Why Did My Used Car Prep Costs Not Come Across at Go-Live?

During a system migration, some vehicles may appear in Navigator without their historical preparation costs. This typically occurs when vehicles are added, moved, or modified during the "cutover" period between the old system and the new one.

Why This Matters

• Artificial Profit Inflation: Missing costs make a vehicle look more profitable than it actually is.

• Accounting Errors: If costs are missed at go-live, they often resurface as late corrections in subsequent months, causing discrepancies in your £ reporting.

Typical Scenarios for Missing Costs

• The Migration "Gap" The vehicle was sold, credited, or adjusted in the old system while the migration was already in progress.

• Late Stock Re-Entry The vehicle was manually re-entered into Navigator after the formal stock reconciliation and data import were already completed.

• Supplier Route Changes The vehicle was originally brought in under one supplier route but was re-acquired or moved under a different route during cutover.

• Dataset Omissions The preparation costs existed in the legacy system but were not mapped correctly or included in the final import dataset provided for the migration.

How to Confirm the Discrepancy

Step 1. Check Cost Analysis in Navigator

1. Open the vehicle record.

2. Navigate to the Purchase tab and select Cost Analysis.

3. Review: Look specifically for internal prep lines and any posted workshop costs. If this section is empty, no costs have been carried over.

Step 2. Audit the Migration Stock List

1. Locate the final migration stock list (the spreadsheet used for the initial data import).

2. Check if this specific vehicle was on that list.

3. The Rule: If the vehicle was missing from the import list, any preparation costs associated with it will also be missing in Navigator.

Step 3. Identify Credit and Re-buy Patterns

1. Review the vehicle history for any "Credit and Re-brought" patterns.

2. If this exists, the vehicle must be treated as a Cutover Exception, as the costs may have been "orphaned" during the transfer.

What to Do Next

1. Gather Evidence: Collect evidence from the legacy system (e.g., invoices or job cards) for the missing preparation total.

2. Consult Stock Reconciliation: Confirm with the person responsible for stock reconciliation where those prep costs landed at month-end (e.g., did they remain in a suspense account?).

3. Correction Route: Decide on the formal correction route with the Accounts team (e.g., manual cost adjustment). Avoid guessing the figures—always use the legacy system's audit trail.