Simpsons Skoda

Using Autoline® for greater efficiency and improved profitability

Integration with Skoda systems - a critical factor

Neil Simpson, “We looked at the various systems on offer and clearly it was important to ensure that we opted for one that was recognised by the Volkswagen Group, conforming to Skoda franchise standards and business processes. Autoline ticked the boxes, it offered a full range of Skodaspecific interfaces, it is a market leading system and a significant number of Skoda dealers were already using it.” ADP works very closely with the Volkswagen Group brands to ensure that new and changing system and business reporting requirements are met. The two organisations have a long-established partnership, and at the present time more than 30% of of the Skoda UK network is running Autoline.

Training is the key

“From the start, we were confident that Autoline would deliver the system performance and reliability that we needed. However, we first had to complete the installation programme and one of the main challenges was to ‘manage the change’ of moving across to a new system. It was not just a question of our staff learning how to operate Autoline, but more about really understanding its capability and how to adapt our off-system processes to suit the greater functionality that was available to us. To ensure that we were well prepared, ADP provided us with structured system training and implementation support programme and the consultants worked very hard at every stage to help us minimise the impact that the changeover would have on day-to-day trading.

Simpsons, a long established family-owned business, operates Skoda dealerships in Colne and Preston. In 2007, due to growth and continued success of the Skoda brand the management team, headed by Neil Simpson, made the decision to invest in a new Dealer Management System (DMS) and chose Autoline.

From the outset, there was a clear understanding by everyone that we wanted to start achieving real value from Autoline as soon as possible.”

For any dealership investing in Autoline, there is no substitute for having a well planned and fully-executed training programme that is tailored to the customer’s needs. With its team of consultants and trainers, many of whom have first hand motor trade experience, the installation of Autoline requires a teamwork approach, with a close, trusted working relationship between the customer’s staff and the ADP consultants. It is also important to appreciate that the process doesn’t finish with the initial training; to get the very best ‘competitive edge’ from using Autoline, it is also important to continue to build skills and knowledge long after go-live through the life of the system.

Improving the business in every area

“With the system now in its 3rd year of use, there are a number of main areas where we have seen the system provide us with real and valuable benefits. With its powerful integrated capability, Autoline has brought our sales, service and parts operations together. Being able to access and share information has been immensely beneficial, it has increased productivity and enabled everyone to work more efficiently, saving time in so many areas.

The management reporting tools mean that we are able to analyse any area of the business to a higher degree of accuracy than previously. In essence, we have much greater control and visibility and can make more effective management decisions.

We introduced Print Manager*, which replaced the need to use pre-printed forms, and as a result we now provide our customers with high quality, laser-printed documentation which is much more professional and as a bonus, has reduced our printing costs. As part of the configuration, we also took the opportunity to replace our old and somewhat unreliable printers with new Lexmark equipment supplied by ADP.” *standard with Autoline

“We are very pleased with Autoline and it is certainly delivering an excellent return on the investment.”
Neil Simpson

A single point of contact for software and hardware support

With the computer system now being at the heart of business today, it is vital to ensure that it is fully maintained and supported – the system is a mission-critical tool and any downtime can be costly and put operations at risk. As part of its extensive services portfolio, ADP provides Simpsons with ‘one-stop shop’ support and maintenance for their Autoline system, this covers every aspect of both the software and hardware. For ADP, the key objectives are to respond to the customer as quickly as possible on any issue, to ensure minimal disruption and complete resolution in the shortest possible time.

Autoline supports Simpson’s future strategy

“We are very pleased with Autoline and it is certainly delivering an excellent return on the investment. Interestingly, we are attracting a higher calibre of staff to work for us some of whom come with Autoline experience and that is also helping us to get more value from the system. Autoline is helping us provide better service to our customers and through our use of the system, we have been able to increase sales revenues and improve business profitability. When we set out with Autoline, we wanted a system and a partner organisation to support our future strategy of business investment and expansion. On those principles, I have no doubt that we made the right choice and can look forward to achieving more success by using Autoline and working with ADP.”