A lot of performance parts companies start as shops. Somebody builds a better intake, a flex fuel kit, or a set of brackets for a project car, customers start asking for them, and before long the shop is running a small production line out of the same space where the service work happens. The problem is that the systems usually don't grow with it. Parts get pulled off the shelf without anyone recording it, a batch of fifty kits comes up three components short, and nobody knows the real inventory count until someone goes out and counts it.
At this year's PRI Show, My Shop Assist is hosting a free one-hour seminar on managing production for performance parts manufacturers, from building the product to keeping inventory accurate to getting orders out the door.
Seminar details
What: Build It, Track It, Ship It: Production Management for Performance Parts Manufacturers
When: Friday, December 11, 2026, 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm
Where: Room 207, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis
Cost: Free
Seats: Room holds 50, first come, first served
Your instructor: Richard Fielder
The seminar is taught by Richard Fielder, Manufacturing Engineering Manager, at Peterbilt who works on the systems that build semi trucks at scale, and a co-host on the Do It For A Living podcast. Richard brings the discipline of large-scale manufacturing, things like standard work, lean, kanban, and error-proofing, and translates it into something a small performance parts operation can actually use.
Listen before the show
We've spent a good part of the last year on the Do It For A Living podcast talking about manufacturing, both the systems behind it and the shops living it. If you want a head start before the seminar, these are the episodes to catch:
- Episode 213: Manufacturing Systems for Small Shops. Richard breaks down 5S, shadow boards, standard operating procedures, and building a real bill of materials so you know what your products cost to make.
- Episode 215: Mastering Manufacturing in Performance Automotive. A deeper dive into lean, kanban, just-in-time inventory, and designing parts that can only be assembled one way.
What we'll cover
Build it. Every product you make has a recipe: the components, hardware, and labor that go into it. We'll look at how to define that as an assembly, so when you build a batch the parts list scales automatically and your assembler gets a pick list instead of a guess.
Track it. Inventory is only useful if it's accurate. We'll talk about keeping on-hand counts honest as parts are used in production, knowing what to reorder before you run out, and documenting your build process so the product comes out the same no matter who's building it.
Ship it. Whether you sell direct through your own online store or through dealers and distributors, your inventory needs to match what you're telling customers is available. We'll cover how to keep production, stock, and sales channels in sync so you're not selling parts you don't have.
Who should attend
Owners and managers at companies that manufacture performance parts, and shops that build their own products alongside service work and are feeling the growing pains. You don't need to be an MSA user to get something out of this session.
See you in Room 207.
