Got two different answers from two different people on our team about how to structure our parts catalog and I'm trying to figure out which way actually makes sense before we commit.
Option A: Flat catalog with everything at top level, use tags and custom fields to categorize. Search handles the rest.
Option B: Hierarchical categories — Category > Subcategory > Part. More structure upfront, more clicking to find things.
We're at about 800 parts now and growing. Don't want to rebuild this in six months because we picked wrong.
What's actually working for people at scale?
Hi Mike! Great question — this comes up often during implementation. Here's what I'd recommend based on what I've seen across accounts:
Start flat, plan for hierarchy. FieldPulse lets you add category/subcategory fields after the fact without breaking existing parts or work orders. If you begin with a solid tagging scheme and consistent naming (as Gwen mentioned), you can always introduce hierarchy later once you understand your actual usage patterns.
A few practical notes:
Search performance — flat catalogs with good tags search faster in the mobile app, which matters when techs are in the field.
Reporting flexibility — tags are filterable in reports; deep hierarchy can complicate rollup views.
Bulk changes — re-tagging 800 parts is painful but possible. Re-parenting 800 parts across nested categories is more error-prone.
We have guidance on setting up your initial catalog structure in Setting Up Your Parts Inventory and Adding and Editing Inventory Items.
If you're unsure, I'd suggest prototyping with your top 50 most-used parts in both structures and seeing which feels natural to your dispatchers. Happy to connect you with our implementation team if you'd like a brief review of your specific part mix.
Hi Mike! Great question — this comes up often during implementation. Here's what I'd recommend based on what I've seen across accounts:
Start flat, plan for hierarchy. FieldPulse lets you add category/subcategory fields after the fact without breaking existing parts or work orders. If you begin with a solid tagging scheme and consistent naming (as Gwen mentioned), you can always introduce hierarchy later once you understand your actual usage patterns.
A few practical notes:
Search performance — flat catalogs with good tags search faster in the mobile app, which matters when techs are in the field.
Reporting flexibility — tags are filterable in reports; deep hierarchy can complicate rollup views.
Bulk changes — re-tagging 800 parts is painful but possible. Re-parenting 800 parts across nested categories is more error-prone.
We have guidance on setting up your initial catalog structure in Setting Up Your Parts Inventory and Adding and Editing Inventory Items.
If you're unsure, I'd suggest prototyping with your top 50 most-used parts in both structures and seeing which feels natural to your dispatchers. Happy to connect you with our implementation team if you'd like a brief review of your specific part mix.
