June 15, 2022

Spare parts exporter
Since 1972, AUTOMOTOR buys and sells automotive spare parts. Its specificity: a distribution to almost exclusively non-European customers. The company is the first French independent car parts exporter.

Olivier Van Ruymbeke, CEO of AUTOMOTOR, talks about the reasons for this success: « We are not a big company. Our main strengths are our reactivity and our adaptability to the market. We often go into complex markets where others do not want to go. To gain market share, we must be faster than our competitors, often bigger than us. Our ability to react and understand the problems of many players around the world is our best asset. »

AUTOMOTOR can also pride itself on the loyalty of its customers, some of whom have been with the company for over 20 years. This proximity and the trust-based relationship that AUTOMOTOR is committed to maintaining with its business partners are the pride of this company and its sixty or so employees.

A failed ERP implementation attempt
In 2017, the company decided to replace its obsolete in-house developed information system and decided on a market ERP. The project started in 2018 with a two-stage go-live in mind: first the logistics warehouse, then the support and administrative departments at headquarters. After months of project, the ERP is started in the warehouse in January 2020, but everything is stopped after only one month.

Looking back at this event, Olivier Van Ruymbeke sheds light on the reasons for this reversal: « We had to stop using the new ERP simply because the new information system implemented only in the logistics warehouse did not work with the old one, which was still active at the head office. We drew two conclusions from this: it was a mistake not to start up all the company’s functions simultaneously, and we should have written down the company’s core processes before starting the implementation project. »

AUTOMOTOR teams started to describe the company’s processes and checked the adequacy of the ERP with the main processes. They realized then that the solution was far from covering 100% of the needs and that additional systems had to be developed. Change of course: AUTOMOTOR started looking for a new ERP solution and a new integrator. « We reached out to Infor because we knew that the Infor M3 ERP had been deployed at major retailers in France. It had a certain legitimacy in our industry. We chose 3 complex processes and submitted them to Authentic who quickly came back to us with its pre-configured ADS solution perfectly adapted to our needs », Olivier Van Ruymbeke explains.

“By navigating through a quasi-finished product from the start, key users implication is more pragmatic and relevant.”
Olivier Van Ruymbeke, CEO of AUTOMOTOR

ADS, the power of pre-configuration
The key element in the choice of the ADS solution by AUTOMOTOR is undoubtedly the standard functional coverage that meets more than 90% of requirements. The pre-configuration of the solution will also allow a much faster implementation. « From the start, key users have access to mocked-up screens. They do not go through a conceptual phase where they are asked to describe how they work. By navigating through a quasi-finished product from the start, their implication is more pragmatic and relevant. »

Authentic’s approach, the involvement of its contacts during the pre-sales phase, their ability to listen and adapt very quickly were decisive in the choice of the solution by the AUTOMOTOR management. « Automotor and Authentic are on the same page. »

Looking ahead
Driven by the growing second-hand car market, AUTOMOTOR benefits today from a favorable economic context. The Infor ERP implementation project must go quickly. A 12-month objective was set for Authentic. The challenge is about to be met!

Other customer testimonials