Based in Kent, Big Motoring World is known as one of the UK’s leading innovative car supermarkets and listed at number 6 in the top 50 UK motor traders (2015/16). Since its inception in 1986, Big Motoring World has developed from a home-grown business with 20 vehicles on display to the mega-site that is known today with an average of 2,000 vehicles on display at any time.
Overview:
With such a large and successful operation, the team at Big Motoring World understand the need for operational efficiency, allowing the business to operate at optimum speed and effectiveness to see vehicles from delivery to collection by the customer with as little down time in between as possible.
To further advance their internal processes, Big Motoring World invested in intelligent key management and purchased 6 Keytracker E-Systems in 2015. The E-Systems and integrated automotive software package play a pivotal part in the overall operational efficiency within the business. With real-time tracking of vehicle keys from taking delivery of stock to handover with the customer, the Keytracker E-System allows Big Motoring World to do what they do best and sell cars, without the interruption of misplaced vehicle keys.
Challenges:
- Scope to expand or adapt, quickly and easily
- Locating Key and vehicle whereabouts across multiple sites
- Communication between staff locating keys brought inefficiencies on a day to day operational level
- Delays in test driving cars
- Potential for lost sales
- Risk of unauthorised access to keys
- Risk of vehicles being held up for too long in any stage of the process from delivery to sale
- Risk of having to replace lost or misplaced keys
- Qty of up to 2000 vehicles in group stock at any one time
Solution:
After outgrowing their existing system for managing keys Big Motoring World contacted Keytracker for advice; once their unique requirements were fully understood, the solution provided saw 7 electronic key systems installed over the four Big Motoring World sites. Integration into their existing Dealer Management System was vital to provide a slick process from a vehicle arriving at a preparation site to the point of being driven away by a customer.
By integrating with their Dealer Management System (DMS), Gemini, the electronic system allows all vehicle information and site locations to be accessed from a single point. Once the system has a key entered the information is fed through to the DMS and onto the website; this is crucial to ensure that at the point a vehicle is ready for sale and viewing by a customer, it is automatically advertised and made available. The benefits to Big Motoring World are passed directly to their customer, with increased efficiency of sales representatives enabling them to spend less time searching for vehicles and keys and more time with the customer. The key management system also provides heightened security for these valuable vehicle keys, ensuring that stock is safe and accessible to only approved users and insurance criteria exceeded.
Bob Ruprah, Operations Director at Big Motoring World said:
“In short the system allows us to do what was not previously possible. With a high volume of vehicles on site we had to make sure we were working smart. We needed a way to track the location and point in the process a vehicle is so that we can be as efficient as possible in our daily operations.” Mr. Ruprah continues: “While managing the security and accessibility of keys, the Keytracker system has increased productivity and therefore increased sales, which of course is fantastic.”
Adam Smith, Group Account Manager at Keytracker said:
“Big Motoring World have some of the most effective operational processes I have seen in my 10 years working with franchise dealers and car supermarkets alike. It is fantastic that Keytracker can support these processes with intelligent automotive key systems that have a real positive impact on fluidity of stock through the sites that give Big Motoring World a key solution that allows them to be effective in growing the business without restraints from key management”. “By having such slick processes in place with information fed from the key management system, vehicles are reliably available and move swiftly through the stages from delivery to sale.”
Benefits:
- Time saved on daily operations
- Security enhanced
- Automation of vehicles into sales process
- No misplaced or lost keys
- Saved cost of replacing keys
- Customer service
- Tailored solution
- Real-time information