Online will treat vehicles with this sub-status. You have the following six options: 

• Exclude this vehicle from the list of available vehicles: A vehicle with this sub-status will not appear in a search for “Available” vehicles. 
• Prevent Sale of the vehicle: Users can create pending deals for a vehicle with this sub-status, but these deals cannot be finalized. 
• Set the status to “Live” in WebManager: A vehicle with this sub-status will automatically be marked as Live in WebManager, rather than awaiting activation in Staging. 
• Show on the website: A vehicle with this sub-status will be displayed on your WebManager website, even from Staging. 
• Do not show the price on the website: The price for a vehicle with this sub-status will not be displayed on your WebManager website. 
• Set this as the default value: When a vehicle is given a status, its default sub-status will be automatically selected and applied to the vehicle. This can be changed if a different sub-status is more appropriate. (To see an example of this option, read the How to Assign a Sub-status section below.) 

If this status already has at least one sub-status, click Add New to create a new sub-status. 

If this status does not yet have a sub-status, you should see a blank field for your new sub-status. Begin setting up this new sub-status by naming it.

Then choose a color. 

Once you’re happy with your new sub-status, click Save & Close.

The tag for this sub-status will be the color you select, making it easy to identify at a glance. Here’s an example of a purple sub-status in the inventory list. 

Enable these options as they pertain to your custom sub-status. As an example, if you’re adding a sub-status for Auction or Recon, you may want to prevent sale of the vehicle and exclude it from the available list until it’s returned to your possession. 

How to Assign a Sub-status 

Assigning a sub-status to a vehicle can be accomplished from any section of DeskManager. Simply click on Inventory in the side menu and then choose Inventory List.

Once you arrive at the Inventory List, select the vehicle to which you wish to assign a sub-status.

To select a status for your vehicle, go to the tabs above and click on the Status dropdown box. Choose the appropriate status from the options provided. If there is a default sub-status associated with the selected status, it will be applied automatically.

If there is no associated sub-status marked as default or you need to change the sub-status from the default, click the Sub-status dropdown box. Then select the appropriate sub-status. 

Once complete, click Save.